Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-07-19
WistelIang.
Sam Wiuton,s Corn Speculation.


to commend the morality Of Mr.. Wiuton's
corn speculation Il may serve, however, To
make laugh, and afford farmers a useful les
son as TO how The commission business is
carried on
'Dld ever tell you,' said Sam Winton 10
me one day, of that ere corn spec of mine on
the Wabash.'
shook my head.
You see, Bob, began Sam, the way il
came about was ,his-I got hard up
Which is not very uncommon thing with
certain individual Of my acquaintance. Sam.'
remarked.
'Prezactly,' said Sam. sWeIl, was hard
up, and wondering how | could make the
smallest amount of capitabiell 10 the TALES, ad-
vantage, when, on taking up a newspaper,
saw windy paragraph on the advantages of
advertising. The article went TO illustrate
how many fellers had made their piles out Of
the meanest capitals simply by advertising,
and determined at wunce, perticklerly as /
had raised an idea from the subject, that it was
the way for me ter go about it,
what was the way.' I inquired, not COM
pretending him.
by Advertising returned Sam.
Yes, well; you said something about going
about it. Going about what,'
Raising pile, returned Sam.
'All right understand; go ahead
Il urged the matter in this way said Sam,
that an advertisement travelled wherever the
paper travelled, and everybody knows they GO
into all the out,o'-way places in the Stale. So,
thinks |, good advertisement will be sure to
calch the eye of some of the sofest Of the in
terror, and if ii does, who knows bu, that they
may give feller lift! Here goes for trial,
at all events. So take store of puke, who,
because [ talked up right didn't want the rent
in advance, run in lot of truck that had on
hand, and which was so old and unmarketable,
that could neither sell it nor give ii away,
hung up my shingle of Sam Winton, Cn.-
mission Merchant put up springin' adver-
tisement in the two papers published in the
town, and got couple of frstrate puffs from
the editors, 10 the effec, that | was 'respon-
sble,' as well as some in trade, and then sat
down TO abide the ishew of events
That is of the advertisement
'Prezactly. Well, l hadn't been storing
it long, when planter IN the interior Of the
State
'What State, Sam.'
'lndianny, of fcourse,-consigned me four big
boat-loads ofcurn, on commission, with instruc-
tons TO sell it as quick as possible. and then
write him. so that he could draw on me for the
pewter. Thinks l, as | hand the stuff put in
the store, there amt nothing like advertising
lis the only way of making customers. And
laid myself out 10 sell the corn
'And that did not take you long, Sam, o.
course
yer might bet barrel of Monongyhely on
that, Bob, with all the chances to win,' re-
piled Sam. Yer see, The other merchants in
the town-and some Of 'em drive a stiff bust.
ness, tell you-couldn't come within thous
and miles of me in price. | could undersel
their boots off on 'em, and they couldn't helF
themselves. Some of 'em tried to back nt
against me, by putting their corn down 20 the
lowest market price, but it warn't ne sorter o
use. / run mine down 10 half the usual prices
and they had to knock under. They grumbled
orful, and declared that / was ruonit,' theil
business-but it didn't make no difference
continued TO sell so much lower than any o.
'em, that they at length gave up all idea 0
competition with me, and had the market al
10 myself, until the last hushel was gone
To be sure,' said Sam, with one of his expires
siVe smiles, i had the advantage of the Poke.
they expected to pay the owners for thei
corn, when it was sold, whereas l.
Had no such intention said l.
Not the least on it, said Sam. 1t wa
agin my principles, and had always been
Well, my competitors, jealous of my success
commenced BLOWN agin me everywhere, bu
lilStedu vi hurting ibtY IL ulu iuc RoOu. III
short time got my name up as the cheapes
and quickest corn dealer on the Wabash, anC
The planters began consigning their corn TO me
so fast, that came 10 the conclusion they mus
have been mighty anxshus 10 GIT rid Of it,
'You never expect to pay them a dollar,
suppose, Sam =
Not the first picayune answered Sam.
But went on selling. There's large mar
ket on the Wabash for everything-even for
corn, if you put low enough-and as ] went in
for the big market, and warn't pertickler as
about the prices, the way | naturally hauled in
the pewter was enough TO send thrill of JOY
to the heart Of a diving Christian. Wien was
felicitatin' myself on the luck which followed
adver,isin', received letter from my first
customer, wanting TO know if / had sold his
corn yet, and if so, ter let him know, so as he
could draw on me for the tin.
'As his plantation was away in the interior,
wrote to him that it warn't sold yet, and that
there was no telling when it would, as money
was so orful tight and more corn in the market
than there was any demand for. This shut
him up for month or, two, when along came
another letter, which answered as before.
Il didn't hear from him again for nigh on TO
A