Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-25
II WIGGTNSES.
STORY FOR THE TIMES.

" go A00L - 49,
1t is a small tin sign, with red letters on
a white ground. If mistake not, the
word Motions" is just under the name.
What is your husbands business r
asked a prying inquisitive of Mrs. Wigg-
ms, at Newport, last summer.
" He is a Philadelphia merchant an
swered Mrs. Virgins, with dignity.
That Of course settled the matter. IL
a woman doesn't know how to designate
her husband, in the name of wonder, who
should know? Yes, Mr.. Virgins is o
merchant.
And occupies that handsome store
with q brown stone front 2"
No, not exactly. If you look a little
l~closer, you will see that Dick Dixon.
Importers, are the occupants of that estab.
lishment. You must ascend to the sec
bond floor to find our Motions merchant.
Busting, active. self important Joel
Virgins there he is, in his curiosity shop
surrounded by things grotesque and ara
besque, symmetrical and deformed. useful
and Ornamental, gathered originally from
all parts ofthe earth. Fire crackers, cry
ing babies, red and white tape, marbles,
toys games, puzzels, masks, hobby horses,
porcelain motto cups and waters, and
but the inventory is hopeless If your
curiosity is excited on the subject, rea-
der, call at No.-and see for yourself.
Times were prosperous and the credit
of Virgins was good for anything he
wanted to purchase. So he bought free
ly in New York and Boston as well
as from importers in Philadelphia.
He sold as freely, on the principle, we
suppose, Of come easy, and go easy
He had but to select goods to any amount,
and they were promptly delivered, the in.
voice rendered, and a note at four or six
months taken in payment. And as he was
treated, SO he treated his customers. and
they found their way to the Notions"
room from all parts Of the country, far
and near.
What a splendid business he was doing F!
Sales mounting upwards, at the rate OF
seventy, eighty, and one hundred dollars
a year, aud his profits ranged from ten to
forty per cent. Virgins was getting rich
so fast that his head swan as he looked
from the sudden he ght he had attained.
Twenty FIVE per cent, clear profit, an
%nually that was the aattering JUNCTION
he laid to his soul, and not very far in the
golden distance saw himself o merchant
prince.
Buying on time and selling on time arc
all very we'll, if the selling time is short
er than the buying. The reverse is gen.
orally the case. It was so sith joe
Virgins. bought at four, six and eight
months, and sold at six, eight. nine and
twelve months. OF course, when his Owl
notes became due, he had to meet then
by discounts. The two banks in which
he kept his Notwithstanding from ont
and depositing in the other a great many
times every day, to Indicate active bus
ness. Just as the doctor with limited
nraetino, rides hurriedly through tht
streets to indicate the existence Of m
merous pressing calls, the two bank,
gave him q certain 6 line'' Of discount
about ten cents on the dollar ofhis wants
The ninety per cent, was raised on 1.-THE
street" that is, through bill brokers who
represented private money lenders anc
INSCRIPTIONS bank officers. On this nine
ty per cent. Virgins paid at the rate 0
one to two and a half per cent q month
according to the estimated value Of papel
or collateral he had to offer.
So affairs went on swimmingly will
Mr.. Joel Virgins. He was getting ricl
fast-"hand oYe ist'-as he sometimes
elegantly expressed it. His Bills Re
ceivable and stock of goods always showed
a large surplasage over Bills Payable.
With a comfortable feeling consequent
upon the fact that money was being SO
rapidly accumulated, Mr.. and Mrs. wig
gins, and Araminta Jane Virgins, the
eldest daughter, naturally enough con
cluded that it was time to live in a style
better agreeing with their position. So
the modest, comfortable house in Baton
wood street, at $3.50 a year, was given
up, and a stylish affair beyond Broad
street rented at $500 per annum.
Now the mere increase of rent from
$3.50 to $500 per year would not have
been SO very serious a matter if the af
fair could have stopped at the simple re
moval from Buttonwood street to the
west end. But this was out Of the qnes
ton. The single item of new furniture
was $500 and the ANIMAL expenditure
exclusive of rent, one thousand. Mrs.
Virgins and Araminta Jane, moreover,
attempted the fashionable, and this cost
was something-not a dime less than
another thousand dollars for shawls, silks,
lace ana jewelry bills mount up wonder
fully fast! No, a thousand dollars is be.
low the mark. 1t costs a triae to be fash
iorable ?
Nexta carriage, and next a country
house. They come naturally. A cot
tagc and garden overlooking the Della.
ware-that was the climax.
Everything went on harmingly. Mrs.
w. and Araminta Jane were at Newport
last summer bent on making a sensation.
aud Mr.. w. was in PHILADELPHIA taking
care of Of his payments which were heavy.
Money all OF once grew a little tight
Banks were accommodating, and Afr.
Virgins found himself obliged to submit
to sundry terrible hard shaves to raise
the wind. One day his bill broker could
get nothing on the paper he had TO offer.
SO he was forced into Third street, where
on " undoubted" collateral lie raised two
thousand dollars for two days, at one pei
cent a day.
On the next day money was a little
tighter. He got tfrougfronly at a terri
bic sacrifice. On the day ~followins, he
raised $4,000 more to lift maturing notes
but not enough to meet the $1,000 GOV,
cred by coliatnrals m which ha ,var~nav.