The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-03-08
A Sharp Trade.

4 CONNECTICUT broom peddler-
IA shrewd chap, from over among
the steady habits, wooden clocks, school
masters and other fxins-drove through
the streets Of Providence heavily laden
with corn brooms. lie called at several
stores and offered his load or ever so
small portion of it; but when he want
ed the cash and nothing else in payment
they had uniformly given him to under
stand that they had brooms enough and
that he might so further At length he
drove up to a wholesale store on the west
side and offered his wares.
Well, | want the brooms badly
enough" said the merchant, but what
will you take in pay !"
This was u poser. The peddler was
aching to get rid Of his brooms; but he
would sooner sell single broom for cash
than the whole load for any other article
especially that he could not dispose of
as readily as he could of brooms. After
moments hesitation, however, he screw
ed up his courage to the sticking point
1t required some courage, and after hay
ing lost his chance of selling his load
half a dozen times by similar answer
and frankly told the merchant he must
have the cash. Of course the merchant
protested that cash was scarce, and that
he must purchase, if purchase at all, with
what he had in his store to pay with
He really wanted the brooms, and he did
not hesitate to say so; but the times
were hard, and he had notes to pay, and
had goods that he must dispose of.
Finally he said he would put the goods
at the cost price, for the sake of trading,
and would take the whole load of brooms
which the pedlar had labored SO unsuc-
ccssfully at the other stores to dispose of.
so unload the brooms," said he to
the man from Connecticut, "and select
any article from my store, and you shall
have them at cost price"
The peddler scratched his head. There
was an idea there, as the sequel will
show
Il" Il tell what it is" he answered at
last, Just say them terms for half the
load and cash for t'other half, and lm
your man. Blowcd eff don't sell out, if
Connecticut sinks, with all her broom
stuff, the next minute"
The merchant hesitated moment but
finally concluded the chance good one.
lie would be getting half the brooms for
something that would sell as readily; as
for the cost price, it was an easy CANNON
in regard to it. The bargain was struck,
the brooms were brought in, and the cash
for half Of them paid over.
" Now, what will you have for the re-
mainder Of your bill p asked the mer-
chant.
The peddler scratched his head again,
and this time more vigorously. He walk
ed the floor, whistled and drummed with
his fingers on the head of barrel. By
and-by this reply came-slowly, deliber-
ately and emphatically:
"You Providence tellers are cute; YOU
sell at cost, pretty much all of you, and
make much money. | don't see how it's
done. Now l don't know about your
goods, barin' one article, and eff [ take
anything else 1 may be cheated. So,
seein' as 'twont make any odds with you.
| guess I'll take brooms. | know them
like book, and can swear to just what
you paid for them"
And so saying, the peddler commenced
reloading his brooms, and having deposi-
ted half of his former load, jumped on
his cart with a regular Connecticut grin,
and, leaving the merchant cursing his i'm
prudence and his own stupidity, drove off
IN search Of another customer.
u.s. Once unOn time. during debate