The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-12


take dead beat that is, il know
it-never. / don't claim TO be able to
magnetize q corpse. Sometimes / en-
counter one without knowing it. 1t
don't take me long to find it out. Then
I punish him, always with view to his
good"
"sometimes in one way, sometimes
in another. A poor man gave me an
account for twenty dollars TO collect
against n young fellow in o frst-class
jobbing house. found he was dead
beat !; he would make appointments for
every day in the year, and when you
came, coolly tell you he had no money.
It was in July; the weather awful hot.
One day the fellow said, Call Friday,
and l will make n payment. On Fri
day called he was in the lower base
ment, packing goods. No money to-
day that WIS all he said. Two or
three Of his iellow.clerks were helping
him. 1 took OF my coat and began to
preach to him. 1 can preach when 1
try. went into the detail OF my
clients situation, the nature Of the
debt, the conduct Of the debtor, his
manner Of life, his probable end. /
soon discovered had the attention OF
my audience-the chap himself began
to slacken in his work. AT last he said:
Mister, II you will stop where you are
will pay you fye dollars down and
give you my word OF honor / will pay
you five dollars week till the whole Is
paid Done I said. He handed
over the V, and came away"
did he pay the rest 2"
"Not he. The next week the bird
had flown, and never saw him again.
But administered punishment righte-
ously. Poor wretch, my heart bleeds
for him. What life to leadl"
"And do you never resort to harsh
measures 2" / asked.
"such as what ?" demanded my COM
panion.
said.
He laughed at what ho seemed to
think was a very yerdant suggestion.
g You do not suppose" he continued,
COZ Ilacently, . that where my mag.
netism fails there is any chance for
law?'
/ did not know. "There are other
means,n / remarked, (which l have
heard Of. There are collectors, / am
told, who make themselves personally
offensive in dress and appearance, so as
TO be as annoying as possible"
"You are right; but that sort Of
thing is pretty much played out. These
are low fellows, n disgrace to M artistic
profession. Why, 1 knew one of these
yagabonds, who had an old covered
wagon plastered with common adyeT-
tisements and bills, and a raw-boned
horse. He went around collecting. The
establishment was so conspicuous that
everybody knew what IL was. This chap
would drive before the door Of the per
son who owed o bill, and there hewould
sit an hour or two, so everybody would
say, Look there; he Is after Thomp-
SON. The fellow came to grief. He
drew up to a house in Lexington Ay-
enue went in and asked payment Of an
account. The party hadn't the money.
Ine Otnet Weut outf tOUh u beit III luh
covered cart, and there remained. The
party in the house seeing this told him
to drive on. He declined 10 do so. The
party, who was strong, stalwart man,
dragged the fellow to the sidewalk and
thrashed him soundly. II stopped his
business, and itseryed him right, / say.
Ho was q disgrace to the profession.
No, sir; no. Nothing but magnetism
and moral suasion. Appeal 10 the COM
science which is alive in the bosom Of
every one Of Gods creation, except in
that OF the dead beat who is moral
corpse, Appeal, i say,to the conscience,
and bring your magnetism to bear.
Very hard work, though-yery hard
work, indeed. 1t requires deal ofrun-
fear it will wear me out