Chapter XXXIV —
ANOTHER HORSE TRADE—A HEAVY LOSS—PLAYING DETECTIVE—MY VISIT HOME—A
RETROSPECT—CALLING IN MY AGENTS—A NEW SCHEME—IT’S A WINNER—MR.
KEEFER AND MY MOTHER VISIT CHICAGO—HIS VERDICT, “IT DOES BEAT THE DEVIL.”
We continued to travel by team, and my great stronghold was to collect
bad debts, many of which I collected almost by force.
TRAVELING BY TANDEM TEAM.—PAGE 624
On this trip one of our horses became lame, and one morning just as we
were ready to start out from the hotel a gentleman came driving up with
a fine-looking span of horses, that, although appearing rather green and
awkward, made a very handsome and stylish pair. He stopped near our
carriage, and I inquired how old his horses were. He said four years. I
asked:
“How will you trade teams with me?”
After looking my horses over carefully, and without leaving his
carriage, he replied:
“For one hundred and twenty-five dollars to boot.”
“All right, sir. Here is your money,” and I counted it out and handed it
over to him.
“But what sort of a team are you trading me?”
“No matter, sir. You have got your money, so unhitch, and I’ll do the
same.”
He hesitated a moment, but when the crowd of men standing by began
laughing at him, he commenced to unhitch.
Before leaving him I remarked that I had too much business on hand to
spend any time with a lame horse, nor did I care to dicker a minute on a
horse trade.
Ten minutes later we were driving off with a pair of colts that had
never been hitched or driven but three times.
We finished our business in Northern Michigan, and drove this team home,
where I broke them to drive tandem.
The following spring I started on the road with my team hitched tandem
to a two-wheeled cart with my advertisement on the side and back.
A few weeks later I hired a Mr. Rhodes to travel for me, and he took
charge of the tandem team and traveled with them. They made a[Pg 628] splendid
advertisement for my business and it was looked upon by our customers as
quite a novel way to travel.
I now remained at home and had my hands full looking after the failures
that were coming thick and fast. It seemed to me that every other man
who failed was owing me.
Dr. Frank was still with me and rendered very valuable service in the
collection of hard accounts. He had not entirely gotten over his
pugilistic propensities, and whenever I found it necessary to instruct
him to call on a dead beat and “bring something back with him,” he
generally returned with a wad of money or a wad of hair.
About this time I had a little experience myself, at a town in Ohio,
which might be worth mentioning. One of my customers, a retail jeweler,
was owing me over eleven hundred dollars. As we could get no word from
him in answer to our request for a remittance, we made a draft on him,
and were informed by the banker that the firm had “gone up” three or
four weeks before; also that the store was being run by a man who had
bought it at sheriff’s sale to satisfy a chattel mortgage. Only two
months before, I had received a statement from the proprietor, who[Pg 629]
claimed that the stock was free from incumbrance, and everything in good
shape. So I concluded that an open swindle had been perpetrated.
I took the train for the town where he was doing business, and on my
arrival learned that the other creditors had been there ahead of me, and
not one had succeeded in getting the least satisfaction. I visited the
store, and could not see a single article in the show-cases that I could
identify as goods I had sold him. This alone convinced me more than ever
that I had been swindled completely out of my goods.
I instituted a vigorous search for a clew of some kind which might lead
to their discovery, but without success; and was just about to leave
town when I inquired if the late jewelry firm had employed any clerks or
errand boys before collapsing.
Upon learning that they had employed a small boy then residing with the
ex-manager, and realizing that my chances for getting information from
that quarter would be pretty slim, I inquired if the lad had any
relatives living there. The hotel clerk told me that his father and
sister were living but a short distance away, and pointed out[Pg 630] the house
to me. I called at once, but with not an inkling of an idea of what I
would say or do when I should be admitted; and trusting implicitly to
the inspiration of the moment.
When I rapped at the door, it was opened by a tall, lank, angular and
cadaverous-looking young woman of about eighteen, who by the way was big
enough to peddle grind-stones.
