Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-15
MoNEY-MAkINo SCHEMES.
People Who by Giving Tips Manage to
sacnra Good Cnstomera.

Secure Good Customers.
tn he in the commission business is con-
sidered an honorable calling, but it has
come to pass that there is a class OF COM
mission men who are not only u nuisance
TO their employers, but they are AN
alcer on the nose Of honest dealing, quite
offensive.
at happens almost every week." said a
we'll known butcher, @that l am ap-
preached either by stewards OF private
families. hotels or steamboats,, who give
me to understand that for a quiet tip
once in a while they will turn their EN-
ployer's trade to my market"
Gwhat do you do?"
GIf l think the trade is worth having l
give the fee. Why not? Others do 1t, and
the only way l can fight 'em is with their
own weapons. Why, only the other day
I had the meat cook in n OF the largest
and most fashionable boarding houses IN
the city tell me that If / would give her D
per cent. commission she would bring me
the trade of the house, which probably
amounts to SO or SIS per week"
GAnd YOU didn't take the bid?'
mo; because l have reason to know that
she couldn't I'LL the contract"
The reporters next visit vas to n OF
the leading grocery stores in the city, and
when the object of his visit was made
known the proprietor remarked: Yes, L
hear of such things once in awhile. In
fact l kicked a great mealy- mouthed man
out OF my store one day last winter who
had informed me that unless l did the
square thing with him he would take his
EMPLOYERS trade to another store. l asked
him what he thought would be square, and
he replied that 1 ought to furnish him
with what groceries and canned goods
would be used by his family"
THAT was modest enough"
sYes, that was cheap, but didn't like
the cheek Of the fellow. These cases are
rare, but I'll tell you a system not so rare.
Cooks and stewards often make bargains
with butchers and grocers through the
drivers Of the delivery carts and wagons.
That's common, and I've even heard
where the drivers make quite a little COM
mission in this way"
Next a visit Was paid to a prosperous
carriage builder and repairer, who didn't
hesitate TO say that cOachmen and host
Iers tapped him for tips. only this after
noon a hOstler came in and asked me for
50 cents. | knew that he wanted it to get
q drink, but l gave it to him without
question, because | know he has the plac-
ing of the horseshoeing Of a man who
owns three horses"
"How about cOachmen?"
"Well a little over a year ago l sold a
carriage to a gentleman and got S425 for
it. True, | made the sale somewhat
through the influence of the Coachman,
and l would have been willing to pay him
a slight commission.
What did he demaud?"
ale called around and said he wanted
s25. / offered him so, and he appeared
insulted. Then l got mad, words fol-
lowed, and the meeting ended by my say
ing l would smash his nose"
Served him right"
"But that didn't end it. About a month
later the man who bought the carriage
came around and limited that / had
cheated him; that the wheels wouldn't
track and that it pulled a great deal
harder than when he first bought it. |
asked him to bring the buggy around to
the shop, and when he did so l took the
wheels off and found that the aXletree
had been w%renched, and by main force, so
that the wheel did not set squarely on 1t.
In this way friction had ground the axle
tree just where the box hits the shout
der"
"How do you know that it was done by
main forcei"
Because, suspectiug that, l told the
employer of the demand the coachman
had made on me, and he taxed the fellow
with it, at the same time charging him
with having bent the axle. Then the
man confessed. That's how l know
Detroit Free Press.