Peconditas

"Think of a number from one to ten."

"PECONDITAS" immediately comes to mind. It was the key to coding the price tag on the merchandise in my father's store. Before WWII Arrow shirts sold for $2.00; Oxford Cloth $2.25; Stetson "Open Road' hats $5.00, Stratoliner with a wider brim $6.00

The clerk's optic nerve was the scanner for the price tag. Thus on the $2.00 shirt the label PNXS translated into $15.50 per dozen - yes dozen - 12. The X meant that the preceding number was repeated.

Recalling that dredges up a specific scene in the store. For display sweaters were neatly stacked in removable trays in shelves according to size and style. This particular day Fritz the clerk had at least two trays of sweaters spread out on the counter to show to an undecided customer. Finally the customer said that she was 'looking for her father". At this point Fritz said "My goodness, Lady, if he came in with you he must be somewhere under this pile."

History will show that Fritz did not have the opportunity to scan the 'peconditas' derivative at that time.