The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-05
1sanls0Ptsfst f.etaee.
MEDITATION RETREAT,
March 1, 1870.

AiEDIrATIoN RETREAT,
March 1, 1870.
My DEAR CoGIA HAssAN,
80 Exchange Street:
1t has been a custom of mine to write my
friends birthday letters, and put in as much
good sound advice and warning as could dis
til on to abouttwo sheets of paper. And, Co
gia, you must not be offended if say some
plain things to you. You are now year old.
1t is twelve months since you were launched
upon the commercial sea of Portland. Your
birth differed from that of many. Other COM
mercial houses are born babies, and either
slowly grow to maturity or sckeA and die of
cramps or internal combustion, or something
else, but your birth, like that of tabled charac.
tiers, and like that of our honored ancestor.
Adam, was anomalous. You came Tito exist.
ence full-grown; your advent was made with
sound OF trumpet and drum. The bill-poster
and the newspaper foretold your corning,
though in somewhat vague, oracuIar lanonace
Commercial astrologers pretended tn find he
failing star IN the ascendant. They found con-
functions in the heavens foretellino vonr
speedy dissolution. There were a choice few
who saw in these predictions the overfowings
crowds rushed to your magic numher zoo y
and all creation and the rest of mankind seem.
ed determined to leave with YOU ali their MIC.
lures Of Mr.. Lincoln and Mr. Chase, then was
jealousy rampant; then, trembling with ire.
did merchants send forth their band-bills do,
Glazing you 'peripatetic swindler;' then did
they roundly declare in the same breath that
your goods were ualueless, and that they cost
!ecace what you were selling them for. And,
loin'9g IN tne cry, one respectable literary pa
word "humbug," referring. no doubt. to the
likeness between your store and hive of bees.
But, Cogia, am glad you never lowered vonr-
sell TO notice OF ugly, slanderous words; you
r RENE here .h %nat taught you when you
quarrelling with little black and white animals
with bushy tails.
But Cogia, I honestly think you have made
some mistakes-yeu have kept too many kinds
OF goods. Why, Cogia, you have seemed to
to SELL and when at last you put in that lot Of
army caps, thought it was a step too far
Then, again, you buy too many of one kind of
goods. Didn't you have one hundred thou
sand collars on hand before you bought that
many necks are there lin Portland-did YOU
stop to calculate? Again, don't you think you
have advertised too much? People will saw
they have to pay for this advertising.
One word OF warning-don't fall into the
going at less than cost, because any one with
half an eye knows one of two things is true of
such advertizers-either they lie, or they paid
more tor their goods than they ought to.
l nave much more would like to say, but
reserve 1t for another time. Wishing YOU
continuation of your great success. remain
| your old friend and teacher,
AMrNADAB PEDAGoGUE.
give this letter Of my quondam teacher as
Iecelve1 y, though there are one or two things
would like to cut out. am gratified bv his
approval of my course in severely letting alone
those who forget that no man ever built a sub
stantial house by trying to tear down his neigh
oors houses. But l had confidence in the peo-
pie, and believed that time would settle these
little questions; end time has. / have lived to
see the very house that advertised me as a
swindler, prove bankrupt, and do what re-
quires more brass than ever hope to muster,
ddoert!ze its own stock as bankrupt and itself
| as selling regardless of cost.
In the matter of large lots, I do purchase lots
OF goods regardless of quantity if only they are
cheap enough, and my friend forgets that
supply not only all Portland but my goods go
| regular customers in New Hampshire, Yer
| mont, Massachusetts, and occasional orders
from all over the country, and that my custom.
ers lay in their collars by the hundred when
sell them nice article for 10cts. a box-the
same they have been accustomed to pay 25cts
| for.
I have written my old teacher regarding ad.
vertising that by actual figuring am satisfied
that each dollar expended for this purpose has
increased my trade twenty dollars, and there
ford to sell; and here L would add I should ad.
vertise more but have really as rule ad
all the business my store was capable of &C.
| commOdating.
Now, good friends, if you are not tired Of
this long story let me tell you these things ]
| always sell at a profit, never have t,co prices
1 never buy an article for my store unless
get it at less than the market price. always
sell at slight advance on the cost to me. ]
shall always be glad to see old customers or to
see new ones, and remain the public's servant
| COGIA HAsSAN,
| 80 Exchange St.