I was surprised to learn that she was a sister of the lad referred to,
as I had gotten the impression that she was much younger.
The instant I saw the style of person I had to deal with, it occurred to
me that a little stratagem might be worth several hundred dollars to me,
if properly directed, just at that particular time. Without a moment’s
reflection, and before she had time to offer me a chair, I stepped back
as if greatly amazed, and said:
“Miss ——, I never was more surprised—I never saw anything like it—I
can’t believe my own eyes—it seems like a dream.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why, do you know, you are the exact image of a young lady I was once
engaged to; and she died on the very day set for the wedding. I never
saw anything like it!”
I then told her my name and business. She had often heard her brother
speak of such a wholesale jewelry house; and I could see that she was on
her guard, and probably knew more than she intended to convey. Convinced
of this, I felt certain that I had made a good beginning, and that the
first thing for me to do was to pour love into her ear, and win her over
to my side if possible. So I returned to my former subject without
delay, and after repeating the statement that she was the image of my
deceased love, I told her that she was the first and only person I had
ever met since that sad day, who interested me.
She smiled serenely, and did not seem displeased.
I next asked her if she was married.
She was not, and declared there was no favorable prospect.
I replied that perhaps her prospects were better than she supposed.
She smiled again, and seemed even less displeased than before, and moved
her chair nearer mine.
I then began talking at a rapid rate, giving her no chance whatever to
express herself, and [Pg 634]directing my remarks in a way that would cause her
to think I matrimonially inclined. By this time she had finished chewing
off one corner of her apron and had tackled the other. Her eyes were
fairly dancing with delight.
Her cheeks had flushed considerably, and she seemed at a loss to know
what to do with her brawny hands and ponderous feet.
I quickly observed that my scheme was working to a charm and continued
my love-making, asserting myself boldly; then to test her feeling in the
matter, I asked her to express herself freely, without hesitation, as I
didn’t care to have my affections trifled with.
Then drawing her chair nearer mine, she remarked, in her most
fascinating manner, that the only feller she ever did like had red hair
and a large red moustache; then, having finished up the apron, she
blurted out:
“How many times you ben married? Mebbe you got one or two wives neow.”
“For gracious’ sake! do you think I look as though I’d ever been
married? I guess I’ll leave.”
“Well, I don’t know’s you do; but you look like you’d make an awful nice
man.”
She moved her chair still closer to mine.
I now thought it the proper time to spring a little tragedy on her.
Suddenly changing the subject by referring to the late jewelry firm’s
failure, I confidentially informed her of my great loss. Then I jumped
to my feet, and a moment later began prancing around the room, raving
like a maniac. After that I related to her how I had placed confidence
in those scoundrels, and as my loss was so severe unless I should be
fortunate enough to get my goods back, I would soon be a ruined man
financially.
Her sympathies were at once aroused, and she began to show signs of a
desire to say or do something in my behalf, when suddenly she changed
her mind and became silent. I talked more love, and immediately got
another spell on, and pranced around but a few times when she made a
dash for me; and as I caught her before she had time to make a complete
fall, she straightened up, and placing her hands on my shoulders, said:
“Mr. Johnston, dare I tell you what I know?”
“MR. JOHNSTON, DARE I TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW?”—PAGE 635
“Yes, you dare.”
“Well, I’ll tell you something; but please don’t give me away.”
I assured her that her name would never be[Pg 636] mentioned. So she told me
that I would find several packages of jewelry and watches in the bureau
drawers, at the house of a certain family then in town. Her brother had
told her this. I thanked her, and would have kissed her had she not been
so beastly homely.
I bade her good-bye, promising to return soon, and started for my
lawyer’s office, consoling myself as I went with the thought that an
hour and a half courtship would not be likely to break her heart or
drive her crazy, when she should learn the facts of the case.
After detailing to the lawyer the information I had gained, we decided
to proceed to a Justice of the Peace and get out a search warrant for
the goods and a State warrant for the arrest of the ex-manager. My legal
adviser explained to me that the searching of a person’s residence
without finding what we were after, might result seriously, as the owner
could enter suit against me for damages.
