The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-07-24
GOING TO THE DOCS.

GOING TO the DOCS.
~I received your bill to-day, Mr., LIE onr
ard" said customer, as ne entered the
shop of a,master meebahio. A.s'
-afT e are sending out all our accounts
! at this season, )" returned'the mechanic,
bOwing. "-' ". o. t'7'
81 want to pay you." coca
ssVer.f veil, Mr.. Baker; we ore always
glad to gatmOReyp aH
,,But YOU must throw off something.
Let ME see"-s.pd the customer drew
| out the bill-"S27 46. SIS will do. Taere,
\ receipt the bill, and / will pay youp
4 But Leonard shook mis- head. .s.a
/ i can't deduct a cent. from the bill,
slF. Baker: Every article charged is al
/ our regular price,"
"Qn yes, you can. just make it S25
4 even money. Here it is"
/ And Baker counted out the cash.
81 am sorry, Dir. Baker, | can not af-
4 ford to deduct anything. II you had
4 owed me only $25. your bill would have
4 been Just that amount. l would not
.!haye added a cent beyond what is due,
il-nor can i take any thing less than my
4 due" 1----H
Then you'll not deduct the odd
moneyr' l..
/ 81 can mol, lnUeeQs"
/ every we'll" the manner of the Gus
toner was changed. tie vas evidently
offended. ''rhe bill is too high by Just
i the sum l asked to have stricken off.
H But, 40 matter, can pay it," f-t.#
"Then you mean to ipsinuate," said
i the mechanic, VINO was an Independent
i sort OF a man, shat am cheating you
-iout OF two dollars and forty.siX cents p
II 81 didn't say so." -
Il ssBut 1t is plain that you think so. or
YOU wouldn't have asked an abateme MT
Ii you consider my charges just you
wouldn't dispute them"
son, never mind! never mind! Wen
i not waste words about it. Here's your
| money" said Mr.. Baker, and he added
another five dollar bin to thesum he mad
llaid down. The mechanic receipted the
account and gave the change, both OF
pocket with a petulaat air, and tine n
turned away and left the shop without
another word.
4 .sIt,s the last bill he viii ever have
against me" muttered Baker 60 himself
| az he walked away. "If that is his HsaIa-
| ner Of treating customers he'll soon 60
TO the dogs. 1t was downright insulting,
/ and no gentleman will stand that iron
| another, much less from o vulgar me-
| ehanle. M can to insinuate 7 II umphl Yes,
l did mean TO insinuatep and Mt. BAKER.
/ inyoluntarily quickened hFs pace. Hell
4 lose good customer" he continued to
himself. Il have paid him great deal
lof money, but it's the last dollar OF mine
he'll ever handle"
Baker was as good as his word. He
n Withdrew his custom from the offending
mechanic and tnen gave II to another.
81 have one OF your old customers,
} Leonard" said friend in the same busi
ness to the mechanic, some six or eighi
months atterward.
"Ahl who is it5"
oBaker."
/ Leonard shrugged hts shoulders.
|, aHow came you TO lose bimr
sI'M tell you how To keep him."
"Well, howP'
"If your bill amounts to thirty dollars
: make it thirty three and a few odd cent,
by increasing some OF the items. HI
| viii want the surplus Knocked of, whiei
YOU can afford TO do; then he will pay Il
3 aud think you Just the man for him.
II aYou lost him, then, because 70,
woufdlt abate anything from tru,
biilp
81 did"
d "rhank you. But suppose nay BIZ
4, shoaid be tweHty-sIx or seven or eight
what thenf / couldn't knock of tn
odd dollars for the purpose Of maxim,
: an even SUM-"
Il "No. In that ease you nnust add Of
luntil you get above thirty"
sand fall back on that.o
1i "Yes. 1t viii be knocking on odi
y | doilafs, which he will mink clear Jain !,
D ssfnat would be hardly honest.s
ssiiatdis. But you must do it, or los,
: his custom some other day.o
ell Il shall have to accommodate him.
al suppose. II he will be cheated, it can,
ii be helped"
On lhe very first bill Baker paid to hi
4 new tradesman, he obtained an abate
I'll ment Of one dollar and ninety cents ode
money, but actually paid three dollar
more than was justly due. Sill he wa
I we'll nign satisfied, Imagining he ha,
al made saving Of one dollar and ninet,
: Icents. The mos over-scFe pulous trades
Imam laughed in his sleeve and kept hi
customer.
ii Having withdrawn his support from
Leonard, it was the candid opinion O
M. Baker thai he was going to ID,
Il dsgs,p rs he expressed it, about as fas
as man could go. He often passed thl
! shop, but rarely saw customer.
"No wOpaer1D be would say 10 himself
"a man like him cans expect and don't
deserve custom"
Il In the eyes Of Mr.. Baker, the yer,
grass seemed to grew atsR the pave
: ment before the door Of the declinin
lraaesEaan, Dust settled tbiekly in bi
window, and The old sign turned grave
/ and grayer III the bIeacning air.
Il "G0ing 10 the dogs. slld NO wonder,
, Baker would say to himself as he wen
by. He appeared TO take strange In
teTest in watching the gradual decay Q
the mechanics fortunes. One day
I mercantile friend said 10 him:
: .Do you know anything about thi
1 Le0nardp E
rWhyr asked Baker.
I, "Because he wants to make prett
Ilarge bill with me-"
"0n tlme!"
III sYes, on the usual credit OF 81
l months"
II "Don't sell to him. Why, the man
a going to the dogs at railroad speed"
sfndeeup
"Yes; 1 am looking every day to 50