The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-08-25
EBENsBURG, PA. THURSDAY AUGUST 25 1870
HONESTY THE BEST POLICY

In the spring of 1861, young man
came down from Vermont, where he had
been engaged in school teaching and OBJ
tanned a situation as salesman with a
merchant doing quite snug business in
one of our inland cities In very short
time the youth proved himself to be
not only an expert ard accomplished busi
ness man, but gentleman-kind, affable
and polished (; and, withal, patient and
long suffering under the dire infiiction of
purchasers whims and caprices. Only
one fault had the employer to find. After
a time he fancied that his new salesman
was inclined to be little too lax in con-
cealing chance defects in goods, and at
length he came to the conclusion that the
trouble was chronic. He called ii ''la-
mentable want of care and circumspec-
tion > and his patience was sorely tried
when he saw fabrics pu. back upon the
shelves which might have been Sold
One day gentleman and lady entered
the store in quest of cloth. They had
been appointed by society to procure
the material for one hundred suits of un-
derclothihg for a company of volunteers
who were going to Washington in response
to the Presidents call for more men. The
! lady had traded with the new salesman,
and him she now sought
"Ah, we have just the article,'' volun-
teered the proprietor, who stood near
George, 90 down in the cellar and bring
up bolt of that fine Middlesex flannel
The young man went down and brought
! up the hannel-a bolt containing fifty
! yards-and there were six more of the
same sort which they could have cheap,
the merchant said.
The lady examined the textures Of the
fabric and pronounced it satisfactory.
! ''You know" she said to the salesman,
"what we want this for. We do not
wish to send our noble volunteers away
upon their errand of devotion poorly pro-
vided for There is much poor cloth in
the market-stuf which
will hardly hold together after it is put on
for wear. You can warrant this %
''No, madam, | cannot"
''But you believe it to be firm and good
suitable for that purpose -
The young man saw that the eyes of
his employer were upon him, and he knew
that his place depended upon his answer.
But he could not be base and decci;ful.
''I am sorry to be forced to tell you,
madam, that the goods are not such as
can recommend. But we have flannel
which can safely warrant
And in the end the lady and her friend
purchased two hundred yards of good
cloth.
AS soon as the customers were gone,
the merchant opened his battery of wrath.
The young man boldly defended himself
and when he declared that he would never
knowingly or willingly deceive customer,
he was told that his services were 10 long
er required.
George A. enlisted in the very compa-
ny for which the flannel had been pur-
chased, and very soon it was whispered
among those who had known him at the
store-and they were by far the greater
portion of his customers-why he had left.
In July, of 1862, George came hume
wounded and as his injured limb prom
ised to be for some time weak, he got his
discharge. While he was looking around
for employment, the lady who had bought
the flannel for the soldiers came to him
and offered to advance him money with
which to set up business for himself
After great deal of persuasion and friend
ly assurance, on the part of quite large
number of the old customers, he accepted
the offer.
And behold the result. The young MGR
chant very soon became Known through
out the town as the man who would sac,
rifice his place rather than wrong ol
deceive a customer And it was known
too, why be had left the store of MIR. 5
: Before the SHOWS of winter came Georg
a was accounted one of the most sue
cessfu! merchants in the place and wheI
The first of the year came, MIR. s., In
shrewd and ''circumspect' man, ha'
shelves loaded with shop worn gouds ano
shoddy, bought on credit, while upon hi
desk lay number of Notary's missiyes
s giving information of notes, in bank, pro
tested
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