Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-11-08
GOING To THE DOGS.

81 received your bill to-day, Mr.. Leon
ard, said q customer as be entered the sho,
of master mechanic.
We are sending cut our accour IS a, thi
season. returned the mechanic, bowing.
i want 10 pay you.'
Very well, Mr.. Baker, we're always glad
to get money"
But you must throw of something. lie,
me see, and the customer drew out bill
",weniy-seven dollars and sixty-six cents
Twenty five will do. There, receipt the bill
and | will pay you.''
But Leonard shook his head.
can't deduc, cent from that bill, Mr.
Baker. Every article is charged a, our reg
ular prices
"Oh yes. you can. Just make i. twenty.
five dollars, even money. Here it is" and
Baker counted out the cash.
"rm sorry, Mr.. Baker, but l can't afford
to deduct anything. lfyoud only owed me
twenty-five dollars, your bill would have been
just that amount. ! would not have added
. cent beyond what was due, nor can take
any less than my own
Then YOU will not deduct the odd mon,
eyr
AZ cannot, indeed"
"very we'll" The manner Of the Gus.
toner changed. He is evidently offended.
The bill is too high BY just that l have
asked to have stricken off. But no matter,
can pay it,
Then you mean to insiIuate," said the
mechanic, who was an independent sort of a
man, that l am cheating you out Of two
dollars and forty-six cents
Il didn't say So"
"Bu. it is plain ,ha, you think so. or you
would not have asked an abatement lfyou
had considered my charges inst you would
not dispute them.'
"Oh, never mind, never mind, we'll no,
waste words about it. Here's your money; =
said Mr.. Baker, and he added another five
to the sum he had laid down. The mechan.
ic receipted the account aud gave the change,
both Of which his customer thrust into his
pocket with pesulant air, and then turned
aud left the shop without another word.
It's the last bill he eyt has against me, y
muttcred Baker to himself, as he walked
away. "lf that's his manner Of treating
customers, ho'll soon go to the dogs. He
was downright insulting, and no gentleman
will stand that from another. Mean to in>
sinuate! Humph. Yes, did mean 10 in.
sinuate," and Mr.. Baker inyolun,arily quick
ened his pace. He'll soon 90 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 mechan.
ic and gave it to another.
I've got one Of your old customers,
Leonard" said friend in the same business
with the mechanic, some six or eight months
afterwards.
" All. who is il -
"Baker''
Leonard shrugged his shoulders.
" How came you to lose him ~
"Ill tel YOU how to keep him.
"Well, how -
If your bill amounts 10 thirty dollars
make il Ihiriy>three and few odd cents, by
increasing some OF its items. He will want
the surplus knocked off, which you can af
ford to do; then he will pay it, and think
you are Just the man for him
!" You lost him, then, because you would
not aba,e anything from the true bill ?"
"I did"
"Thank you. But suppose your bill
should be twenty-six or seven or eight dol.
lars what then ? could knock Of the odd
dollar for the purpose Of making i, even
!" No. In that case you must add until
you Get about thirty"
And fall back to that r.
"Yes. !, will be the knocking oil the ODD
dollars which he will think as clear GAIN
THAT would hardly be honest.
Hardly. But you must do it, or lose
bis custom some day or other"
i" shall have to accommodate him, sup
pose. II he viii be cheated, it cannot be
helped"
On the very first bill tha. Baker paid to
bis new ,radesmar, he obtained the abate.
ment Of one dollar and ninety cents odd
money, bu' actually RAJ three dollars mt re