Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-09-21
Going to the Dogs.

4 received your bill to-day, Mr. Leon
ard, said a customer, as he entered the
shop of master mechanic.
we are sending out our account at this
season. returned the mechanic bowling.
Il want to pay you.
very well, Mr.. Baker, we're always
glad to get money
But you must throw off something
Let me see,' and the customer drew out
the bill, 'twenty-seven dollars and sixty
six cents. Twenty-Five will do. There
receipt the bill and will pay YOU
But Leonard shock his head
4 can't deduct cent from that bill,
Mr.. Baker. Every article is charged at
our regular prices
oh yes, you can. Just make it twen-
ty-five dollars, even money. Here it is
and Baker counted out the cash.
Pm sorry, Mr.. Baker, but cannot af-
ford to deduct anything. If you'd only
owed me twenty-five dollars, your bill
would have been just tha: amount. l
would not have added cent beyond
what was due, nor can take anything
less than my own
1Hch you hoh uoUuSt til7 Ouu lioH-
ey?
Il cannot indeed
very we'll The manner OF the Gus
toner changed. He was evidently offend
ed The bill is too high by just that
have asked to have stricken off: But no
matter, l can pay it.
'Then you mean to insinuate, said the
mechanic, who was an Independent sort
of man, that | am cheating you out of
two dollers and si&ty-six cents
q didn't say So
But it is plain you think so, or you
would not have asked an abatement. If
you had considered my charges Just, you
would not dispute them
'Oh, never mind, never mind, we'll not
waste words about it. Here's your mon
ey,' said Mr.. Baker, and he added anoth-
er five 20 the sum he had laid down. The
mechanic receipted the account and gave
the change both Of which his customer
thrust into his pocket with petulant
air, and then turned and left the shop
without another word
| It's the last bill he ever has against
me- muttered Baker to himself, as lie
walked away. If that's his manner Of
treating customers, he'll soon 60 to the
dogs. He was downright insulting, and
no gentleman will stand that from anoth-
er. Mean to insinuate! Humph. Yes,
| did mean to insinuate,' and Mr.. Baker
inyoluntarily quickencd his pace He'll
soon go to the dogs. I've paid him
great deal of money, but it is the last
dollar of mine he ever handles
Baker was good as his word He with
drew his custom from the offending me
chanic and gave it to another.
tPve got one Of your old customers,
Leonard said friend i'll the same bust
ness with the mechanic, some six or eight
months afterwards.
'Ah, who is it p
Baker
Leonard shrugged his shoulders.
sHow came you to lose him =
'rll tell you how to keep him.
We'll, how?'
IF your bill amounts to thirty dollars,
make it thirty-three and a few odd ceuts,
by increasing some of its items. He will
want the surplus knocked off, which you
can afford to do then he will pay it and
think you are just the man for him.
You lost him, then, because you would
not abate anything from the true bill?'
Il did
Thank you. But suppose your bilf
should be twenty-six or seven or eight !;
what then could knock off the odd
dollar for the purpose Of making it even
No. In that case you must add until
YOU get about thirty
and fall back to that?'
'Ycs. 1t will be the knocking off the
odd dollars which he will think as clear
gain
That would hardly be honest
Hardly. But you must do it, or lose
his custom some day or other
4 shall have to accommodate him, /
suppose. If he will be cheated it cannot
be helped
On the very first bill tha: Baker paid to
his new tradesman, he obtained the abate-
ment of one dollar and ninety cents odd
money, but actually paid three dollars
very well satisfied, imagining that he had
made saving of one dollar and ninety
cents. The not over-scrupulous trades
man laughed in his sleeve and kept his
customer
Having withdrawn his support from
Leonard, it was the candid opinion Of Ba-
ker that he was going to the dogs as he
expressed it, about as fast as man could
60 He often passed the shop, but rare
ly saw q customer.
No wonder he would say to himself.
"A man like him can't expect and don't
deserve custom
In the eyes of Baker, the very grass
seemed 80 grow upon the pavement be-
fore the door of the declining tradesman.
Dust settled thickly IN his windows, and
the old sign turned grayer and grayer in
the bleaching aiF-
J Going to the dogs, and NO wonder,