Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-06-24
WHAT WAS HIS BUSINESS
The Traveller Who Puzzled and Entertained
His journalistic Companion.
Chicago Herald

= "DA hAAbMH JOUR ilhllHl % t4ilo CITY
relates the following interesting expert
ence:
Returning from New York on d limited
express train few days ago I was at
tracted by a gentleman who occupied the
section adjoining mine in the sleeping
car. An earnest and cheerful man. in the
vigor Of sound mental and bodily health,
clear Of thought, ready in conversation
and attentive yet hearty in manner, he was
soon on pleasant terms with nearly every
one of his travelling companions and was
not long in becoming evidently wen liked
by all. Having, almost without knowing
how, confessed myself newspaper ms
to him, ii occurred to me that il wou d
only be a fair restoration of the equiii-
brium of information to learn his calling.
So at the first convenient chance | said
squarely
"You haven't told me yet what business
you are in"
He smiled good-naturedly and replied:
II am not usually slow in making my oc-
cupation known, but this time I'll let let
you try your skill at guessing"
IAN right, | said, give me a cine"
Certainly" he answered, Il am en-
gagged in helping people save money"
Try me with something hard" | ans
wered confidently; you are engaged with
a savings bank"
Not at all, said he, savings banks
are excellent institutions, but I have moth
ing to do with them. / am in business
in which poor man, if he invests with
me, cannot pull out his earnings if the
whim seizes him to do so after a time.
and dissipate the same to his family's det-
riment. / undertake particularly to aid
his family"
Then you are an officer of SOME organ
lied charity" | said.
"Oh, no. was his half-amused reply,
men who do business with me are lifted
wholly above the degradation of becom-
ing objects of charity. The humblest Of
my customers can, even in DYING mo-
ments. know that those whom he has sup
ported in life are by his own efforts left
independent of benevolent assistance"
You seem to deal mainly with the
poor3' / questioned while cudgeliug my
brain for some further hint as TO his as
ISOLATION.
BY no means" he promptly replied.
~ hold myself and my business to be of
the most positive value to people of mod
crate means salaried men, and others.
while the richest men in the country are
always my Surest patrons
you are Fortunate ] said, perhaps
d little yexed at my obtusenss, lin being
able TO serve all classes to satisfactorily.
You must have a sound financial back
ing;'
well, yes" he said, plainly enjoying
my justification. There j. wealth
enough on hand in my business to pay
the entire national debt 1t is not All in
one organization. but as they are conduct
ed upon the same general principles | am
justified in claiming them all to some ex-
tent. But the particular institution I rep
resent has alone more money than the
capital of any bank in the country.
There are others with more and others
with less, but each has enough to spare
to ill all contracts with its customers"
"You say that rich men are among
your best patrons" said Perhaps
You are a capitalist OF representative of
capitaists;'
II represent capital, and plenty of it,"
said he, although it is money actually be
longing to the customers themselves. But
You do not yet scent my relations with
the wealthy classes. Let me be palmer.
| help rich men build up and often create
TO valuable estates
You cannot he a lawyer, I unused
aloud. "They only help settle estates
after man passes away, except when
they help contesting heirs TO unsettle
them. But what does a rich man need
anyway of that which he already possess
es? He has an estate; why should he re-
quire you to furnish him one:'
''The possible misfortunes of business
answered the gentleman more seriously,
ARE known to every sensible man III the
world of trade The more successful a
man may be in commerce, manufacture
or finance, the more he sees and appreci-
ates the chances of disaster TO all his
prospects. The very intelligence which
has made him man of present ample
means teaches him that the future Is full
of uncertainties by which a part or all of
his possessions may disappear"
And your business Is 10 make good the
loss:' ] asked duhionsly.
"Oh, no, my business is 10 have furn-
izhou him the certainty of receiving
good ronnd sum of money after term
of years. o. of furnishing the same as an
estate 20 his heirs. an estate which inter
vening business disaster cannot impair
and which even those lawyers you referred
to cannot unsettle. give him am estate
which goes straight, and in Il lump, at
once to those for whom he intends it,
Yours should be a popular and an easy
calling [ said. Il presume you all have
to do is to sit in your Office making ar
raugemeuts with swarms of applicants.
with policemen, perhaps. to keep the
crowd in line and see that the rush does
not oyerpower you;'
TO the contrary" he answered II have
to visit either in person or by some of
my assistants almost every man with
whom / do business. | am obliged 70 seek
him an his office. store, or home. Every
man with whom / have dealings admits
the value and importance of concluding
am agreement with me- and every man
who has accepted what | have to sell is
ylad ne did So. while his family feels and
talks the same way. Yet he has almost
invariably concluded the contract after
more or less urgent solicitation On my
part"
Its an interesting phase of human
pervorsity" I said, "that you should have
what all seem TO want and are pleased to
have obtained. yet which few. if any,