While I was not desirous of getting into trouble by such procedure, I
was nevertheless anxious to procure my goods, and determined to risk it.
While the lawyers were making out the [Pg 637]papers I went to the hotel, and
while there, was called upon by the ex-manager, who apparently realized
that there was something in the wind, and showed plainly that he was
nervous and excited.
He asked my intentions, telling me he would aid me all he could in
finding the former proprietor.
I requested him to accompany me to the Justice’s office; and there I
showed him the warrants, and told him they would be ready to serve in
about one minute. As we had an officer present to serve the papers, he
began to feel himself getting into close quarters. So calling me to one
side he asked if I would be willing to drop the matter if he would turn
over to me eleven hundred dollars’ worth of goods.
“I’ll take fifteen hundred dollars’ worth, and drop it; that amount will
pay me for all my trouble and expense.”
“But I haven’t got only thirteen hundred and fifty dollars’ worth. I’ll
give you all I have, and the stock consists of the choicest line of
solid gold jewelry and watches.”
I accepted his offer, of course. The goods were as he represented, the
very choicest line of watches and jewelry.
I then selected a handsome present for my new girl, and returned with
it to her house. Before letting her know just how I had fooled her, I
determined to ascertain, if possible, the whereabouts of the former
proprietor of the store, as I wanted a bill of sale from him fearing
that the ex-manager’s title might not be good, and the acceptance of a
bill of sale from him would be taking chances.
Upon arriving at the girl’s house I told her of my success, and asked if
she would not see her brother at once, and try and get the information
desired. She surprised me by saying that her brother had left the house
but a few moments before, and had told her that the man I wanted was at
Salina, Kansas. I then surprised her by the information of the fact that
I had been playing detective.
After assuring her that no one in town knew or should know from what
source I got my information, I atoned for all the deception used, and
for what prevaricating I had done, by handing her the gift of jewelry,
which made her eyes fairly pop out of her head. She seemed to have
instantly forgotten all about our previous love-making, which convinced
me that she was better[Pg 639] satisfied with the present than she would have
been with me.
On my way home I stopped off at Clyde to visit my folks, staying one
night. I carried the watches and jewelry with me; and having telegraphed
that I was coming, Mr. Keefer met me at the train with a horse and
carriage, and we took the goods to the house. I had a nice visit with
the old folks and my little son; and after showing them the watches and
jewelry, related the incidents of my trip, how I got possession of the
goods, and “just how it all happened.”
My mother said she had always thought I would make a better detective
than anything else. Mr. Keefer said “it did beat the devil.”
That night we reviewed the past eighteen years, with much interest. We
recalled the many ups and downs I had met with; and my parents
congratulated me, not only on the pluck and energy I had persistently
shown, but also for being able to stand prosperity.
Mr. Keefer repeated what I had often heard him say years before, that
“he knew I’d make it win some day.” He said he had always contended that
as long as I kept from spending money foolishly, and only lost it in
trying to[Pg 640] make money, that I must certainly some day profit by my
experience, and come out ahead.
He evinced great interest in my affairs by wanting to talk continually
with reference to my business, and would converse about nothing else the
whole evening.
My mother didn’t know what to say.
On my arrival home I wrote to the Salina, Kansas, man, telling him that
I had a lot of goods in my possession turned over to me by his
ex-manager; and unless he came on to Chicago within five days, and gave
me a bill of sale for them, I would have him brought back by officers.
He came, and did as I requested.
This late experience, in connection with several other large losses I
had sustained through the sales of traveling agents, convinced me more
than ever that my business was being constantly jeopardized by their
carelessness in conducting sales.
I had for some time been figuring on an original plan of advertising, by
which I felt certain of success. So I decided to call my agents in and
discharge them. Then I began at once to spend time and money liberally
in advertising. The result was that my business grew rapidly, and[Pg 641] to
such an extent that I was compelled to increase my force of clerks, and
to keep renting and adding on more room every few months, till at
present I employ a very large force of help, and occupy ten times as
much room as when I first commenced at my present location, and am
supplying jewelry to the leading merchants in all parts of the United
States.
