davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01
DISCOUNTING BILLS.
An Old Merchant Tells How He Makes
His business Profitable.

His Business Profitable.
81 make it rule to discount my
bills in thirty days." said awell-known
retail merchant in Northern Ohio, who
recently was in this market buying
goods. MY discounts add consider
ably to my profits in the course of a
year. buy oftener and smaller bills
than under the old system of purchas-
ing new goods only twice a year, spring
and fall. Prompt paying has caused
me to buy with more caution and iudg-
ment.
II carefully make out memorandum
of what | W ant and adhere to it. | try
to take no chances on the goods | in
tend to pay cash down for. or inside of
a month. l buy the goods that please
myself and my trade, and not what
pleases the jobber or the salesman to
sell me. l ask no favors in the way of
credit, and am therefore independent
and can buy where it best suits me-"
"How did you get in the condition
where you could buy for cash?" was
our inquiry. 'Had you large capital
to commence WITH" TO which he re-
piled: my original capital at the
start was less than four hundred del
lars. / made money by saving it
had no clerk for the first two years, do
ing all my own work. | was econom-
ical in my store and living expenses,
and always have been.
II have been selling goods for twen-
ty-five years, and have made money
every year. have never indorsed a
note nor bet on horse race. have
ALWAYS found enough to do in taking
care of my business and of my profits.
~ L. Drg-GoodS Chronicle.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

&C. X. Lord, the general passenger
agent, is said to be the best-paid officer
of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Com
pany. His salary is $4,000.
Hugh Conway's story Living OF
Dead, was, it has been discovered,
written by one Joseph Williams, Lon
don scribbler. Chicago Inter Ocean,
Mrs. Lew, aged eighteen years, of
Columbus, o., is the heroine of two
marriages. She was first married when
but fourteen years old. -CteUetdnd
Leader.
The Baltimore american has in its
career of 1l3 years been defendant in
fifty-five libel suits, and in only one has
it ever suffered a verdict for damages,
and in that one case the damages were
tritling.
DIR. William H. Mather, of Suffield,
Conn, has been convicted of libeling Il
dead man, and fined twenty-eight dol
lars and costs. He wrote letters to
Mrs. Ephraim West rejecting on the
character of her dead husband.
The new secretary OF the Chinese
legation at Washington is named Mr..
Lang. He is civilized enough to know
how to make pun in English. AT II
reception the other evening he told
lady that "Auld Lang Syne" was one
of his ancestors.
John Ruskin confesses that he
would rather please the girls than do
any other one thing. "My primary
thought" he avows, ''is how to serve
them and make them happy; and if
they could use me for plank bridge
to tie swing to, or any thing of the
sort not requiring me to talk. | should
be quite happy in such promotion.
Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., has been
out in Colorado attending to the de-
tails of settling up the estate of his fa-
ther-in-law, the late Jerome b. Chat
fee,n says the Washington Hdtchet.
"The value of the property which is
left to Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant can not
be determined, as the bulk of it Is in
mining interests. Carefully. nursed,
however, it will probably aggregate
about 100000. All this will remain
| in Mrs. Grants name.
| Charles A. Dana is sixty-siX years
old, but looks fully ten years younger.
He goes to the Sun office at eleven in
the morning and leaves at four in the
afternoon. All his editorials are die
tated to stenographer. When dlcta-
ting he allows no one to interrupt him,
though usually accessible to all per
sons, thus preserving his line of
thought unbroken. His Office is plain
ly furnished, the walls being covered
with photographs of dead friends. His
health is almost perfect. N Y. Mail
One of the most striking figures
seen in Washington is the son of ex-
President John Tyler. He is now an
old man bent with the weight of years.
His long, white, patriarchal beard
sweeps down from his venerable face,
nearly covering his broad breast. He
wears soft hat slouched well down
over his deeply set eyes, and is dressed
generally in careless suit of badly cut
black. He is rarely noticed, and walks
the street to most people unknown.
Yet in his day he was considered one
of the handsomest men who ever graced
the society of Washington.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01
SECURED HIS FEE.
How an Irish Surgeon Astonished a FASH
ionabie Youth.

