The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-11-06
Ups and Downs in Mercantile L. 'fe--Sec-
ing Better Days-In Husiness and ont OF
1.-THE Romance Of & Commerce.

From the N Y. Cor. of The Rochester Chronice.l
In the vicinity of Fulton Ferry there is a
man who keeps a small stand for the sale of
odds and ends, the whole value Of his stock in
trade being not more than SO or SIS. He is
an old man, and the oft-used expression" "has
seen better days" can be most appropriately
applied TO him. Thrty-four years ago he was
the head of a flourishing business house that
l will not describe particularly, ,as know he
would not like to have his history traced out
where it could do him no practical good. He
was worth above all his Indebtedness nearly
S200,0O0, and had every prospect of retiring
with an ample fortune. He became involved
with dishonest party and before he ream-
ed of it his credit was destroyed and his ac-
cumuations were swept away. He made an
other venture in business, but was unsuccess
full, and very soon he dropped out of the com.
mercal world. With few thousand dollars
preserved from the wreck he lived a long time
in obscurity, and at length with his means
exhausted, he embarked in the very modest
pursuit which he now follows. His profits
are just sufficient to support hun in quarter
tar from enviable, and very few that pass his
stand imagine that he ever occupied prom
inent position in the business community.
AN ASYLUM FOR UNFoRTUNATEs.
There is one establishment on Broad Street
which does heavy business in banking and
ly foot up an array of figures quite aston sh-
in, to outsiders. Most OF the clerks are men
who cannot be called young by any reasona-
bic stretch OF the imagination, and some OF
them have seen fifty or sixty years rolling
over their heads Two thirds OF these clerks
have been in business and failed, some of
them tor heavy amounts; they were unable to
get into business ain, and after beating
about for while accepted positions as clerks
at salaries tar below tler 70, mer style of living
The beads OF the house treat them kindly and
make their lite as easy as possible; but for al
that they must have unpleasant memories o
past days. One of the house was formerly a
clerk IN the employ 0, one of the men who is
now In his service. He says that he owes his
advancement to the kindness OF his then en-
ployer, and will now return the favor if posi-
bic. In nearly all the business houses IN
Wall and Broad Streets there are men nillns
the positions OF clerks AMI book Keepers WIZ
have been 10 business on their own ACCOUNT
and abandoned ii after years OF s.rus9F.
vIcrSsrrUnEs OF THE DRY GOODS TRADE.
The leading business mao at tne Cham ers
Street store OF A. L. Stewart d Co., was for-
merly in the dry goods trade' ana could not
ross hopp!essy destroyed, he was offered
nosition with Mr.. Stewart, and accepted it.
lie proves an excellent manager and finds
that he gets along better with another mans
affairs than with his own. Another dry goods
house has several unusccessful merchants
among its employees, and without exception
they prove just as efficient as though they had
never tried their hands at the regular trade
end failed. Many of the travelling statesmen
and drummers have been in the dry goods
trade for themselves, and given it up, and the
chances are five to one that they win not tiy
it again. In the dry goods establishments. as
in the bankers and brokers' Offices on Wal
Street there are lots oil clerks who have seer
more active days, and probably many OF them
occasionally sigh to return to them. Other
branches OF fcommerce in New York have been
subject to the same yicissitudes. and if any
body would write faithful history of the ups