The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-06
RICH MEMS OLD SHOES.
Forgetfulness Which Brings Money to the
Pockets of the Cobbler.

NO-SSSAuLAGoS n8Cn brings money TO Cl0
Pockets of the Cobbler.
New York Times.
Yes, Ill take those shoes, said a corpulent
old gentleman to a lower Broadway shoe dealer,
one day last week, ''and Ill leave these have
on to be repaired
Have EN- half soledl' asked the merchant.
Yes, and heeled, to. They are worth it, l
guess
When will you call for them?r INQUIRED the
dealer, as he marked the directions in chalk
hieroglyphics on the soles.
"Oh, any time will do. I'm in no hurry for
them, I'll stop in and get them some time when
I'm passing here"
After stopping a moment in front of a pier
glass to admire the shape of his new purchase
the old gentleman walked creakily out of the
door and in a moment later was lost to view in
the crowd of pedestrians on the street.
DO you think that old gentleman will ever
call for thosel7 asked the merchant of a prospect
i've customer who was warming one end Of the
sofa.
g guess so. He looks as if he was able to pay
for them when the work is done.n
That is not the question continued the
dealer. He is able to buy half a dozen shoe
stores and keep them for his own custom. He is
the president ofthe bank on the next corner. OF
course he can pay for them, but do you think he
will ever remember to call for themlp
Il don't know. An old business man is gem
orally supposed to remember anything he orders
DONE"
THAT may be a general rule, but the shoe
store order is an exception, Ill bet ten to one
that he will never mention those shoes again
Then you won't repair them until after they
are called forl"
Indeed. l will. Suppose he should happen to
send for them next week. If they weren't done
l should lose his custom. Bankers always ex-
pect their taiors and to be prompt
What will you dog inquired the young man,
who was now interested in discovering how the
dealer was to escape from his apparent di-
lemma.
Il shall do as l have done before with him
three times a year for the past twenty years. l
Will repair them as soon as the cobbler gets spare
time. Then I'll put them away until he comes
in to buy a new pair. If he doesn't mention
them, then ] will sell them. You see they are
not half worn out, and as they were originally
made of the finest kind of stock, they will be
worth fully half price when they are once put
in first-class condition. Come here, and
I'll show you" continued the merchant,
as he led the customer to the rear of the store,
where a series of pigeon holes covered one entire
end of the room. Every one of those holes
contains a pair of shoes or boots left here to be
repaired. These are carefully looked over every
few weeks, and those that have been here six
months are put in these lower shelves to be sold
again. A great many times, he continued,
young men leave their boots and never call for
them. Perhaps they can't raise the money;
maybe they forget where they leftthem, but usu-
ally they don't need them until their new boots
are worn out. Then when they call we tell
them it has been SO long they have been sold.
What proportion of shoes left here are ever
called for4'
About three-quarters, / can sell you a nice
pair of secondhand shoes for half price that will
just suit you. They were worn by one of the
richest young men in New York. / made them
myself. and they are as good as new. What size
do you wearFf
But the young mar was not proud if he was
poor, and preferred a cheaper pair of new goods,
and thereby probably missed the only chance he
will ever have of stepping into a rich mans
shoes.