Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-09-15
SEVEN KEYS TO A SAFE.

SEVEN KEYS TO A SAFE.
Il tell you what" l said, II shan't
come for the account any more.
This makes six times / have called
for that four hundred and seventy
dollars, and shall put it in my law
yer's hands"
"No, no; quite rightee you, sabbee.
Pay dollar all soon. Cell again"
was reminded of all this by see
ing the Chinese Ambassadors the
other day, and it carried me back to
San Francisco full five years ago,
where was dealing largely in vari-
Gus commodities which were much af-
fected by the Heathen Chinee.
1 found them a patient, civil, in
dustlious class of people, ready to
bargain and get things as cheaply as
possible; but scrupulously honest
and ready to pay with the greatest
promptitude as long as l dealt with
one man. When / had to do the
work with partnership concern, it
was a terrible matter.
For instance, had trusted one 6rm
to the amount of five hundred dollars
and no money was forthcoming.
/ bullied iAy collector terribly, for
he alw ays came back with an excuse
instead of money, and the same tale,
that the firm was perfectly honest
and trustworthy, and that the money
would be paid.
Then, why don't they pay. john
sonp l exclaimed.
81 wish you would give them call
yourself, SIR" said johnson.
And / said would, and did, going
to the Honger Mercantile Company
seven times, and always being put
off.
It was always the same; they were
perfectly willing to pay, and messen-
gers were sent, but to return, some
times with one, sometimes with two,
or even three or four of the firm; but
when these Chinese Spenlows
proffered themselves as ready to pay,
there was always an obstacle in the
way, in the shape of the absence OF
that Heathen Chinese.
At last / expressed myself as have
said at the beginning of this story,
and was gong out of the place when
a smiling Chinaman came up to me,
and, holding his head on one side, he
exclaimed:-
"lngly Hong man, come again to-
morrow. Payee them all-payee eb
berry dollar, oh, ciss."
swell, look here" l said. II will
come in kere tomorrow, at eleven
o'clock, and shall expect to be-"
"Oh, ciss, payee all dollar. Give
long. big order, lot. Goodee thousand
dollar"
"I'll talk about taking your order,
my Chinese friend, when you pay for
the last" l said gruffiy, and l went
away.
"The fellow looks honest" 1 said
"but there's no trusting these foreign
ers. They take delight in tricking
an Englishman or Mclean man, as
they call it. Perhaps tomorrow,
when I go, they'll all have pulled up
stakes and gone east
It was with some satisfaction, then,
that on reaching their great shed
warehouse, the next morning, l found
Mr.. Pigtail, in his long blue gown
and bland smile standing at the door,
ready to salute me with a dose of
pigeon English, which could hardly
understand.
"Well, Mr.. All Rec" said. as I
followed him into the bale-crowded
warehouse, which certainly looked as
prosperous as the great iron safe in
the corner was substantial--"well,
AR. All Rec, / hope you are prepared
to pay my little account this morn
ing"
"Ciss, ciss-readee payee,', he said.
And placing a wicker chair for me.
he went off aud dispatched a couple
of messengers, with urgent orders in
his barbarian tongue, to each. This
looked bad, for it was only repeti-
tion OF the tactics followed on former
occasions--tactics which always re-
suited in a put-off. I looked terribly
gruff; but Mr.. All Rec, who was the
senior partner, smiled and rubbed his
hands as he beckoned me to follow
him into the farther parts OF the
warehouse, and then showed me
specimens OF silks and sample teas,
with coarse Chinese pottery. "Well," "
I said to myself, growing a little
more easy in my mind, "there's plenty
to seize. at all events"
The result was that after my bland
friend had talked to me for about q
quarter of an hour, / booked thous-
and dollar order for what an English
man would call sundries.
ssThere," said ], closing my book
with a slap, atbis order shall be ex-