Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-02-25
Moral Tale.
GOING TO THE DOGS,

81 received your bill to-day, Mr.
Leonard" said customer, as he Ell
tered the shop of Il master mechanic.
We are sending out all OR nc,
counts at this season." returned the
mechanic, bowling. , ...;
want to pay it," ......
"Very well, Mr.. Baker, VIC are al,
ways glad to get money" .,.. ..
But you must throw off something
Let me see and the customer drew
out the bill" twenty-sevcn dollars
aud forty-six cents. Twenty-Five will
do. There, receipt the bill and I'll
pay you"
But Leonard shook his head.
can't deduct cent from that
bill, Mr.. Baker Every article is
charged at our regular price"
Oh, yes you can. just make il
twenty-five dollars, even money. Here
it is" And Baker counted out the
cash.
81 am sorry, Mr.. Baker, but l can.
not afford to deduct anything. If you
had only owed me twenty-five dollars,
your bill would have been just that
amount. | would not have added a
cent beyond what is due, nor can
take anything less than my due"
Then you won't deduct the odd
money II ..
/ cannot, indeed"
"Very we'll" The manner of the
customer changed. He was evident
ly offended. "The bill is too high by
just the sum | asked to have strick.
en- of. But no matter, | can pay it,"
"Then you mean to insinuate, "said
the mechanic, who was an independ.
ent sort of man, "that | am cheat
ing you out of two dollars and forty
six cents 2" -
al didn't say So"
But it is plain that You think so,
or you would not have asked an abate-
ment. If you considered my charges
reasonable you would not dispute
them.". -.-
"Oh, never mind, never mind
Well not waste words about it. Here
is your money" said Mr. Baker and
he added another five dollar bill to the
sum he had laid down. The mechan.
ic receipted the account and gave the
change, both of which his customer
thrust into his pocket with petulant
air, and then turned away and left the
shop without another word.
at is the last bill he ever has
against me-" muttered Baker, to him
self, as he walked away. "If that's
his manner Of treating customers, he'll
soon go to the dogs. He was down.
right insulting, and no gentleman will
stand that from another, much less
from a vulgar mechanic. Mean to in.
snuate Yes, | did mean to insinu
ate" And Mr.. Baker involuntarily
quickened his pace. "He'll lose one
good customer" he continued, to him.
self. "Pve paid him great deal ol
money, but it's the last dollar of mine
he ever handles"
Baker was as good as his word
He withdrew his custom from the
offending mechanic, aud gave it to
another.
live got one of your old custom
ers, Leonard" said friend in the
same business to the mechanic, some
six or eight months afterwards.
"Ah who is it Z"
Baker"
Leonard shrugged his shoulders.
How came you to lose him ~
"Pll tell you how you can keeI
him." -. -.f .r.
Well. how 7" ..
If your bill amounts to thirty dol
lars, make it thirty-three and q few
odd cents, by increasing some Of th'
items. He will want this surplu,
knocked of, which you can afford t
do; then he will pay it and thinl
you just the man for him."
"You lost him. then, because 20,
would not abate anything from q tru,
bill 2"
81 did"
THANK you. But suppose my bill
should be twenty-six, or seven, o
eight what then |? l could not knocl
off the odd dollars for the purpose o
making an even sum-"
"No. In that case you must ad,
on until you get above thirty"
"And fall back to that? 2"
Yes. It will be knocking off tn
odd dollars, which he will think clea
gain"
THAT would hardly seem to b
honest"
J ~" Hardly. But you must do it 9