Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-10-28
CITY DEAD BEATS.
How They Manage to Live Elegantly ON
Nothing Year.

."Are you aware that many men in
Brooklyn live wholly by their witsP"
asked an uptown grocer of a reporter.
'.NoP could name dozen heads of
families who for years have not had
dollar which they could call their own,
but yet they live in brown stone houses
and on the best the land affords. When
say that the class of men / mention
live by their wits, l don't mean that
they are gamblers or sharpers, as the
term implies. They are men who, hay-
ing seen better days and becoming re-
duced, think that the world owes them
a living, and mean to get it. | have
reference to that class who move year
ly, if not oftener, and strike all trades
men in their neighborhood for amounts
ranging from twenty-five to three hun
dred dollars. Would you believe that a
man could support family of five for
six years wholly on creditp / know
such a case and have reason TO regret
my acquaintance with the individual to
the tune of two hundred dollars. About
year ago there entered my store gen.
tleman, we'll dressed and seemingly re-
spectacle. lie bought small bill OF
goods, paying cash, and continued to
purchase daily for week. Finally,
one day he said it was bore to pay
each time, and would allow him to
run a weekly bill? / readily
consented to this arrangement, and,
strange to say, at the end of the first
week every thing was settled promptly.
am now coming to the interesting
part of nv story. On sending in bill
for the groceries furnished during the
second week / was asked if | could not
let the account run by the month.
Again ! consented, to oblige my Gus
toner. / leave my business at certain
periods of the month entirly in the
hands of my clerk, and as he knew |
had consented to run amonthly account
with my respectable customer he
thought nothing of the fact that that in
dividual had in three weeks ordered
three barrels of flour and other gro
ceries in proportion. At the end of the
month presented my bill of two hun
dred dollars, but was put off from time
to time, and, becoming tired, entered
suit to recover the amount"
"You received verdict of course?"
"Yes; but the execution was returned
unsatisiied My customer owned
nothing. Every stick of furniture in
his elegantly appointed house was in
the name of his wife. Two weeks ago
! had the pleasure of seeing two barrels
of my best flour, three or four barrels
of potatoes and many other articles
which originally belonged to me loaded
on a truck in front of my late custom.
er's house. He had neglected to pay
the landlord four months rent, and was
required to get out. On inquiry
learned that the same aged and respect
able gentleman had fleeced other trades
men in the vicinity for amounts some
what smaller than mine. On pursuing
the investigation further learned tha
my late customer had moved five time
in three years and had left large bills il
each neighborhood in which he hat
lived. have only mentioned the cas-
to illustrate how Systematically the deaf
beat works"
'Is there no way in which tradesmel
can avoid being beatenp" was asked.
"Yes; but one-the cash system. Bu
still it is impossible to make every on
pay cash. Many of my old customer
would be highly indignantif their honest
was questioned and l would lose tn
larger part of my business. Oh, no
the cash system is impracticable. 70
many reasons. There are black lists
but when dead beats change their name
what is man to doe lcontend that
,, man is thoroughly dishonest he viii
have ample opportunity to practice hi
wiles. !"
, care not many honest customers VIII
pay obliged to suffer for the shortcom
ings of dead beatsP"
'In measure, yes. If everybod
paid have no doubt but that grocerie
, would be cheaper. Grocers must max
up their bad debts in some way, and tn
! honest customer in the end is obliged
suffer. Rrook,yn Eagle.