The Van Buren press., 1871-05-23
1.-THE Wheelbarrow Business. :"

"Itis related of Girard that when
young tradesman having bought OF him
aud paid for bag of coffee, proceeded to
wheel it home himself. the shrewd old
merchant Immediately offered to trust his
customer for as many bags as he might
desire. The trait OF character revealed BY
the young man In being his own porter,
had ss,:ycn the millionaire confidence In
him at once. His reputation was made
with Girard. He became favored deal
cr with the enterprising merchant, throve
rapidly, and in the end made fortune"
|-Erchange.
That sort OF things might have worked
well enough with old Girard, but don't
fool ANYBODY now. have tried 1t. l
bought half pound OF tea at Penderry's
the other day, after reading the above
paragraph, and wheeled 1t home In the
most ostcntatious manner, just to see if
PendeIry, who was looking on, wouldn't
offer 10 trust me for oil the tea that
wanted, but he didn't. On tho contrary,
| heard him speak up sharp to q clerk as
| went round the corner, asking him If
that tea was paid for?
afterward took a wheelbarrow and
went to a 1our store on Central avenue
bought small bag OF -four, twenty. five
pounds, ] think, and loaded it on, the
head of the concern looking at me with
apparent interest.
Now" thought, "is my opporsunity.
This is a Girard fcller. He will tell me
to come and get oil the -four i can whee!
away, and pay when get ready. Per-
haps he will offer me partnership in his
store"
Then spat on my hands and whipped
them over my shoulders to encourage a
vigorous circulation, rubbed them to.
gether smarlly, and. .clutching the han.
dies Of the barrow, started off at n brisk
trot. l had proceeded about square
when heard some one shouting after me.
Looked around and saw the -four man
coming on dead run
"IIa. ha" thought I, ''thc thing works
admirably. The example Of Steve Girard
is not lost l have revealed trait Of
character in being my own porter. to say
nothing ofmy beer, and my fortune is
made The -four and feed man recogniz.
cs my merits, and comes to offer me q
partnership"
As lie approached Isnw he had some
money in his hand. "He 10 at least"
said. "going to return me the money"
There was severe look on his face as
he came up to me which dh not accord
at all with what l had pictured Girard's
counternance to have worn when he gave
the crate blanche for coffee.
While rejecting that it might be "his
way" he said: "Sr. want you to go
right back to my store F"
1T is coming now" thought /, though
! did not quite like his tone. "Wheel.
barrows arc about to receive their re-
ward. lie is going to offer me a part
nership; perhaps to turn over his entire
business to me-" was consequently
elated
Then said to the -four and feed man
Oust as though didn't know, you
know, the clever things he meant to do
for me), "May l inquire for what pur-
pose, sir ?"
Certainly, you may" he replied,
frowning worse than ever. "ior SHOW
ed this counterfeit bill to my clerk. and
you must come back till get police
man Oh you needn't try to look 80
innocent! / ,spicioned you when l saw
You running round to my store to get
such little jag o -four as that Watch.
ed ye to see that We didn't steal nothin'.
Yon see you can't fool an old hand"
Here was q turn in affairs that would
astonish old Girarv himself. l tried to
explain. Assured him that supposed the
note to be genuine. He was incredulous
for time, and was disposed to have me
locked up and the wheelbarrow detained
as witness, but fiually let me of on my
rcdecming the note.
The wheelbarrow business 10 all hum.
bug. A man can't make q charactes in any
such way. And the chances are that he
will lose what little he starts out with
Fat Contributor.