When I called my agents in to discharge them, with a view to
experimenting with my advertising scheme, Bert, (who by this time had
become thoroughly sophisticated, and had proved himself a competent and
trustworthy young man,) said that, as he had laid up a few hundred
dollars, he would like to buy goods from me and sell for himself, the
same as I had done, and the same as Albert was then doing. I agreed to
sell to him on similar terms.
He began at once, and was very successful—so much so that on the first
of January of the present year he also opened an office of his own in
the same building where I am located; he buys direct from the
manufacturers, and conducts a wholesale business for himself. So much
for the unsophisticated country lad who had pluck and energy enough to
strike out upon the world,[Pg 642] and aim for something better than a
clerkship in a country store.
Dr. Frank was still traveling for me when I ordered the agents in, and
was the last to respond, being about three days late. When I inquired
the reason, he replied that the last man he called upon to collect from
had shown a disposition to get out of paying the bill; and as that was
to be his last chance, he concluded to stay till he got either the
fellow’s scalp or the amount due me. He got the latter. He then remarked
that while traveling through Dakota he had found a quarter-section of
Government land which he had taken as a homestead. He then returned
there.
The following fall who should turn up again but Dr. Frank, from Pierre,
Dakota, and on arriving here found himself “broke.” He called on me and
said:
“Now, Johnston, you were the first to get me mixed up in this Doctor
business, and but for our experience in setting the old woman’s ankle
and your dubbing me Doctor, I never would have thought of becoming a
physician. As it is, I am anxious to remain here during the winter and
attend medical lectures at Hahnemann College, and I know of no one
better able to loan me the money to do it with, than you.”
“All right, Dr. Frank; you can call around every Saturday, when we are
paying off our help, and draw enough to meet your weekly expenses.”
It is not necessary to say that he never missed a pay day.
It will be remembered that he had previously spent one winter attending
lectures at Ann Arbor. The following spring myself and wife by
invitation attended the commencement exercises of the college, and had
the pleasure of seeing him graduate, a full-fledged Doctor.
As I witnessed this little scene, the picture of Frank while pulling the
old woman’s leg, and the knowing look he gave her after the ankle popped
back into its socket, came vividly before me. It seemed more like a
dream than a reality, when I shook him by the hand and congratulated him
on being a genuine M. D. He is now a successful practitioner at Baldwin,
Michigan, and has made an especially good record as a surgeon.
Experiencing but little difficulty in building up a lucrative practice,
he was not long in repaying me the amount borrowed for college expenses.
About this time Mr. Keefer made his first and only visit to Chicago,
accompanied by my mother[Pg 644] and my son Frankie. Mr. Keefer had been
desirous for some time of visiting the city, to see how “that boy”
managed his business. On their arrival, I escorted them to my store,
when, after looking over the several clerks and book-keepers, Mr. Keefer
asked:
“Who are all these people working for?”
“Why, they are working for me.”
Just then the postman came in with a large package of letters, and when
I began opening them, and extracting money orders, drafts, checks and
currency, he gazed steadily for a few moments and said:
“Is that all money, Perry?”
“Certainly; checks and drafts are as good as cash.”
“But where do you get it from?”
“From Maine to California, and from Manitoba to Mexico.”
He looked on quietly for a few moments, and turning to my mother, said:
“Well, it does beat the devil.”
I took a great deal of pleasure in showing him the city, and escorting
him to the many places of interest and amusement. My mother had often
visited the larger cities, and was not so much interested as he was.
Although it was his first visit, I paid him the compliment of appearing
more accustomed to city life than any person I had ever seen who had
never before been away from his own neighborhood. From his cool,
unexcitable, matter-of-fact way, one would have supposed that he had
always been inured to the excitement and bustle of the city.
