The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1854-10-20
The Clock Pedlar.


, pedlars, and Bible pedlars, especially of him
who who sold polyglot Bibles (all in English) te
ths ainount Of sixteen thousand bounds
The house Of every substantial! farmer had
ehree substantial ornaments, a awooden clock
tin reflector, and d ,polyglot Bible. How
y It that an, American sells his. ware a,
whatever price he pIeases, where blue,
nose would fail to make sale at all?
will inquire of the clock maker the secret
OF his success.
"What pity it is, Mr.. Slick" (for sucl,
was his name,) "what pity it. is," said I,
that you who are so successful in teaching
these people the value of clocks, could not
also teach the value of time"
81 guess" said he, "thcy have got that
ring to grow on their horns yet, which eve
ry four year old has in our country. We
reckon hours and minutes to be dollars and
cents. They do nothing in these parts but
cat, drink, smoke, sleep, ride about, lounge
at tavcrns, make speeches at temperance
meetings, and talk about 'house of assem-
bly, Ii a man don't hoe his corn, and
don't get crop, he says it is all owing to
the bank; and if lie runs into debt and is
sued, why, he says, the lawyers are curse
to the country. They are most idle set
Of folks, tell YOU"
"But how is it," said I, "tlnat you manage
to sell such an immense number of clocks,
(Which certainly cannot be called necessa.
ry,) among people with whom there seems
to be so great Il scarcity Of money!"
Mr.. Slick paused, as If considering the
propriety Of answering the question; then,
looking me i'll the face, said in a confidcn
tal tone, "Why, don't care if l do tell
you, for the market is gluttcd, and shall
quit this circuit. 1t is done by knowledge
of soft sawdcr and human nature. But
here is Deacon Flint's," said he; 81 have
but one clock left, and guess l will sell it
to him."
At the gate of most comfortable look
ing farm house stood Deacon Flint, a re-
spectacle old man, who had understood the
value of time better than most of his neigh
bors, if one might Judge from the appear
ance Of every thing about him. After the
usual salutation, an invitation to "alight'
was accepted by Mr.. Slick, who said he
wished to take leave Of Mrs. Flint before he
left Colchester.
We had scarcely entered the house be-
fore the clock maker pointed to the view
from the window, and addressing himself to
me, said, IF was to tell them in Connccti-
cut there was such Il farm as this away
down East here, in Nova Scotia, they
wouldn't believe ME. Why, there amt
such n location in all New England. The
deacon has a hundred acres of dyke"
Seventy" said the deacon, "only scyen-
ty."
"WeII, seventy, but then there is your
fine deep bottom-why, could run ram
rod into it."
"Interval, VIC call it." said the deacon,
who, though evidently pleased at this culo-
giun, seemed to wish the experiment of
the ramrod to be tried in the right place.
"Wcll, interval if you please, Though
Professor Cumstock, in his work on Ohio,
calls them bottoms,) is just as good as dyke.
Then there is that water privilege, wortl,
three or four thousand dollars, twice as good
as what Governor Cass paid fifteen thou
sand dollars for. l wonder, deacon, YOU
don't put up.a carding mill on it: the same
works would carry turning-lathe, shin
gle machine, circular saw, grind bark,
and -"
"Too DID," said the deacon, "too old for
all those speculations."
"Oldw repeated the clock maker; mot
you. Why, you are worth half dozen Of
the young men we see nowadays; you are
young enough to have -"
Here he said something in lower tone
Of voice, which did NOT kfinctly hear
but whatever it was, the acofssas pleased
-Lhe smiled, and said hS lUst think of
such things now. Mn6 A
@But your beasts, dear me, your beasM
must be put in and have feed,n saying
which, he went out to order them to be.put
into the stable. ssi' 80 y. '~s55
AS the old gentleman closed the door AZ
ter him, ME. Slick drew, near to me, aid
j said I'M der tona..- ~,
"Th5 hat I cali soft sawder.~ An
English Fodld pass that man as sheep
passes q log IN pasture, without look
ing at him; on ss5 .he ooxing rather
archly. IF he aas hounteds ON a pretty
smart horse, I guess he'd hot away It he
could. Now, End .-i-..-'' 80 ~
i Here his soft sk%dsr was .iatt ..rilit shon q 81
The enttancs Of Mn. Flint. 81 81
tfsJist COME to say e6sodlB Flint.
What, hhys &en sold nj yc6rScseck
4 sses aad So s St 100, fof popsEsst