Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-09-16
A Sharp MoIasses Trade.

ne following story Hi JOSn Sears
a shrewd, old merchant who lourished
in Boston in the days when that city
controlled most OF the West India
trade:
A cargo of Molasses was classified.
after being landed on the piers, as dis
tilliug and sweet. for retail and after
the cargo was landed and gauged by
the Custom House officials. 1t was Of
fered for sale. If it was a fair aver
age cargo it was offered to the iobbers.
the price being fixed upon the hogs
heads as they ran. Josh would often
buy several hundred hogsheads, and
resell to the small jobbers. He, of
! course, always bought them as they
ran, but not till after he knew exactly
how they did run
Now, everyone knew that Josh was
a very shrewd buyer but how he man
aged to get the best retailing molass-
! es out of cargo, without getting
+ any sour hogshead. passed the under
+ standing Of importers and buyers, till
at last shrewd importer, whom we
shall call CHAD his suspicious
/ that the early prowling propensities
of Josh meant something besides ex-
ercise to get up an appetite.
A cargo Of molosses having arrived
to his Consi ignment, he determined TO
watch. So, taking his position where
he could see unobserved, he waited.
Not long after, a well-known individ-
ual was seen approaching, bung driver
and broomstick in hand, accompanied
by two Irishmen. Said individual
proceeded to try the molasses; and
upon every hogshead that proved sat
isfactorv he placed a small private
mark. When he had selected the qnan-
tity he wanted. he ordered the Irish
men to roll them into a certain posi-
ton, and then left the wharf before
anv one was stirring.
As soon as he was out of hearing
c. jumped from his hiding place
with laugh. ''Ah! J" said he, Il
have it. Josh. old fellow, you are
done now" He Immediately procured
large gang of men, shifted the hogs
heads. replacing them with others,
taking precaution to put the same
private chalk on, and leaving a few of
the original private inspection at
the head of each tier, for Josh to try.
Shortly after returning TO the
counting room. Josh entered, as ex-
pected "Well. G--.what are YOU
asking for the Ellsworth cargo 2"
.'Twenty-eieht cents"
Fair cargo r
'Yes. Do you want to buy p
Yes"
"Go, look at it now ?"
Yes Where i it landed 2"
This last question was ALMOST too
much for G--s gravity.
Bartlett's whar'. Well, come
along"
Arrived at the wharf. Josh cast
his eye keenly along the hogshead -
There were his marks all right, and
then he went through the form of
trying several hogSheads at the head
Of each tier. They proved satislac
tory.
Think it viii run about like this,
c."
i don't know. There it is take
1t as you hud it
"W ell I'll take these SIX tiers
Send up as soon as you eau, and take
off the gauges and, Josh putting on
his big s in chalk, they both left.
Josh. as usual, Immediately order
ed up a sample. Well aware of this
custom, c. had arranged to have
ten good ones sent.
- In tL.,- pT yrar.
deposited on the sidewalk at the back /
of the store Invitations were sent
to the iobbers TO come and inspect
Everything was satisfactory; the bal
ance was sold at a handsome advance {; !
clerk was sent down to deliver gaug-
rs were taken of; bookkeepers made /
out the bills Sears was setting down /
at the old desk, pleasantly calculating
the net profits OF the dodge, whe.,
suddenly his reverie was disturbed by
the entrance Of Mr. ~ with Look
here, Sears, that molasses you sent
me Is sour
"W hat =
Enter p. That molasses is not
what | bought; it IS sour
The devil, it Is -
Enter Mr. c., loq,eitor: Every hogs
head of that confouuded molasses Is
sour"
This was too much up jumped the
irate Josh aud put for c. : count
ing room. c. was IN.
Look here. G--." says Josh,
chat molasses , bought of you has
soured mighty suddenly, or else you
have given NE what / didn't buy"
Certainly. Mr. Sears, there is a
peculiarly about this Southside
molasses. II it Is disturbed by rolling
the hogsheads before sunrise it invari-
ablv sours and | have been thinking
that perhaps some
Josh stopped to hear no more, bnt,
iamming his hat fercely over bis
right ear, and plunging his hands in
his pockets, left without word