SPIN ON THE BOULEVARD WITH MR. KEEFER
On the first pleasant day after their arrival, I took Mr. Keefer a whirl
down the boulevard, behind a handsome pair of chestnut-sorrel horses
which I had dealt for a few days before. As we went dashing along at a
lively rate he hung to his hat with one hand and to the buggy with the
other, and asked what such a team cost me. When I answered his question,
he said:
“That team is worth more than all the horses we ever had on our farm at
any one time. Well, I always said you’d ‘get there’ some day, Perry.”
A few days prior to his visit, I had made a trade for a half interest in
a livery and sale stable, owned and run by an old acquaintance named
Kintz, who is mentioned in the seventh chapter of this book. He is the
man who was running a bakery at Clyde, and whose gold watch I traded to
the Telegraph Operator, receiving five dollars[Pg 648] to boot from each of
them, which I placed to my own credit as middleman.
John had come on to Chicago and opened this stable, after several years’
experience in a Michigan town in the same business, and I had made a
deal with him for a half interest.
After Mr. Keefer and I had finished our ride, I drove the team to our
barn, and jumping out, ordered them taken care of; and as my partner was
away, I also began giving orders about the general business, and
reprimanded one of the hostlers for neglecting his work.
Mr. Keefer was unable to understand the meaning of this, and finally
asked what right I had to be ordering those men around.
I told him I owned a half interest in the business.
He gazed at me a moment, and in his usual good-natured manner, said:
“Well it does beat the devil.”
The recollection of this visit affords me a great deal of satisfaction
now, as he died about a year afterwards. When visiting me he showed the
keenest interest in my success, and declared that since his own had not
been what he had desired, he was now only anxious to live long[Pg 649] enough
to see what the outcome of my business would be, and he continued to
evince this same interest up to the very day of his death.
After the Physicians had given him up he requested them to telegraph me
at once, which they did, and he fought for forty-eight hours against
falling asleep, fearing, as he claimed, that he might not arouse
sufficiently to recognize “that boy” when he should arrive.
A few months after Mr. Keefer’s visit to Chicago my wife and I were out
riding one Saturday evening, and drove to Woodlawn Park—a Chicago
suburb. She casually remarked that she would like to own a home out
there, and go to housekeeping, as she was tired of boarding. Just as she
had finished expressing herself, we met a gentleman on the street, and I
asked him if he knew of any property for sale there.
He replied: “My name is W. D. True; I am a real estate man and have
three houses right near by for sale,” and though it was then quite dark,
he offered to show us one of them if we would drive over on Sheridan
avenue.
We did so and he showed us through the house, to a great disadvantage,
however, as we had no[Pg 650] light except an occasional match which he would
strike when calling our attention to some special feature.
I asked his price and terms, and in less than fifteen minutes from the
time I first met him, I had bargained for the property, and instructed
him to call at my office Monday morning with papers to sign, and get a
check for the amount of the first payment.
He appeared rather incredulous, and seemed doubtful of my sincerity, and
when he called on Monday morning as requested, and closed the deal as
agreed upon, he looked me over carefully as though not quite certain of
my sanity, and finally said:
“Well, Mr. Johnston, I have been in the real estate business for a long
time and have transacted business with many different men, but there are
two things I have done with you that I never did before.”
“What are they?” I asked.
“Well, I never sold a house in the dark before, nor have I ever closed a
deal of this kind in fifteen minutes before, and never heard of a
similar case, especially with entire strangers.”
We took possession on the first of September,[Pg 651] and immediately began the
building of a barn which was completed in due time.
We very soon became dissatisfied with suburban life, and anxious to
return to the city; but having expended considerable money in building
the barn, and other improvements, we decided to remain at all hazards.
Six months later one of my most valuable horses was taken sick, and died
on a Saturday morning. On the following Monday, just as I had gotten
settled down to business in my office, I received a telephone message
from a friend at Woodlawn Park, to the effect that my barn was on fire,
but that my horses, harnesses and carriages were all safe.
I immediately said to my wife:
“Well, you can get ready to move now. A horse died Saturday, the barn
burned Monday and we’ll move Tuesday.”
So saying, I called up my printer, Mr. G. M. D. Libby, by telephone, and
dictated a hand-bill to be printed immediately, advertising all of our
household furniture to be sold at auction.
