Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-04-28
The WigginseS-----A Story for the
Panic Times.
BY 7. s. ARrHCE.

Joel Virgins is a merchant. Youwill
see his sign at No-Secoud street 1t sa
small tin sign, with red letters on white
ground II mistake not the word mo
tions" is just under the name.
What IS your husbands bu.incrs?'
asked pryins inquisiUrc of Mrs. IFicairs,
az Newport last simmer.
He IS q Philadelphia merchant an
swered the lady with dignity.
That OF course settled the matter. Fin
woman doesn't know how to designate her
husband IN the name OF wonder, who
should know. Yes. w. is a merchant
And occupies that hand. one store i;h
the brown stone mont?
No, not exactly. If you look litlle
closer, you will see that Dick Dixon.
importers. are the occupants OF tina. elc-
CANT establishment. You must ascend 20
the second floor to find our Motion" ncr-
chant
Bustling active. self important Joe,
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 of the earth. Fire crackcIa. cry
ing babies, red and white tape, fans, mar
hles, toys, games, puzzcls, maslls, hobby
horses, porcelain, b.sque and larian fig
ures, motto cups and motto waters, and
but the inventory is hopeless! If your
curiosity is excited on the subject, reader,
call at No.--and see for yourself Vs
store is a perfect museum.
Times were prosperous, and the credit
of W. was good for anything he wished to
purchase. So he has bought freely in
New York and Boston, as well as from the
importers in Philadelphia. He sold as
freely, on the principle, we suppose, Of
come easy, go easy" He had but to So
fect goods, to any amount and they were
promptly delivered, the invoice rendered,
and note at four or six month taken in
payment And Is he was treated, so be
treated his customers. and they found
their way to his "Notion" room from all
parts of the country far and near.
What splendid business he was doing
Sales mounted upwards, at the rate of
seventy, eighty, and one hundred thous-
and dollars year, and his profits ranged
from ten to forty per cent He was get
ting rich 50 fast that his head swan as he
looked from the sudden height he had OBJ
tanned. Twenty-Five per cent clear profit
annually! That was the hattering unc-
tion which he laid TO his soul, and not
very far in the golden distance he saw
himself a merchant prince.
Buying on time and selling on time are
all very well, ifthe selling time is shorter
than the buying. The reverse s general
ly the case. 1t was so with Joel Wigrins.
lie bought at four six and eight months.
and sold at six, eight nine and twelve
months. OF course, when his own notes
became due, he had to meet them by dis
counts. The two banks in which he kent
his accounts--checking from one and de.
posting in the other a great many times
every day, to indicate active business. inst
as a doctor with limited practice rides hur-
rledly about the streets to indicate the cX-
Is ence of numerous pressing calls-the
two banks gave him certain line q. dis
counts, about ten cents on dollar of his
wants. The other ninety per cent was
raised 'on the street." that is, through
bill brokers, who represented private mon
ey lenders and unscrupulous bank officers
On ninety per cent w. paid at the rate Of
from one to two-and-a-half per cent Al
month, according to the estimated value
OF paper or collateral which he had to Of
fer.
Soaiiairs went on swimmingly with Mr.
Joel Fggins. He was getting rich fast
''hSnd over fist, as he sometimes elegant
ly expressed it. His Bills Receivable and
stock Of goods showed always large sur
plusage over Bills Payable.
With the comfortable feeling conse-
quent upon the fact that money was be-
ing so rapidly accumrla lated, Mr.. " and
Mrs, and Araminta lope Wiefns tho
wife and oldest daughter, naturally e.
nouglSconcluded that 70 was time 10 live
IN astyle better agreeing with tlcir posi-
ton. SO the modest, comfortable house
in Buttonwood street, at three hundrpd
and fifty dollars year. was given up and
stylish affair beyond Broad street rented
at Gig hundred dollars per annum.
Now, the mere increaoe of rent from
three hundred aud fifty to eight hundred
ayear, would not have boon so very seri-
Gus matter, If the affair could have stop
ped at the simple removal from Button
wood street to the Vest End. But that
was out o: the question: The single item