The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-04-24
PREYING ON THEIR FRIENDS.
Men Who Live by Borrowing-Types of
the Class,


the Glass.
There are borrowers and borrowe is
and from the mildest to the aggressive,
unblushing, and Unsuitable type Of this
species of human parasite there is prob
ably no class of people on earth more
universally stunned and detested.
There is no limit to the inveterate bor-
rower's assurance. He will borrow his
best friends last dollar, and his con-
science-if he has one-seems never to
rebuke him for it.
The chronic borrower of the worst
type cannot be more forcibly delineated
than he is in the character of Narcisse,
the handsome young Creole who figures
so prominently in George W. Cables
novel, "Dr. SEWER" This type of the
borrower never repays, and never really
intends to, although the sophistry of
his nature is so much master of him
that in assuring his victim he will GER
tainly refund the amount borrowed he
can almost make himself believe such is
actually his intention.
Narcisse represents that type of the
borrower who is utterly selfish, yet who
manages, through an affected artless-
ness which is almost natural, to make it
appear that he is the most benevolent
and kindly disposed person in the world.
Assuming always the attitude of a
chosen friend, he is not to be repulsed
except by downright insult. His chief
weapon is fattery, and his favorite vic
tim one who can resist it no more than
he can summon the courage to meet re-
peated advances by blank refusal.
The young man on small salary
whose tastes are more fastidious than
those Of many millionaire invariably
parts with his weekly OF monthly sti-
pend considerably in advance of its re-
ceipt. He bridges over his pecuniary
chasms by borrowing of his friends and
fellow employees. There is nothing
mean about this kind Of a borrower.
He despises a penurious man above all
others, but then penurious men are
never borrowers, and, while abundantly
able, they are seldom known to lend
The borrowing clerk or other employee
confines his patronage to one victim at
time. First he borrows quarter to get
his lunch, and repays it with scrupulous
promptness. He repeats the process at
frequent intervals and while increasing
his demands from 25 cents up to twice
or three times that, does not fail to re-
fund the amount according to agree
ment. Then he gives his victim a
breathing-spen while he commences
preliminary proceedings with fresh
unfortunate Selecting now favorable
time and place he returns to his first
friend and unbosoms himself in burst
of confidence not to be resisted. He
must have $40 or he is ruined, and ey
plains the whole matter so plausibly
that the lender cannot refuse him. Hav
ing been in the past always promptly
repaid he has no reason for refusing, so
he hands over the half of his weeks sal
airy and sees the last of it. The bor-
rover, with cool hardihood, which
does not exist elsewhere, studies to give
the impression that he has forgotten
all. about his obligation, and the lender
is too proud to remind him of it.
There is one type of the chronic bor-
rover whose frank, open-hearted man.
ner is simply marvellous. It is his stock
in trade. He will slap you on the back
in the friendliest manner in the world,
and, looking you smilingly in the face,
will say: "You haven't got couple of
dollars about you, my dear fellow, have
you? I declare, I forgot my pocket
book this morning, and am completely
strapped"
OF course he gets the couple Of dol
lars, and you may be certain you'll new
er see it again. Every day for weeks.
perhaps months, the borrower, if he
sees you across the street, will come
over purposely to say: "Well, I de-
clare, I forgot all about that little mat
ter this morning.; what bore, to be
sure" You agree with him heartily as
to the last clause in his remark, but po-
itely request him not to mention it..
Finally your GOODNESS somewhat dis
courages him, and he, too, like every
member of his class, makes it conven-
lent to forget all about the matter.
Then there is your distant relative, or
the man who once did you some small
favor. He is as susceptible to insult as
he is lazy and shiftless. As employer
after employer discharges him for inso-
lence, arrogance or inter incapacity, or
as he voluntarily quits work in order to
maintain his cheap dignity, he comes to
you to keep him out of the gutter, to
brace him up and get him another stu
alton. The longer you pay for. his
board and clothes the more he is willing
to let you, and the easier is he insulted
by his successive employers, who do not
recognize his title to an assumption of
dignity which so overbalances his actual
usefulness. @'----, 49,. ..
These are some borrowers, but their
name is legion and their methods count
less. 80 ~. I, a> ~