The bills were run off at once, and before the fire engines and crowds
had left the scene of the fire, I was on the ground distributing
circulars.
The question was frequently asked, who was going to be the auctioneer.
I would reply that I thought of trying it myself. This amused the
questioners and I had a large crowd in attendance, many of whom no doubt
came to hear me in my first effort at auctioneering. The evening after
the sale I called at of the grocery stores in the town, and several men
were discussing me as an auctioneer, and all agreed that for a beginner
I did mighty well. One man said that a person would naturally suppose
that the fellow had had years of experience as an auctioneer.
We moved immediately after making the sale, and found a tenant for the
house without any trouble; and as I have been offered an advance of
several hundred dollars on the price I paid for the place, I have had no
reason to regret my hasty purchase. I lost but little on the sale of my
household goods, and collected insurance for a portion of the loss on
the barn, so I came out pretty well after all.
We were glad enough, however, to get back to the city, and rented a
suite of rooms at the Pullman Building, which we still occupy; and being
located near my place of business, we find it[Pg 653] much pleasanter, and
waste no time running after and waiting for, suburban trains.
During our residence at Woodlawn Park, we became so accustomed to
running to catch trains, that through force of habit, no matter where we
were, or how far from a Railroad track, the moment we would hear the
sound of a bell ringing, or a steam whistle blowing, our first impulse
was to start on the dead run.
I will here mention the particulars of a trade I made for the barber’s
shop, while residing in the suburb.
One day I traded for a small, handsome horse, and the following morning
saddled him and went out for a horse-back ride. On my return I happened
to stop in front of the barber shop, when the tonsorial artist asked how
I’d trade my horse for the shop.
“I’ll leave it with you,” was my reply.
“I’ll trade even.”
“All right, sir; it’s a bargain. Come and get the horse, and give me the
keys.”
So saying, I dismounted and took possession. After mounting the animal,
he said he’d take it to the barn, and return in a few moments and
continue to run the shop for me till I could hire[Pg 654] another barber. He
then left me in charge. No sooner had he done so than a well-dressed
stranger came rushing into the shop, threw off his hat and coat, took a
seat in the chair, and said:
“Please hurry up, Mr. Barber, as I want to catch the next train for the
city.”
Expecting the barber to return at once, I thought it a good idea to try
and hold my first customer till he should arrive. I therefore threw off
my hat and coat, grabbed the mug, made a lot of lather, and began
daubing it on as thick as possible all over his face. I then wiped it
off, and lathered him again, expecting the barber in every minute to
take the job off my hands.
As he did not come, I was obliged to resort to the towel the second
time, and lather him once more. Then stepping to the door to see if the
barber was visible, and discovering that he was not I returned to my
customer, and wiping off his face began lathering him again. I now saw
that he was getting nervous and anxious, and concluded to try and
entertain him with some sort of a “ghost story.” Just as I was trying to
conjure up something to “spring on him” he remarked that I wasn’t very
sparing of my soap.
“No, sir. I am not stingy with soap; and by the way, this soap is
different from any you ever saw before. This, sir, is the homa-jona,
radical, tragical, incomprehensible compound extract of the
double-distilled rute-te-tute shaving soap.”
I then went on with my auction talk on soap already familiar to the
reader, and spun it out to him as rapidly as I could, without a pause,
or the least hesitation.
While doing so, instead of making my usual gestures, I kept the brush
full of lather, and with increased enthusiasm slashed it on, first on
one side and then on the other, till I had gone through a large part of
my auction talk.
Meanwhile I had been constantly thinking of a story told me, when but a
small boy, of a young man in a country town who had been placed in
almost exactly the same predicament that I was in at that moment. I made
up my mind, if worse came to worse, I would get out of my scrape the
same as the other fellow did.
Therefore, having nearly finished my soap talk, I wiped his face once
more, and had made up a lot of new lather to give him one more round,
when I squared myself in front of him in a confidential way, and said:
“And another thing about this soap that I haven’t told you about,
is——”
“Well, by Heavens! man,” he interrupted, “you have got to hurry.”
