The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-09-06
A Prompt Man Of Business

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The following scene
from 'Ncver too Late to Mend is
scarcely oXcclIod by anything from
the pen Of Dickens
Meadows found Mr.. Clinton ut
Pccl's.
"Mr. Clinton, want q man Of
intelligence to be ut MY service
for twenty-four hours. | give you
the first offer, Sir
'Alr. Clinton replied that really
ho had SO many irons in the fire,
that twcnty-iour hours
Meadows put Il titty-pound note
on the table.
"Will all your irons iron you
out fifty pounds as flat rs that%
"Why, hem p
"No, nor five. Come, Sir, sharp
is the word. Can you be my ser
want for twcnty-four hours for lif.
ty pounds? yes or no !'
"Why, this is dramatic-ycs !!
at is half.past two. Between
this and four o'clock | must buy II
few hundred acres in Australia II
fair bargain"
"IIumph We'll, that can be
done. l know an old fellow that
has land in every part IF tho
gIoba:'
"Takc mo to him.
I'm ten minutes they nero IN
one of those dingy narrow alleys
in the city Of London thai look
tho abode Of decent poverty, and
they could afford to buy Grosvc-
nor Square for their stables; and
Mr.. Clinton introduced his friend
to q blcar-cycd merchant in 4 large
room papcrcd with maps: the
windows were incrustcd, mustard
and cross might have been grown
from them. Beauty in clean linen
collar and wristbands would have
shonc hero with intolcrablc luslrc;
but the blcar-cycd merchant did
not come out bright by contrast !;
he had taken tho local color. You
could see him, and that was all,
like partridge in q furrow Il
snuff-colorcd man coat rusty all
but the collar, and that greasy +;
poor rs IFS color was, his linen had
thought worth emulating; black
ish nails, cotton wipe, little bald
place on head, but didn't shine for
the same reason tho windows
didn't. Mr.. Clinton approached
this 'dhirrty money this rusty
coin, in the spirit Of flunhcyism.
"Sir,' said he in u low rcvcrcn-
tial tone, this party is disposed to
purchase a few hundred acres in
the colonies.
Mr.. Ricl! looked up from his
desk and Pointed with u sweep Of
his pen to the walls.
Thcrc arc the maps: tho red
crosses arc my land. Thcy are
numbered. Refer to the margin
Of map and you will find the acres
and the latitude and longitude cal
culatcd to fraction. When you
have settled in what part Of the
world you bny, como to me again;
time is gold
'And Tho blcar-cycd merchant
wrote, and scaled, and filed, and
took no notice Of his customers.
They found red crosses in several
Of the United States, in Canada,
in Bornco; in nearly all tho colo
MICS, and as luck would have it,
they found one small cross within
! thirty miics cf Bathurst, and the
margin described it ~ nvo hnnr
drcd acres. Mr.. Meadows stepped
toward the desk.
81 have found q small property
near Bathurst
"Bathurst ? where is that?
"1n Australia
"Suit?'
"lf the price suits. What is tho
price, Sir?'
"Thc books must toll us that
'Mr. Rich stretched out his arm
and seized a large ledger and gave
it Meadows.
"I have but ono price for land,
and that is five por cent. profit on
my outlay. Book will tell you
what it stands mo in: add fivo
por cent to that, and tako tho land
away or leave it,
with this curt explanation Mr.,
Rich resumed his work.
at sooms you gave fivo shillings
an acre, Sir said Mr.. Clinton.
Give times fivo hundred shillings
one hundred and twenty. Gvo
pounds. Intorost at fivo por cont.
six pounds five.'
"Whon did buy it?' asked Mr..
Rich.
, ooh !! whom did! you buy it,
Sir?'
Mr.. Rich snatched the book n
little pettlshly and gave it to