The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-10-21

he used to be laid up for weeks toge-
ther with bad cough. he was q
widower, without children.
lsE ssOne day, Strange came to me and
said that he had q very exciting offer
TO enter into partnership with print
er who had been established in bust
ness several years. The sum required
to be paid for the partnership was
three hundred pounds, and he asked
me to advance that amount upon the
security of policy insurance for one
thousand pounds upon his own life.
On inquiry I found that, years be-
fore, Strange had. when n young and
healthy young man, effected an in
surance upon his life for five hun
dred pounds. This policy he always
managed to keep up, and still wished
that it should not relapse. AS it had
been running on for nearly twenty
years, and as he paid very small
premium, and was now i'll very bad
health, the insurance company would
have been very glad to have pur-
chased it back. Therefore, after
looking at the affair in every possible
way, 1 came to the conclusion that
the security was good, and that 1
might safely advance the sum of
three hundred pounds upon the Sc
curity policy being endorsed over
to me. This was done, and I ad-
vanced the money. Gentlemen, it
was the worst days business I ever
did in my life.
"In general, q creditor sees but
little of his debtors, whether they
are few or many. The man who owes
money generally avoids the indivi-
dual to whom he owes it. But it
happened otherwise with Strange
and myself. With the new business
that he had bought, he was not ex-
pected, nor even wished, by his part
ner to interfere; and his own indif-
ferent health made it very desirable
that he should be rs free as possible
from the confined air of the close
printing rooms. The partnership he
had purchased secured for him
certain amount of income which,
together with what he had besides,
allowed him to go about in divers
parts of the country, travelling being
much recommended by the medical
attendant. Knowing that I had to
make weekly trips to Harwich, and
that 1 had often to go to Rotterdam
in the way of business, when looking
after cattle, he asked me whether he
could be of any use to me as clerk.
He asked for no salary, only his
actual travelling expenses; and for
this he was to keep my accounts and
write my letters and make himself
generally useful. The bargain was
good one for both parties. On the
one hand, my business was increas-
ing evey week, and having to knock
about great deal at fairs, and to
see great many dealers, had no
time to look properly after my ac-
counts, which sometimes got rather
complicated. On the other hand,
Strange had enough to live upon,
but not enough to pay travelling ex-
penses with comfort. Having been
friends for several years, when we
travelled together we always had our
meals in common; and in country
places, or where the inns were very
full, we generally took double-bed-
ded room between us.
After a time, L found Strange's
assistance of such value to me; that
[ was able to increase my connections
very materially indeed. Being n
shrewd man, he was able at the end
of twelve-month, to make purchases
and conduct my business as we'll as
could. This led, naturally enough,
to o partnership being formed be-
tween us, by the terms of which L
was to lend him five hundred pounds
to put into the business, of which he
was to have a fourth of the net
profits. AS surety for the five hun
dred pounds, he insured his life for
another thousand. Thus, when we
commenced working together as part
ners, Strange owed me eight hundred
pounds, and L held policies of in
surance on his life for two thousand
pounds.
"Our business trips used generally
to last from week to fortnight.
Sometimes we were detained at the
port to which we had brought the
animals for four or five days, await
ing the means of shipping them to
England; for it is not every steamer
that will take bullocks, or sheep, or
pigs, as cargo. Sometimes one of us
would remain in London conducting
the sales of such animals as his part
ner sent him from abroad. And
/ hIo ho1 he.