Period rules for a Clerk...

[johan_steele]

Rules to Employees

The Store must be open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM the year round.

Store must be swept; counters, base shelves and showcases dusted; lamps trimmed, filled and chimneys cleaned; pens made; doors and windows opened, a pail of water, also a bucket of coal brought in before breakfast if there is time to do so attend to customers who call.

Store must not be opened on the Sabbath unless necessary and then only for a few minutes.

The employee who is in the habit of smoking Spanish cigars, being shaved at the barber’s, going to dances and other places of amusement will surely give his employer reasons to be suspicious of his integrity and honesty.

Each employee must not pay less than five dollars per year to the church and must attend Sunday school regularly.

Men employees are given one evening a week for courting, and two if they go to prayer meeting.

After fourteen hours of work in the store the lieasure hours should be spent mostly in reading.

Posted in the office of a Red Wing MN Hardware & Paint store from the late 1850’s until approx 1900 when the store closed.