The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-31
REDUCING LIABILITIES BY INOREAS-
ING THEM.
Augmenting the Supply of Money BY
Spending 1t.

ton, the following explanation may peruhPn,
demonstrate its truth. Taking the first and
second letters Of the alphabet as the repre-
sentatives of two individuals, who were won,
derfully matched being of almost precisely
the same age, had entered school the same
day, passed together through the different
classes, and grad lated at the same time, win
ming an equal share Of credit, OBJ tanned en-
ployment on the same day in prominent
dry goods store, and were linked together by
an attachment and intimacy scarcely exceeded
by that generally evinced by two afectionate
brothers.
We will suppose that those devoted friends
concluded to embark in business. under the
firm of A & B, STIMULATING that A would
attend to all the outdoor, and B to all the
indoor duties, and frequent consultations would
be held concerning the expediency of under
taking or avoiding, as the case might be, such
transactions as would, from time to time,
seem to require consideration. They con-
Cured in recognizing as vitality important. the
necessity Of avoiding heavy expenses and ex-
tended liabilities After experimenting several
months, the Indications were that their pro-
fits had been quite limited, and, possibly,
may not have exceeded their expenditures
At that moment, when their united efforts
seemed to be much needed, the senior was
compelled to attend court in remote State,
he being interested in an important case, the
trial OF which promised to be very prot;acted
US it proved to be.
This apparently untcward event rendered
BIS duties very arduous, but he resolved to
perform them with entire fl lelity, hoping the
consequent necessity of mingling with the
commercial community might prove instru-
mental in developing some mode of rendering
business more lucrative. This hope was emf
nently prophetic, as the following narrative
of subsequent events will demonstrate The
paper of the firm was deemed as strong as any
that could be made in the city, and bank di-
rectors were, therefore, axious to retain oil of
it that was offered. This induced the whole
sale trade, especially those of them whose
financial needs were pressing, to offer the
house great inducements to purchase.
After taking leave of his partner ct the de-
pot, B stepped into jobbing store to inquire
whether trade was not very slack, when the
proprietor, fearing it would be otherwise i'm
possible to procure the money that would be
needed to meet the formidable amount ma
turing the next day, offered him at about 10
per cent less than market value an invoice of
goods, amounting to $1,000, on credit of
ninety days, refusing to give such rare bar
gain for less than the whole quantity. B
knew that he could undersell his competitors,
and, the demand for that article being always
steady sell the whole quantity within ninety
days, realizing profit of at least 20 per cent,
thus not only meeting the note issued in
payment, but also reducing other liabilities to
the extent of $400.
He at once seized SO favorable an opportu-
nifty inwardly remarking, when A accuses
me of having materially augmented our lia-
bilities, contrary to our express understand
ing will offer to bet that so far from increasing
them, that transaction reduced their aggregate,
since, without absorbing dime Of our oapi-
tai, it contributed no uncomfortable sum to-
wards meeting other liabilities" The next
day B concluded to take stroll among his
competitors, c & d, Z & F and G & 81, and
noticed with amazement that they employed
30 many statesmen and had such throngs of
customers.
Seeing in @ & DIS store gentleman who
had been induced by the offer Of q more lib.
eral salary to leave A & B, he inquired
whether trade was not unusually active that
day, and whether he did not deem so large
staff of statesmen an extravagant outlay, re-
marking, ''Our store has not once presented
half such an array of customers" 81 was
aware Of that" the clerk replied, "since l
could name several of your former customers
Who now patronize us, because they say they
have become disguised with your mode of
conducting business, having repeatedly been
compelled, on account of the limited supply
of statesmen, to wait a considerable time be-
fore being served; and. after waiting, receiv-
ing the attention of green hand, from whom
they learned that your stock lacked two,
three, four or more of the articles they de-
sired.
Gas to the statesmen, we have not one more
than We need in order to show customers
that we appreciate the privilege of enjoying
their patronage, and are unwilling to subject
them to any kind of Inconvenience But the
chief reason why We daily have such crowds
of customers is, that it has long been our
practice to keep before the eyes of the peo-
pie, through the columns of the newspapers,
conspicuous notices of the immense variety
of goods always obtainable at our store, and
at prices which they will deem as satisfac-
tory as those demanded by any Of our COM
petitors."
B rendered his thanks for such valuable in