The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-22

|
the "Harris Cassimeres" resides and has
his mandatory in Woonsocket, Rhode
Island, where he gives to over six hundred
hands steady employment the year round,
uses seven hundred and fifty thousand
| pounds of wool annually, makesover three
hundred varieties and styles of the "Harris
Cassimeres," and has the past year-du-
ring the war times-run his extensive mill
at an expense of over three thousand dol
lars day. So much for our introduction.
| Mr.. Harris is plain benevolent looking
man, and would sooner be taken for ven
cradle elder among the Baptists, or lead
| ing exhorter among the meek and lowly
Methodists, than what he is-a sharp,
shrewd, live financier and millionaire.
One morning in the Spring OF 1850, Mr..
Harris stepped into his wholesale house in
New York. and lust as he crossed the
threshold, he saw to his establishment one
of the southern shiver-lry kick over pile
of the finest and most fancy grades of the
sHarris Cassimeres," and exclaimed with
an oath
"Rlast 'em! wish they were all in hell!'
"Why so, my young friend?" inquired
Mr.. Harris, stepping up to the Southerner,
and speaking in tones of reverential kind
ness.
because have found out that this in
fernal Harris who manufactures these
goods is shrinking Abolitionist, and that
he is the man who made a present to John
Brown of five hundred dollars, when we
had the hoary old sinner in jail!'
"And for this you certainly don't wish
that all these fine cassimeres were sent to
hellw
eyes 1 do-every one of emf
"Well, now my young friend, if you
were to meet Mr. Harris and make his ac-
quaintance, doubt not you would like
him, Notwithstanding his Abelitionism."
| "Like him! I'd sooner like the devil ~
do all Southern merchants feel that
way7" w
"They of course acknowledge that the
| Harris cassimeres' are unequaled for tex
ture and durability by the French or Eng
| lish manufacturer
eyes; we willingly acknowledge their
superiority; but since l have found out
| who Harris is, wish his goods were all in
hell y
'You cannot certainly be in earnest, nay
dear SIR
eyes amin bloody earnest
''Then I'll tell you how to secure your
wish"
"How?'
"Buy themr' and before the astonished
STAKEHOLDER could recover from the shock
given him, Mr.. Harris stepped into the
Office and gave directions that no more
SOOuS De sOlu 10 80 SOutH VI mdSou anu
Dixon's line, unless they were paid for in
advance.
"Some old missionary, amt he?" in
quired the Southerner of clerk standing
near, pointing to the reCeding form of the
New England millionaire.
"That, sir" exclaimed the clerk with a
merry twinkle in his blue eyes, is Mr.. Ed
ward Harris himself"
"GoOd heavens!' gasped the astonished
man, realizing in a breath that by his i'm
petuosity he had imperiled his financial
prospects. ~ must step in at once and
apologize for the rudeness of my joke. 1t
was only joker
Passing into the Office with an awkward
air of embarrassment, he advanced to Mr.,
Harris and exclaimed:
'I-I-beg pardon, Mr.. Harris, for talk
ing so plain to you, but the fact is, sir,
took you to be missionary, and thought
ibid have little joke; l was only in
fun, sir, was only in fun; and, to prove it,
l will now give you an order for two hun
dred assorted pieces of Harris Cassi-
mers'-on only six months time.
Don't let the incident trouble you in the
least" remarked Mr.. Harris, II am only a
plain, Woodworking man, and have work
ed my way up from boy among the hard
listed, greasy mechanics of New England.
l make no pretensions to aristocracy OF
noble blood, and always treat as an equal
the poorest man in my employ, If he is
honest and Industrious. Your explanation
is quite unnecessary, and shall be happy
to I'LL your order. But the GOO DIS must be
paid for before leaving the building, as we
are giving no more credit to Shareholders.
Present appearances indicate that we shall
soon have trouble with the South. And il
the Southern political brokers fail in their
speculations, 'tintend that any of their
notes in my possession shall increase their
embarrassment.
| The Southern merchant was astonished
He was grieved! He was indignant! HI
swOre little! But it didn't do any good
Mr.. Harris honest, good-natured coun
tenance only beamed with serenity, beney
olence, and Yankee firmness. He was
ready to serve his excited customer, but HI
must receive bankable funds, instead Of
Southern notes.
AS the goods were in great demand iI
the Southern market, and must be had, {
cash purchase to the amount of one thou
sand dollars was made and the good.
4 shipped for Cottondom; but the Indignant
Southerner swOre in oaths loud long, ring
ing and fearful, that he would never veal
the cursed stuf-no, indeed, not q bit of it
i And now comes the nub of the joke.
The merchant was captured as spy &
few months ago, in Washington, and wa:
sent under guard to Fort Hotel de Warren
Il While passing through Boston, it was hi.
luck to meet Mr.. Harris at the depot, anC
it was his modification to have it noticed
that his pants were made from one of thu
identical pieces of Mr.. Harris cashmere!
which he had so Justify wished in hell.
Seeing that Mr.. Harris noticed and rec
ognized the goods, he exclaimed with {
: sardOnic sneer:
"Harris, you praying old hypocrite,
curse you for prophet! You said that i
1 wanted your old cassimeres in hell, TC
better buy 'em! did buy 'em, and reck
qp they have gone there. At any rate my
Sore was burned to the ground and wha
wasn't destroyed by fire was stolen by
thieves. Again curseyou for a prophet!
Il With no desire to aggravate the suffering
of the infatuated rebel, Mr.. Harris turned
upon his heel and left in sorrow. The mex
week, however, he forwarded to the rebel
enough yards of the best cashmere for al
entire suit ofclothes, with the brotherly re-
mark, that although his old customer
erred in politics and Christianity, he woult
find that the Yankee Abolitionists wer,
brothers to all, white or black, in prospect
tv or adverSitv