Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-11-09
}siSCELLANY.
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R... 1slng story was first pub
Tho f,,lo,,ins s,,, was, at the time
lished some years ago, 49, VIC anecuo''
declared to be a perfectly eHhs-...
OF an old New York merchant
In old times it was the custom OF the tdas'
chants of the city Of New York to keep their
accounts in pounds shlllngs and pence cur
rcncy. About fifty years agoa frugal indus
triuus Scotch merchant, well knewn to the
then small mercantile community of the city,
had, hy dint of fortunate commercial advcn-
turc and economy been enabled to save some
thng like four thousand pounds &; a consider
able sum OF money at that period, and one
which secured to its pOssessor degree of
envdble independence. His places Of busi-
ness and residence were, as was customary
at that time, under the same roof He had
clerk in his employment whose reputation
as an accountant inspired the utmost conf
dencc of his master, whose frugal habits he
emulated with thetrue spirit and feeling of a
genuine Caledonian. 1t was usual for the
accountant to make an annual balance sheet,
for the inspection of his master, in order
that he might see what had been the profits
Of his business for the last year. On this
occasion the balance sheet showed to the
credit o, the business SIX thousand pounds.
which somewhat astonished the increduous
merchant,
1T Gamma be- said he 'ye had better
count up agen. dinna think ha' had sac
profitable Leesness AS this reprisents
The clerk with his usual patience, re-ex-
amincd the statement, and declared that it
was "a right, and said he was willing to
wager his salary upon its correctness The
somewhat puzzled merchant scratched his
head with surprise, and commncced adding up
both sides Of the account himself 1t proved
right.
i did ma think, said he, that | was
worth over four thousand pounds, but ye ha
mudc me much richer man Weel, weel
may ha' been mair successful than
tho't, and III ma quarrel WI myself for be-
lng worth six thousand instead
At early candle-light the store was regu-
larly closed by the faithful accountant
ana as soon as he had gone, the sOrely- per
picked and incrcdulous merchant commenced
the painful task going over and examining
all the accounts Tor himself. Night after
night did he labor in his solitary counting
house alone to look for the error but eve
ry examination confirmed the correctness Of
the clerk, until the ScOtchman began to be-
licye it possible that he was really worth sax
thousand pounds.
/ Stimulated by the addition to his wealth,
| he soon felt IA desire to improve the condi-
tiOn Of his household and with that view
/ he made purchase Of furniture, carpets, and
other cleSancies consistent with the position
Oi man possessing the large fortune OF six
thousand pounds. Painters and carpenters
were set to work to tear down and build up
and IN II short time the gloomy looking resi-
dcnce IN Stone street was renovated to such a
| degree as to attract the curiosity and envy
OI all his nelghbOrs. The doubts of the old
IA ~, l..
uuUn his mind and he determined once more
: to make thorough examination OF his ac
counts.
On u dark and stormy light he commenced
his laOors, with the patient investigating
spirit OF a man determined to probe the mat
ter to the very bottom. Ii was past tn,
hour Of midnight, yet he had not been abl
to detect u single error but still he went on
Ills heart beat with hope, Tor lie had nearll
reached the end Oi his labor. \ quick sus
liclon seized his mind as 20 one item in tin
account. Eurekd! lie had found it. Wit
the frenzy OF madmau he drew his broad
brimmed white hat over his eyes, and rushed
into the street. The rain and storm wer
nothing tO him. lie hurried to the residenc
Of his clerk, in Wall street reached til
door, seized the handle OF the huge knocker
with which he raped until the neighbor
hood was reused with the loud alarm
The unfortunate clerk poked his nght-ca
out of AN upper window, and demanded
What's there .
Its me, you scoundrel . said the frenzie
merchant = ye'ue added up the year Of ou
LaUd among the pounds ,
Such was the fact, The addition of th
year Of our Lord among the items had swelle
the fortune OF the merchant some two thOL
and pou uds beyo nd the amount,