The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-10-16

TWO THOUSAND HIDES.
Hows commercial business in the
Indian Territory Z a gentleman asked
of Colonel Bill Mulev.
Well, it wasn't very encouraging
when left there.
When do you expect to return?
l don't think / shall 90 hack. q.
Did you cell out your stock?
Well. III tell you how the whole
thing was. You see, 1 was told that
the Indian Territory was tie best
place in world to start q country store
A prominent man told me that if /
would only 90 up there with lot Of
red calico and a few pecks
of brass earrings and q
general assortment of trinkets,
that I could soon get rich. took
his advice, confound him, and invest
ed all the money possessed as he d.
rected. l built log cabin in the
woods near a road and opened up my
stock. I had secured permit to car
~ on business and / felt assured that
l would have q thriving trade. My
adviser lived short distance away.
and would occasionally come over and
give me advice. Iremained two weeks
and not a single Indian did l see.
Where is my trade to come from :?
I asked of my friend.
Oh, it will come along after awhile.
You see, the busy season hasn't opened
yet.
I changed my goods around to keep
myself employed. Two more weeks
passed and not a single customer. l
went again to my friend and express
ed some little dissatisfaction.
You are the most impatient fellow
I ever saw he said. Didn't I tell
you that the busy season had not
opened I?
Yes. you told me that.
And it hasn't opened
/ believe not.
There you see, I have told you the
truth. When q man tells you the
truth stick to him.
/ went away and changed my
goods around. Two more weeks
passed. Not q single customere.
Look here, l said to my friend one
day. / don't believe that there are
any Indians in this blasted neighbor-
hood.
see you are still impatient, but
the busy season will soon be here.
Then you will be glad that you took
my advice. The Indians are q pecu-
liar people. You must gain their con-
fidence before ysu can secure their
trade.
But how the duece am to gain
their confidence when havn>t seen
any of them?
Havn': you got drummer out :?
No. You never said anything TO
me about q drummer
l hope you don't expect to rely
solely on me. 1 thought you we're a
business msu. NV son is an excellent
drummer and you'd better send him
among the tribes. 1t won't do for
you to 60 yourself, for the Indians are
peculiar people. An active time is
in store for you when the busy season
opens.
Il employed my friends son and
sent him out. After an absence Of
about two weeks he returned with the
information that Long Horn, the chief.
would visit me and do the trading for
his tribe.
The business season is opening.
said my friend. when the chief
comes he will offer you deer hides for
your stock. / will pay you handsome
ly for every deer hide you bring me.
and by that means business will boom
Don't he anyways backward in de-
mapding large number of hides, for.
as you have gained the old chiefs
confidence, you can work him with
great freedom. He will not bring the
hides with him, but trust to his honesty
and everything will be all right The
business season, we may now conclude,
has fairly opened.
The opening of the business sea-
son was to me very much like the
opening of a century plant, but l
could not refrain from congratulating
myself on my success At last the |
old chief came, attended with FIVE
young Indians with ponies. He look
ed at my stock and asked the price.
l was not modest. / told him that l |
would take 1000 deer hides. He
agreed and told me that he would
-;.o 80. &ho h;doa and that .,,,,eA