I saw that the poor fellow was fairly paralyzed, and didn’t know whether
to try and make his escape or not.
“Sure enough,” I replied, as I lathered him up again, and went on with
more talk about my soap. I felt certain that the barber would return
before I could finish lathering him this time; but he did not and I was
obliged to wipe off his face again, and had succeeded in giving one more
coat of lather, when he raised up in the chair and said:
“Great guns! ain’t you ever going to shave me?”
“Oh!” I answered, with apparent surprise, “do you want to get shaved?”
“Why, of course I do, you infernal fool! What do you suppose I——?”
“Oh, well,” I replied, recalling the aforesaid story to mind, “you get
shaved across the street. We only lather, here.”
OH WELL, YOU GET SHAVED ACROSS THE STREET, ETC.—PAGE 656
He jumped from the chair, snatched a towel from the rack, wiped off part
of the lather, seized[Pg 657] his hat and coat, and was swearing like a pirate,
as he rushed out with his ears and neck full of lather.
Just as he passed out the barber came in, and I called, “Next!” at the
top of my voice. After crossing the street he started for the depot, but
continued to gaze towards the barber shop with a look of vengeance, as
he wiped off the lather with his handkerchief.
The barber was at a loss to understand the meaning of such actions on
the part of a customer; but I readily explained to him that the fellow
was mad because he didn’t like our kind of soap.
A few moments later one of the regular customers came in, and had just
taken his seat in the chair, when I noticed marked on the mirror in
front of him, “Shaving, 10 cents.”
I stepped to the glass and wiping the cipher off, made a 5 in its place.
Our customer quickly asked what that meant. I replied:
“That means that this shop has changed hands, and from this time on,
prices on all work done here will be sufficient to warrant success.”
He jumped to his feet, declaring that he would not allow any man to come
such a game on him,[Pg 658] and that he’d never pay fifteen cents for a shave.
He left the shop in high dudgeon, and the barber declared I’d ruin the
business in less than ten days.
I kept the price up, however, and after hiring a man to run it, made it
a paying investment. A few months later I sold out to the man who now
runs it. About a week after my experience in the barber shop, my horses
and carriage had been driven around in front of my place of business,
and myself and wife were about to take a drive. Two or three
acquaintances happened along, and we conversed with them for a few
moments before driving away. I noticed my late victim standing on the
sidewalk staring at me with all the eyes he had. We drove away, leaving
him still staring.
Not long after this, one of these friends just referred to came to my
office, and asked if I had anything to do with a barber shop at Woodlawn
Park.
With apparent surprise, I asked the meaning of the inquiry. He said the
day we went out for a drive a strange gentleman stepped up to him and
asked what that man’s name was, and what he was doing with such a team.
My friend[Pg 659] answered, “Why, that is Johnston, the wholesale jeweler, and
he owns that team.”
“Wholesale nothing!” was the reply. “He is the barber at Woodlawn, or
thinks he is, at least, and I’ll bet he never owned a dog, to say
nothing of a team like that.”
He was assured that he was mistaken.
He became excited, and offered to bet any amount that that fellow was
the barber at Woodlawn, and he guessed he knew what he was talking
about, and that he would know that fellow among a million.
Before bringing this volume to a close I wish to say for the benefit of
those who may have met with reverses, and are possibly on the verge of
giving up all hope of achieving success, that during my “twenty years of
hus’ling” I found the great secret of every success I met with was
energy. Never quit, never give up, never look on the dark side, and no
matter how dismal the prospects seemed, or how rocky the past had been,
I never allowed myself to become disheartened or in any way discouraged.
The average man is too willing to let well enough alone. Instead of
making his business a constant study[Pg 660] with a view of devising some new
method of conducting it, he is liable to sit down with a self-satisfied
conviction that so long as he is holding his own he should be satisfied.
No man can make a greater mistake than to adopt these old-fogy ideas.
