Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-11-06

very high figure, $65.SO. l did not fee
justified in paying such an amount 70
q single autograph. Moreover, learn
ed, through confidential sources. tia
the particular autograph he was anxi
Gus to sell me was not in high demand
among autograph hunters, aud hopet
it would come down little.
But it didn't. received one day
violent and abusive letter from til,
merchant, in which he accused me o
intending to iefraud and swindle him
said that l had entered my name upol
his valuable books for that purpose
and threatened all sorts of dire thing
II didn't come to taw and buy thai
autograph OF him. Then he. ono,
more called me swindler, and signed
himself, "Yours respectfully
l hustled around. my boy, for thu
next week or two. to get thai autograph
l wrote until my fingers were numt
and was ink to the eyes. got the
| money-heaven knows how got sc
much money in two week in those days
I paid it over to that prominent mer.
chant, got his autograph on receipt.
ed bill, he thanked me graciously
and
The next day the hoary-headed old
cuss failed, aud paid his creditors thir.
ty-three cents on the dollar.
No wonder the old rascal signed him.
self "yours respectfully" when he cali.
ed me a swindler.
And here had gone and paid the old
gouge $65.80, when by his own rules
and prac ctice should have paid him
but $2l.93. He was just collecting ev-
cry cash cent on his books to salt away
before he swindled his creditors.
couldn't untlers tand it then, and l
don't understand it now, why thesmall
debtor should be deprived Of the priv
ileges that accrue to the big one. You
can't understand it either, my boy. 1t
is one of the profound mysteries of our
modern civilization. I sometimes wish
had the forty-four dollars I overpaid
that old wretch, and yet, don't sup
pose, at least hope it would not make
me happy. l think itmakes me much
happier to sit down and expose his ras-
cality and call him names in print.
But even that happiness is marred by
the thought that he doesn't care for
that. His creditors ca He'd him worse
names than can think of, and he real
ly did ME 10 wrong. 1t twas a just bill;
owed it; was in honor bound to pay
it and did pay it, one hundred cents
on the dollar, but what makes me mad
asa h2gaatseyeLx time think IL. IL.
was the old thief's virtuous indignass
ton when he was afraid he wasn't go-
ing to get my sixty.five dollars to fail
with. This also is vanity.
Well, the same thing happens i'm
this Christian land every day, my boy.
There is, so far as can see, as little
honor in commercial circles as there is
in politics. And then again, there is,
just as much. Tammany Hall is as
honest as Wall street. About the on5I
ly man who pays one hundred cents
on the dollar is the man who owes less
than q hundred dollars. And, If oc-
he pays on the dollar, he
has only learned his lesson from the
great commercial schools where theJ
small dealer sits at the feet of the great
operators and learns all the knavery1
and cunning he knows.
What l started out to say, my boy,
was this. If you are in debt, carry
calmly as the great houses do.
II you owe a merchant sixty five dol
ars, don't be in too big hurry to pay
t. Just let him sweat over it little
while, until you see how much he is
going to pay on his own debts. Then
you can pro rate with him. am
afraid that is the inference you have
already drawn from this rather ILL
latured reminiscence.
But, on second thought, dom: want
you to do that way. You want to re-
orm this great evil, do you not? Well,
the best way to bring about that re-
orn, is to walk up and pay that $65
you owe, just the first minute you can
collar the money. If you owe it to
'ascal, never mind, il is a just debt oud
your part, and you don't keep the con-
science of the '.assig gnment" operator.
You pay 100 cents on the dollar every |
time. Then by and by as you and
your neighbors do this, and teach your
,hildren SO to DO, there will arise
genera ton OF men in America who
will yay 100 cents OH the dollar. and /
Canada will become bowling wilder
ness, untenanted save by the wild
bear and the wolf, who will help the
howl. Bank cashiers will
sleep at home, and confidential clerks I
will spend their vacations in town, and |
, mans salary will pay for everything
ne gets. But the only way to bring
about this preparatory millennium, my |
BOY, Is tor you to pay that $65 when
1ou owe it, every cent of it. No mat
,er how much the other man owes nor
low little he pays. You pay your
1ebts, my dear boy. and will know +
1t least one man to whom I won't bel
afraid to loan money without collateral
or gilt-edged paper.
''And have quite forgiven the mer-t
chant against whom felt SO bitterly
because he collected just debt?"
Oh? That old fence? Well. no: 10