The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1859-12-22
BORRO WING BOREs.
BY A. QUERY, ESQ.


VINO borrowed money and those who lent it
ana am not prepared to refute the logic by
wnlch the former Class possesses over the latter
or instance, the borrower is often a man Of
very Jolly and independent spirit, whose mind
rises triumphant from his pecuniary obligations
ana looks down serenely upon his anxious cred
ltors. On the other hand, the lender is not un-
frequently embarrassed by the presence of his
debtor. whom he fears may be unpleasantly re.
minded of his promise to pay.
Inc money-ender is constantly enduring in
an anxious manner,about the solvency of people,
and complaining of the hardness of those who
owe him.
Peace to the dreams of the borrower! He
eats WE'LL sleeps well, possesses his soul in all
patience, and is altogether the happier man of
the two. The debtor also feels the assurance
mat his creditors are thinking about him, and
TAKE an interest in his welfare And IF his liza
Diilty be large, his creditors approach him with
bland cautiousness and delicacy which he VOID
NOT Otherwise secure. In short he knows he
VIII De remembered, and feels delicious sense
OF his Importance, If he is sometimes imne~t;o
nent and overbearing to the lender II 10 onI,,
because he realizes the superior Independence of
MS poStlon lie does not treat the suppliant
VINO PLEADS for pay contemptuously out of All
solute mallce-he only means to give expression
to his dignifed annoyance
But L am going to speak of borrowing bores
classification
lhnnlte. Ihere are the neighborhood borrowers.
whose operations are confined to tea spice,
clothes-plns, DC, &c, and the details of which
are conducted mostly by women This prac-
lice Is quite innocent, and often profitable tn
some OF the parties concerned Besides if keens
up friendly intercourse between families. and
enables them to decide who buys the best gro
ceries. 49, g.
For example, Mrs. Jones will saw that the
miserable black dust which she gets from Mrs
brown IS very poor return for the fine old Hy
son which she lends. As set off to thiS Mrs
Brown may tell you confdentially that Mrs Jones
Keeps the most detestible saleratus with which
she pays for the superfine article borrowed of
her: And both of these ladies will tell their
husbands how their neighbors borrow in large
teacups and pay in small ones, and thus the chs
tom forms a pleasant theme of conversation.
Again, there is the man who borrows your
tools ana implements and forgets to return them
or wnen ne does so, remarks that he hopes if YOU
.enu tnem any more, you will see that they are
Then there is the fellow who borrows YOUR
daily paper and sends it back week after with
hole burnt through statistical article in which
you were interested, and crimson stain on the
nrst page which convinces you that it is proof
impression OF beef steak
Out OF all borrowing bOres the most odious
ana aggraVatlng is he who socits small honora-
~ loahs, and never afterwards makes any allu-
SION 10 the circumstances. They are the Jeremy
Dluu ne who walk upon the stage of life to col
lect mali crowns" from all they meet. They
cultivate this flching talent to sueh decree
that 1t serves them in tie place of honest indus
| ny or an honorable avocation. Indeed I have
known them to exhibit a consummate skill in
tne!r depietng operations quite equal to the ar
tiStlc performance of pickpocket. The feat of
the iatter is mere trick of manual dexterIty,
WINE the former effects the transfer of money
from your pocket into his by kind of intel
lectual process which is worth describing
One class of these borrowing bores anproach
YOU WIN Che most empowering assurance and
certainly preclude the possibility of rufusal-
For example, one of them will come up to YOU
Just before banking hours, and giving YOU a
poke in the ribs, will say ,: Brown give me five
dollars and take my check..till morninp-.can't
get into the Bank, and am short" He utters
this little speech with his hand actually extend
ed and eylnclng kind of impatience at your
deay. Now is you know this financial sponge,
you are perfectly aware that his talk about his
check and the Bank is all CANNON, and if you
lend MN the money you will not worry your
memory by taking written record of the fact
1t you don't know him, you may receive his
check and have the bank teller inform you the
next day that you are sold. But ten to one if
you are so unfortunate as to be acquainted with
this fellow, he will by the force ofhs assurance,
bleed you in this manner, at least, three sue
ceSsive times.
linen we have the borrower who employs the
sympathy dodge,and though he tacitly acknowl-
edges that he will never pay you, says: "He is
almighty hard up-has lost his situation and his
wlte is sick, and, Of course, expects you to dis
purse IN order to demonstrate that you are not
wanting In humanity. Whether you lend him
twenty-five cents or certain number of dollars
your only future return will be the doubtful sur
th1t 10 IL, i -
But the most dangerous of all the pocket leach
es Is the one who rushes upon you precipitating-
~ at time when his affairs have reached an
AWFUL crisis, and demands your money as if he
were Dick Turpin who had caught you on the
road,
l know fellow of this description who pounc-
ed upon me in this style just seven years ago.
was sitting at my Office table writing, when in
rushed Bob Sharpe in almost breathless haste |
the sweat was standing out in large drops upon
ms forehead, there was wildness in his eve
that frightened me, and his whole appearance
denoted the most intense mental anguish. OIL
what he said, have but confused recollection.
but the gist of his spasmodc speech was to the
effect that the loan of five dollars was indispens
lbie to his farther sojOurn upsn this mundane
sphere. This outburst was Irresistible. and 7
lent the V without the slightest protest. He
took the bill, and tncking it into his vest pocl-
ct and recovering his equilibrium quicker than
l supposed possible, politely took his leave.
In half an hour after this incident, in passing
by an oyster saloon on my way to tea, [ saw
BOD Sharpe coming out, and could have sworn,
by the expression of his mouth, that he had been
making havoc among the blvalves. This Cir
cumstance, confess rather damped my faith in
Bo6's late distress, but L kept my doubt to my
self.
Well, as the story says, time rolled on ; l fire.
quently met Bob in the street, but the only ac-
Judgement he made of his Indebtedness was
studied avoidance of me At the end of five
years | took fancy to try the effect of letter
on him, writing as follows:
PoDeEvILLE, Nov. 8, SO.
Robert Sharpe, Esq:
DEAR SIR-By reference to an old memoran-
dunn of mine, under date of Nov 3, 1852, L find
that lent you So, under circumstances as |
supposed, of peculiar need. From forgetfulness
or some other unlntentional cause, you have neg
lected to refund the same. To-day is the fifth
anniversary of the loan, and thought it a prop
er time to remind you that it was unpaid Per- !
haps you have hesitated in paying it for the past
few years because you hated to own that you
had let it run so long. | will relieve you from
any embarrassment on that point, by saying
that would be glad to receive it now, and will
take 1t in the same spirit if paid the day after
1t was borrowed In fact, it would be more |
thankfully received for to confess a truth am
little pressed for money. Indeed, the duty |
which owe to my wife and children in whom
have acquired interest since the loan refer. !
red to, compels me to collect even my small
debts. trust need no further apology. The
interest on S. five years is 81 rs Total So rs. |
Yours Truly, A. QUERY.
I considered this very polite, carefully word
ed note, and thought it would produce the de-
sired result. In truth, l thought it would not
only bring the money, but administer a mild re-
buke to Bob. He was ajourneyman printer got
good wages, and might pay if he would.
The next day after mailing the above epistle
received a reply, which L had no doubt contained