Shopping Using A Railroad of Money Transports

AUSTIN, Min. J.C.Pennys. "I remember that JC Pennys and maybe Kresges had that cable system that shot those cups from the registers where the clerks were up to the cashier." Cecil Monson posting to antique-tractor list, 23 Dec. 02.
"As recently as the 1960s, the old Penney's store in downtown Austin, and the department store in Taylor, TX at the time, had the little cable-car money transporters. There was one cash register on the mezzanine level at the rear of the store with small diameter steel cables radiating out from it to the different sales departments on the street level. When you made a purchase, the clerk would place your money and the sales slip in a little cup and attach it to the carrier mounted on the cable. A mighty tug on a little cable hanging down would propel the carrier with the cup up the cable to the cash register. A little later, the carrier would come sliding back down the cable, bearing your change and receipt. The ceiling area of the store looked like a great spider web, and it was fun to be a kid watching the constant overhead traffic to and from all parts of the store." Jim Stinson posting to Dallas History Message Board, 20 Apr. 2005

The article above took me a long time to find. I especially wanted my children and grandchildren to know of one of the fun things about shopping when I was a child. The only way to pay for things was cash and writing a check. There were no credit or debit cards in those days. Some people that were well off or well known could have an "account" and be billed at the end of the month, but for the most part it was cash or check.The Penny store in my town was two story. The cashier was on the second floor. She would send down the bill or money which ever it would be. For instance if I bought something for three dollars and gave the lady a five dollar bill, the lady that was waiting on me would send my ticket and my money up to the cashier. She would make change and sling my change down to my clerk. It was so fun. Some really big stores in Kansas City for instance had an airway of more than thirty five of these "cashiers". These were invented by a Mr. Lamson and have been used since 1888 I believe. Anyway they were fun. The biggest store I was at was in South Dakota and I was twenty three. I found out that there are still some being used. Most were eliminated by 1960. It was an end of an era.