The idea of being satisfied with their lot, I believe has kept many men
from progressing; it requires no energy whatever to conclude to let well
enough alone; it is a very easy resolution to make and not a hard one to
keep, and like the bad-luck excuse, is likely to afford much
satisfaction to those who are not ambitious to push ahead.
I believe every man should build up his hopes and aspirations, not to
extremes, but so far as to elevate his ideas to a realization that a
mere living should not satisfy him through life, and nothing short of
the best paying and most prominent position would gratify him.
The young man starting out in life who for a while only succeeds in
holding his own or possibly meets with reserves, should be manly enough
to find no fault, but he should be too much of a man to remain
satisfied with a bare living.
It pays to be reasonably aggressive in all things. The man who shows a
disposition to[Pg 661] look out for his own welfare and not be imposed upon by
others, will invariably receive the most attention and be taken the best
care of under all circumstances. He should not allow false pride or
dudish notions to interfere in the least with his business.
He should realize that the mere comforts of life with a respectable
appearance is sufficient for one starting out, and that a few years
hence when he has established for himself a lucrative business with a
reputation for honesty and business integrity, there will be no
likelihood of any one ever reminding him of his former humble
circumstances.
He should never attempt to mingle in a social way with those whose
financial standing and expensive habits of living far exceed his own.
While he should cultivate the acquaintance of business men of the
highest standing, it should only be done in a business way.
When his business shows an increase of profits, he should improve in his
mode of living, as a matter of social advancement.
The young man as a beginner should avoid stingy and penurious methods.
This is as often an acquired habit as it is a natural one, and will[Pg 662]
always work more or less detrimental to a business. No man can afford to
be close and trifling in his deal. It not only belittles him in the eyes
of the world, but he very soon recognizes in himself a person of narrow
ideas; and the man with a poor opinion of himself will surely not prove
a success in the business world. While I believe in judicious economy, I
despise penuriousness.
If a man has but a dollar to spend, I believe he should spend it in as
princely a style as though he had a million left. But if he hasn’t the
dollar to spare, he should make no pretensions whatever.
Opportunity has no doubt frequently played a large part in man’s
success. In my opinion, however, the most acceptable theory in the
science of commercial success is that every man takes his own.
That is, the man who is the most sagacious and energetic will never lose
a chance to take advantage of opportunities, and there is no doubt that
what many complain of as being ill luck, is simply the result of their
failure to grasp the situation that a shrewder man would have taken
advantage of and thereby gained success.
The average young man in starting out usually endeavors to form a
co-partnership with his best friend or nearest neighbor, regardless of
capital or ability, the result of which is, that each will depend on the
other to make the business a success, and neither will be likely to
develop his fullest capacity for doing business.
The man who has force of character enough to assert his own rights and
to carry out his own independent thoughts will usually be the most
successful without a partner.
The old adage, “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” has not in my
experience always proved a true saying. Nor have I found it to be so in
the experience of many successful men with whom I have come in contact.
My observation of others has shown me that in many instances men have
lost their last dollar in the vain endeavor to successfully carry out a
business that a short experimental trial should have convinced them
would be a failure.
As for myself, I am always willing to investigate and experiment, but
not to the extent of risking my last dollar on what a reasonable test
proves unprofitable, simply through fear of being [Pg 664]considered “a rolling
stone.”
I have at present, and have had for some time what might be considered
many irons in the fire, and have thus far never had any of them
seriously burned, owing no doubt to the fact that I always endeavor to
surround myself with competent help, and especially with a good
lieutenant at the head of each business.
And I have adopted the plan of pushing to its utmost capacity that
which, after a reasonable test, showed elements of success, and dropping
as I would a hot coal that which proved the reverse.
My latest business enterprise—although still running the jewelry
business with more force than ever—is my connection with the Johnston
Car-seat Company, manufacturing the Emmert Coach and Reclining Car-seat,
which has been adopted by many of the leading Railroad companies.
I mention this to show that I do not believe in the old-fogy theory of
our forefathers, to “let well enough alone;” and were I the possessor of
fifty times the wealth of Crœsus I would never quit, but still keep
hus’ling.
The End
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