Morris tribune., 1884-01-16
Eli Perkins.

Melville D. Landon, eli Perkins)
lectured in Phoenix Hall last Monday
evening under the auspices of the
Morris Silver Cornet Band. For Eli
Perkins the audience was small one
and the band lost money by engaging
the famous gentleman to speak here
Those present enjoyed the lecture
however. The Philosophy of Fun"
was well explained and enough OF
practical fun interspersed to keep the
audience in at least an amiable mood
The speaker showed how deformities
are conducive to laughter. deformities
of grammar, rhetoric, logic, truth,
and illustrated each point with an apt
story peculiar to himself, so that his
lecture had nothing OF the mopotonus
about it unless it was that in the num-
Der of his laughable jokes there was a
monotony of fun. His lecture was
not all laugh though there was great
deal in it that Was instructive, es-
pecially to-the-lawyers from-Ben-
son with whom, on account of their
reputation for. truth and veracity
Eli seemed to entertain fellow
feeling.
The position occupied by COM
mercial agency is an important one.
It should be careful to have none but
thoroughly reliable reporters and can
not be too cautious in its important
work. Recent events have shown the
agencies of Bradstreet and of 3. G..
Dunn & Co. to be capable of serious
blunders. Reports have been given
out from these offices unfavorable to
the credit and Standing of some of
the principal business men OF Morris,
These damaging reports or sinna mattel
with the resident reporter or reporters
from which fact it is evident that
their is snake in the grass of Morris
financial circles somewhere. Who
the guilty party, or parties, are we
do not know. We hope that time
will reveal them. 1t would afford
us great deal Of pleasure to locate
the perpetrators of such yillinous
piece of work so that the indignation
of an out ragged community may rest
squarely upon them.
The effect upon business men of a
false report can readily be understood.
The local reporter may report some
firm as being insolvent.
The report may be lie, but Broad
street or r. G. Dunn & Co. may think
their agent reliable and Immediately
scatter the report, Surprising the
agency to be correct all wholesale
dealers, bankers or others having
claims against the reported firm due
perhaps in thirty, sixty or ninty days
become alarmed and make rush to Sc
cuse their claim before everything is
taken by other creditors. The result
is that the firm is compelled to pay all
liabilities at once whether due or not
which but few firms are able to do.
There may be a profitable business,
accounts numerous and of ample pro-
portions coming due rapidly enough
to more than meet all his bills it paid
as agreed upon when the debts are
contracted but still the immediate
payment of bills may be impossible
and the firm may be compelled to az
low their stock to pass into the hands
of the sheriff.
We repeat that commercial agencies
can not be too careful, Results are
too disastrous and far reaching for re-
ports to be carelessly made and where
| injury is done the agencies should be
held legally responsible. OF local
reporter who will use his position to
injure one Of his business associates
by false reports little need be said.
He is beneath contempt. A man who
through spite or hope Of future gain
will deliberately seek to ruin tile
business and credit Of another is a
| financial assassin who can delight in
| the misfortunes of others and is about
as near the verge of total deprayity
as 1t is possible to get.