The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-03-06
From the Philadelphia Saturday Courier.
PERSEVERANCE, OR PETER PUNC-
TUAL'S WAY TO COLLECT BILLS.
BY SEBA SMITH.

Ok fEIEIb IONC-
TUAL'S WAY TO COLLECT BILLS.
BY sEBA SMITH.
Some wears ago, Peter Ponc;sdaf, an hon
lest aud industrious ye,sng fellow from YAM
lkee land-I say Yankee land, Messrs. Edi-
TORS, ho, / freely confess that il is merely
an inference of mine, drawn from the cir
cJmsiances of this story itself; and if your
readers, after p%erusing if, do not come 10 Inc
same conclusion, they may SET him down as
coming fiom any Other land they please but
Tor myself, were [ on q jury and ander oath,
| wooId bring him in a Yankee. Tnissame
Peter Punciual, some few years ago, came
into New Yefk, and atiemp.edio urn aPen-
ny and get an honest living by procuring
subscribers 10 various magazines aud peri,
odicals, on his own hook. That is, he wouldl
receive a quantity of magazines from a dlsl
tant publisher, al a discount, and get his
own list Of subscribers about the Guy, and
serve them though The year at a regntarI
subscription price, which would leave thel
amount of ite said discount a clear p,otlt III
his pocket, or rather a compensation Of
his time and labor. There ale many perl
sons IN The city who obtain a livelihood ia
the same way.
Peiets commissions being small, and BIS
capital still smaller, he was obliged 10 ifans-
ACT bis business With great cafe and ci.cnm-
spectiou, in oder TO mate both ends meet.
He adopted a rule, therefore, 10 make all OF
his subscribers pas their years subsc' 'ption
in advance.
Such things could be done in those days,
when business was brisk, aud people were
l~stiangers 10 shard times in canvassing for
subscribers, one day, through the lower part
of the city, and in the principal business
streets. he observed a store which had the
air of doing a heavy business, aud read upon
: he sign over the doof. sSolomon Sharpe.
%Importer,' of certain wares and merchandise
The field looked iaviling, aud in Peter wen
with his samples under bis ann, and inquired
for Mr.. Shatp. The gentleman was pointed
Out TO him by his clerks, and Peter s.eppe6
up and asked him ifte would not like 10 sub
scribe fof some magazines.
sWhal sort Of ones have you 60, the,e2
said Mr.. Sharp.
sTmee or four different kinds,' said Pc
ter, LAYING the specimens ON The desk be
foe him; please 10 look at them and SUI
YOURSELF
Sharp iumbled them over and examined
them one after another, and al last took Bucs
ingham's New England Magazine, publish
ed at Boston.
sWhat are youi terms for ihis?' sait
he: Il don't know but | would Subscribe TO
this
five COURTS d wear IN uuvuuUv,-e
ter, TO be delivered carefully eVety monilat,
YOU store or house.
'Butineverpay in advance for these ihigs'
10 said Sharp, Ill is lime eeough to pay q a
thing when you gel il. | will sdbsdbe
for IL, if you have a mind 10 rec GIVE ouI
pay at The end ostbe year, and not DER
wise.'
sThat is against my rule said Pefe 81
have all NV subscribers pay 10 advance,
well il is against my rule 10 pay forlny
thing before | gel it, said Shaep; so ifoa
havui a mird 10 take my subscription tdbe
paid for al The eud of the year, you woatget
e il al all. Thai is The long and short OF he
%nIaiiet.'
= Peter paused a little, aud queried with ian.
Re self as 10 what he had better do. The nar
was evidently doing a large business, insI
was undoubtedly iict--a wholesale deaeIl
and al impofier--there could not probablIo
any danger OF losing the subscription IN SIC
a case; aud would il not be better 10 brsa
over his rule for once, than 10 lose so goco
subscription?
tWelI, what say p said Sharp; edo as "a
, like; but these are my only terms. will Il
" pay for a thing before | get it.
.On ihe WHOLE said Peter, | have a cd
Of mind 10 break over my rule This time, fol
o. don't ike 10 lose a good sub scriber whe
Il can find one. / believe [ will put ylr
name down, sir. Where will you haleil
left?
SAT my house, said Mr.. Sharpe, which VS.
about a mile and a half from his store Ivy
up Town.
The business being thus concludee'e-
, Ter look up his magazines, babe Mr.. Srp
good morning, and left the store. NoIf-
Their pc rsonal intercourse occurred beten
them during the wear. But Peter, whoas
: his own carrier, as well as canvasser, fu-
Erly every month delivered the New g
land Magazine at Mr.. Siarp's door. I'd
&c soa few days after the yearexpired, be de
: out his bill Tor S., and called at Mr.. SIPS
ior the money. He entered with as lch
&c confidence that he Should receive The ok
nd a: once, as he would have had in goi 1silh
." a check for the like sum into The Bs OF.
the United States, during that i%nstitons
palmest days. He found MIR. Sharp his
desk, and presented him The bill. Thaen-
tleman took it and looked at it, andhen
looked up at Peter.
N oh! ah, good morning, you are the lng
a" man who called here on this business Arly
He a year ago. Well the year vas come md,
be has lt!'
tVae holoua Il H. nnil Dotor