Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-11-09
=nIEI== sWlNIrolN,s coRN SEC.

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nBob said Sam Swlnton 70 me one day, as
we were imbibing a stout punch, the principal
ingredient of which was the ginoo;wins Mon.
pahely whiskey, p at the Planters House, IN Gin.
cinnati ..did ever tell you Of that ere corn spec
ON the Wabash e.
i shook my heads
tYou see. Bob. began Sam the way it came
about was this. i got bard upes
ssWhict is not a very 'uncO anon thing with
certain individual of my Acquaintance, Sam" /
remarked parenthetiCatly, as liz a fresh cigar.
q PrezactIy,'' p said Sam mcstening his lips,
and laboring with. the air cf.E determined man
over an obstinate long nine, which appeared
equally determined NOT 70 y 60 to his furious
and oft5repeated pnffs. 81 s hard up, and
5wonderin' how Icould dmake smallest amount
of capital tell to the talest lntsge, when, on
taking uD a asnewspaper, saw a windy paragraph
on the advantages OF adgerti9n The article
went on To- illustrate how many ellersmade their,
piles out of the meanest captal 81, simply by adj
| vertisin', and decided at once perlickerly as
had raised an idea from The g eek, that II was
the way fo6 me. ter so about
s'ssRhatwas the way 81
'.By adyertisin', replied Sdm.e
'EYes, well; you said something about going
about it., Going about what 2"
''Raisin' a pile, returned Sam.
tsAll right understand-go ahead"
And resumed my cigar, Sam Swinton
continued his yarn.
81 argered the matter this way, that an adver-
tisement travelled wherever the paper travelled,
and everybody knows that they go into all the
out o-the.way places in the State So, Thought
good advertisement will be sure to ketch the
eyes of some people of the interior and if it does
who knows but what they'll give teller lift (?
Here goes for trial, at all events. So takes
a store OF Puke, who, because talked upright,
didn't want the rent in advance, nun in lot of
truck that had on hand, and which was so old
and unmarketable that could neither sell ii nor
give it away-hnng up my shingh, labelled
''Samuel SwintoD, Commission Merchant" put
springing advertisement in the two papers pub.
lished in the town, got first-rate puff from the
editor Of each, TO the effect that was "responsi-
ble," as well as '' some" in trade, and then
sat down to abide by the ishew OF events.'
"That is, OF the advertisement"
"Prezactly. Well, hadn't been storin'' it
long, when planter in the interior OF the
State"-
"What State, Sam?
"Indyanny of fcourse-consgned me four big
boat loads of corn, on commission, with mstruC-
tions to sell it as quick as possible, and write
him, SO that he could draw me for the pewter.
Thinks l, as had the stuff put into the store,
there arn't nothin' like advertisin. It's the only
wayof maxim customers. aud laid myself
out to sell the corn"
"And that didn't take you long, Sam, of
COURSE"
Z" Yer might bet bar'I MoDgyhely on that,
Bob, with all the chances to win. Yer see, the
other merchants in the1own ldn't come with
in thousand miles of me in myprces. IcOuld
nndersell their bouts of on 'em, and they could
MT help themselves. Some en- 'em tried 10
back up agin me, by putting their corn down to
the lowest market price, but 1t Warn't no sort
use. | run mine down half theusual prices, and
they had to knock under. TheYgrunbled orful,
and declared that was roonn' the business,
but it didn't make no difference, continued 10
sell so much lower than any on 'em that they at
length gave up all idee of competition with me,
and | had the markit all to myself1iIl the Iast
bushel was gone. TO be sure, continued Sam,
with one of his expressive smiles, 81 had the adj
vantage OF tho PuEes--.hey= expected to pay tho
owners for their corn, when ii was sold, whereas
L"
"Had no such intention, said |.
'Not tue least" said Sam, 1T was agin my
principles, and always had beef! Well, my
competitors, jealous OF my success, commenced
bnwln' agin me everywhere, butinstead of hurt
in on me, it done me good Il short time |
got my name up as The cheapest and quickest
corn dealer on the Wabash, andihe planters be-
gan 10 ConSign their corn to mt fast, that |
come TO the conclusion that lheymust have been
mighty anxious to get rid OF it. I"
You never intended to pay hem dollar,
presume?"
"Not the first picayune !" aniwered Sam
"But went on sein'. Theresa large market
on the Wabash for everylhing-even Cor corn, if
you put it low enough-and as Event in for the
big market, and warn't pertickltr about prices,
the way l materially hauled in he pewter WAS
enough to send thrill of Joy L the heart of a
diving christian. While was fdicitaln' myself
on the luck which follows adverisin', ] received
a letter from my first customlr, wanting ter
know if had sold his corn yet, ind if so, ter let
him know, so he could draw onme Tor the tin.
AS hiS mis- at ! |
writ to him that it warnt sold yd, and there was
no tellin' when it would be, as nDney was so or
full tight, and more corn in the mlrket than there
was any demand FOR. This shut him up for
month or two, when along camt another letter,
which answered as before. lidn't hear from
him agin till nigh onto eight mYnths, when he
writ me sassy letter, statin' thIt he was hard
up and must have the money, that must sell
the corn off at any price, deduct my commission,
and let him know what the balance was, so he
could draw on me for the smont. This letter
took me all Of heap, as had been putin off
the seltlin' with all my correspondents, with the
intention of maxim slide. However, thinks /,
I'll give this puke small light of feer-feelin'
for I've often known whal tits to be hard up
myself. The poor puke's eorn came, even at
the prices at which sold 1t, to $40, and
thought, SEEM was easE, and dom tall bu'
sness, that it was nothin' Dore'n fair that he
should have part Of the pewter; so sot down,
made statement of the account and sent tito
him. The dockyment ran hus
Mr.. BRowN-Dear Sir: have, according TO
your instruction, made foTte sale of your corn,
and received for it, $475 90
Against which l have commission
Boatage, Sl25 90
Carriage, 1900
Wheelage, II 90
Storage, 9O W
Ratage, 80 90
Saleage, AZ 90 SSSe 90
Sls7 80
leaving as you perceive, aibalance in your
favor Of one hundred dthiIty-leven dollars and
ifiity cents. You can draw on ne for that sum.
Trusting that you will honor ne with still fur
ther consgnments, Iremain,
Yours, sincerely, Sam. SwNToE
"On inspectin' this statement of account, the
feller's hair must hey rz orful for he immeiitly
sol down and writ right under the items, this
: You internal villain, put IN sTEAIAGE, and