Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-02-02

| times the principals useu 10 examine gOOus
for themselves. must have stood between
the light Mr.. Astor, for he turned on me,
saying, well, my young man, what is it
| can do for you ~ He had very slight
German accent, and would occasionally mix
BIS and p's and d's.
at is only few beavers | want Mr..
Astor," said.
Only few beavers you want, and pray
who are you -
l told him the name of my house. To my
surprise Mr.. Astor said "0h, | knows
you /; thought you would come round to
trade sometimes. You are a beginner. |
knew your fadder-honest man. You larnt
your business in London with -, a
good house, and mostly turned out smart
young men. Well. my boy, here is beavers.
Make your choice. How many do you
want? Price ;S5 n pound and not a cent
less. This pack runs even right through
made selection of beaver pelts. though |
did not really want them. Astor helped me
to examine the skins, and bought at about
the market rate, some 800 pounds.
This is all you want nothing else?'' Mr..
Astor asked.
Nothing clse,' isaid in IN indeifernt
way, but | added 81 might take just a
few otters if could buy them right
knew Astor was loaded with them.
"Oh, offers? Well has a lot, a big lot,
but amt willing to divide them. There
may be as many as 200. Too big for you
to handle, my boy"
They are very dull Of sale, and | would
be most afraid to take anything like such
big lot. You wouldn't divide the lot into
two, would you, Mr.. Astor ?"
''ln two, what halve them? That's
fair lot anyhow
"Yas it is big lot, seeing how slow they
are of sale"
SLOW! Suppose if they were slow, and
you didn't know what to do with them,
would you buy them? See here if you want
half the lot you will have to pay more for
them. My price is for the whole of them
three dollars skin; if you divide them it
will be quaner Of dollar more. Now young
man am busy. It's too big a line for you.
The clerk will make out your bill'
81 think would like to look at the run
of the skins " | said.
"Well, then, all right: my porter will
sort them, and call here Tomorrow. and you
can see how they turn out" said Mr. Astor
Now, to have delayed the purchase day or
more, would never have answered. A Lon
don packet might come in that afternoon,
and the next morning the news of rise in
the fur market might have prevented my
buying the turs at any figures.
II cannot conveniently wait over TODAY
| must be off to Philadelphia by noon to- NOR
row. If you will give me a couple of men
will examine those furs myself
why. my boy, it will be night before We
are through, and the sun goes down early
now. All right, though: will give you
two men. The skins are up stairs, and you
can work on them-yOu say G o'clock ,
will be here and you can say yes or no.
At work l went, and, getting through the
examination as fastas could-by Go'clcck
had only half assorted the otter skins
At O'Clock, punctually, Mr. Astor came
up stairs.
81 am not half through" | said, "Mr
Astor, now, from what have seen, should
make the run ofthe skins pretty much as fol-
lows twenty-five rer cent. prime skins, 40
per cent. seconds 90 per cent. thirds and the
remainder damaged.
NO" said Mr.. Astor there are some
bales you haven't looked through which be-
longed to the lot, which would make the
poor skins something like % per cent. But,
as you want to divide, I'll make up fair
average. You are good worker. | likes
to see young people work but want nv
supper-what you say? You takes $500
skins at s.. 50?"
The skins were cheap at that and within
nv limit. Now for good stroke of business.
| thought to myself
81 tell you what | will do sir, | will give
dOllars nd l.
lot.'
80 so my boy, with fifteen hundred
dollars OF bever and all them otters, tnat
makes most twenty thousand dollars
And four months credit, added.
-Four months credit and most twenty
thousand dollars So You go fast for
young man." And here Mr.. Astor looked
Inc square in the face. "lou are married ,"
he asked.
Yes. Mr.. Astor, 50 | replied with smile
Babies p
"Ies, sir-two''
Any more eIpected?''
II am sure don't know" answered,
rather losing patience.
"A big family for young man You
| spend all you make?'
mo. SIR
wife wear fedders in Eer hat big -leeye>,
| give barties ?''
"fes. sir, she wears feathers wher they
are in fashion. and gives party when she
thinks her husband can afford 1t.
80 | did business with your iadder
many years ago. lie was an honest man 1t
IS risk. T~o seventy-fye for lot of skins
worth three dollars You wait now, and he
took bit of chalk and made some figures on
the lid of a black desk. | remember his fig
ures to this day. Young man. said Mr..
Astor, you say two dollars and eighty cents,
| and you promise nc your word of honor that
you never tells nobody that John Jacob As
tor WAS fool enough to trust n young mar
boy, though he has two labies-wlth TWEEN
ty thousand dollars worth of goods"
That speech Of the old man made me mad
81 don't want your goods Mr. Astor," |
said, 81 don't want any body to sell INC goods
| as a favor"
"What You show your temper because
| put Eve cents more ON the SKINS? Here
my boy, you lust show me that the son is ss
honest as the fadder, and | tell you sume-
things-yOur old man, long before you was
born trust me once in London with $50. You
90 now time for my supper"
"You will pack the goods in good hogs
heads ?"
"Yes, yes everything. You as me to
pay freight on them next, and 9 uaranteo
profits suppose. Now 60 away that is
enough trading for to-day. You have your
bill tO-morrow.-Anything more you want"
"Ycs, Mr.. Astor, nineteen thousand seven
hunderd dollars worth Of notes payable il
almost too much for young house like mine
| IN mt out Mt one time -