now Scoh [hotohiShVu " "sh-
ionab,e Youth.
A celebrated Dublin surgeon was once
known to give lesson on economy to
wealthy and fashionable young man re-
markably fond of his handsome face and
person. He was sent for, and found
the patient seated by the table, resting
his check upon his hand, whilst before
him was displayed five-pound note.
After some little hesitation he removed
his hand and displayed small mole on
his cheek. "Do you observe this mark,
doctor?" "Yes, sir. do" II wish
to have it removed" "Does it incon-
venience you?" mot in the least. "
Then why wish for its extirpation?"
Il do not like the look of it." ''Sir, "
replied the surgeon, 81 am not in the
habit of being disturbed by such tritles;
moreover, think that that little excres-
cence had better remain untouched,
since it gives you no uneasiness; and |
make it rule only to take from my
patients what is troublesome to them. "
So saying he took the five-pound note,
slipped it into his pocket and walked
out of the room, leaving the interesting
patient in a state of intense astonish'
ment. Montreal Witness.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01
SELLING JEWElRY,
The Peculiarities of Men and Women as
Observed by "a Jeweler.

The Peculiarities of Men and Women as
Observed by a Jeweler.
A Main street jeweler says that he
finds the women hard lot to deal
with in some respects, while in others
tn ey are very desirable customers. ~
man buys ten dollar watch and
finds that it gets two or three minutes
out of the way in course of time he
comes back and wants to dynamite the
store. A woman buys a watch for its
looks and if it is five or ten minutes
out of the way she doesn't care. She
would prefer not to have it stop alto
gether, though. Now and then a
school-ma am comes in here and shows
quite masculine desire to have good
time-keeper, but she is an exception.
Then it is hard for a woman to make
up her mind about purchase any
way. sold fine gold watch to a
woman yesterday" continued the
merchant, "after she had been in GER
tainly ten times to look over my stock.
Since she started out on her search she
had been to every store in the city. |
know she had. She was accompanied
on her last visit by a male friend, who
advised for my watch. She kept me all
through my supper hour. but of course
she didn't think of that, and was sat
is6ed. Sometimes we have to resort
to little tricks of trade. Two women
came in here the other day and said
they had an hour in which to buy a
clock for their pastor. l showed them
beautiful French clock worth seventy
tive dollars. The pree was about right,
but they couldn't be satisfied so easily,
and were for starting out on tour of
inspection. took the cloek.to pieces,
showed them the works, explained the
mechanism. and got them so interested
that they forgot how the time was
! fying; the hour went BY, they did not
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01
Sympathy for a Criminal.

Judge Noonan recently had occasion
70 sentence horse thief
''This is the third time I've had to
pass sentence on you for stealing a
horse. Should not this be warning
to you to desist from your evil prac-
tices?" asked his Honor impressively.
why, iedge. man who gets dis
couraged in my line of business will
not amount to a row of pins. You
know that good old proverb: If at first
you don't succeed. try. try again.
This makes the third time I've been
tried. | reckon III make the rifle
next time"
Il hope so. I'd like to see you riss
in this world" replied Judge Noonan,
who owns horse ranch in Medins
County.-Terds Siftings.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01
HUMOROUS.

81 call my wife DEAR" said Bagley,
reflectiveIy, "because she is. "-Phtlo-
ielphia CAL.
-"Can you sell me love philterP"
she asked of the handsome drug clerk.
'No, ma'am," said he. Don't keep
filters here; have to 60 10 tin-shop." {"
-ChicagO Tribune.
What She Wanted.-
The moon shone softly down on them
And lie seemed more than words could
utter.
She said she wanted bread and butter.
Merchant TrdpeIer.
An old sea captain says he gets
sick every time he crosses the ocean,
1t is inferred that although he may
never have written any thing for the
Century, he contributes to the atlantic
monthly.-Puch.
-''What produces a feeling of pros
tration in the springp" asks a cores
pondent. Two things will do it
doubling the veracity of pugilist and
trying TO coax bicycle over stone.-
Darlington Free Press.
You have to call for sakerheit-
standsticker in Sweden when you want
a match. Usually it is daylight before
you get through and you don't need
one. The Swedes are very economical
people. S0merUitte Journal.
1t is very easy matter for per-
son to be in two places at the same
time, even though those two places be
thousands of miles apart. One fire.
quently hears of a man being in a
strange country and home, sick
Texas SJtingS.
40 mamma, you'd be surprised to
know how dumb Bessie Barton is. She
took me into what she said was the
apiary. What do you think | saw
therep" II don't know, dear. "
"Why. nothing but lot of beehives.
There were no apes there; not even a
monkey. ."-Philadeiphia Call.
There's good deal in the papers
now about sending dressed beef from
Texas to England" observed Mrs.
Snaggs. "Yes, noticed it, answered
her husband, listlessly. "Well, now
think that real merciful to the animals
in cold weather But what kind OF
clothes do they put on them9 -
Pittsburgh Chronicle.
lit looks like vain, old fellaw.
guess we'd bettaw have hanson.
"a hat do you want a hanson forl
It's only half dozen blocks and you've
got your umbrella "Yaas, deah boy
But it's my walking umbwellaw.
cawn't use it faw vain umbwellaw.
could nevaw wap it up again, dom
YOU know. ."-Toton Topics.
Bass is not only very polite man
but he is man who never loses hi
presence of mind. The other day h
was standing in horse-car. 1t sud
denly struck a coal cart and Bass wa
sent to grass; in short, he was knocked
down. As he rose, he saw lady stand
, ing. His spirit of gallantry wa
/ touched. Bowing politely. he said
: Take my seat, madame" 1t IS pre-
) sumed that she preferred to stand-N
j. SEa,
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01

The Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers has SO divisions in the United
States and Canada. and a membership
of about 10000. Over ninety per cent
of all the engineers Of America are
members. ]. Nail
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01

Birds at Tampa. Fla, are said to
get tipsy by over-eating berries from
chinaberry trees. the ground under the
trees often being covered with birds
unable to fly.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01

A jackson (Miss.) gentleman
claims to be able TO write l,400 words
on the blank side of a pOstal-eard so
that it can be easily read with a glass.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-09
They Found an Honest Man.

Last April John FLETCHER, a farmer of
Blooming Glove, Pa, quarrellcd with
his neighbor, John HOLIDAY, and
finally shot him, inficting a severe
wound. On the following day FLETCHER
was arrested and held to await the action
of the Grand Jury on a charge of
month FLETCHER escaped from Jail in
Milford, Pike county. went to his home,
where he remained two weeks, and thcn
returned and gave himself up, giving as
treason for running away that he wanted
to plant his spring corn. At the June term
of court he was found guilty of assault
in the second degree. When asked by
Judge Seeley if he had any reason to
offer why sentence should not be
pronounced, he arose and said:
Yer Honor, I have. You see, I have
twenty tons of hay out in the field, md
it will he worth $50 a ton next fall, I
wish you would let me go and get it in,
and then I will come back in the fall
and stand any sentence you may pass
upon me.
This proposition struck Judge Seeley
as decidedly original, but after consult
ing with Associate Judges Baker and
Hornbeck he allowed him to depart on
his own recognizance, telling him to be
back at the October term TO receive SEN
tence. Promptly on the opening of
court FLETCHER was on hand, and Judge
Seeley sentenced him to imprisonment
in the Milford Jail for sixty days and to
pay a fine of $3.50. His term was up
last Monday and then n new difficulty
arose. He had only $50, and therefore
could not pay the fine. FLETCHER sent
for Judge Baker and offered to give his
note for 500.
81 have no objection, " said the Judge,
providing the County COMMISSIONERS
will accept It,"
The Commissioners were summoned,
and after being assured by FLETCHER
''there was no danger, he would pay it
if he had to work his finger nails off, 81
thew accepted his note without an en-
dorser, and FLETCHER was a free man
once more.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-09
The Thugs Of India.

Thugs were a sort of assassins in India.
but were eXterminatcd by the English
government. They roamed about the
country in bands of from thirty to three
hundred, and strangled to death such
persons as they could decoy into their
company. Their atrocious practices
were not followed so much from impulses
of plumber and malice as from religious
motives. They we've worshipers Of the
goddess Kali, who presided over impure
love, sensual indulgence md death. The
members of the sect belonged to d fer
ent Hindoo castles, and each had its
fucntions. The bands were under a
anddar or sirday, who was the leader,
and Il guru or teacher. Its members
were classified into spies, who were
learners, stranglcrs and entrappcrs. who
were sometimes women and grave
diggers. They usually assumed the
dress of merchants or pilgrims, and
often craved the protection of those they
intended to destroy. Their usual instru-
ment OF destruction was the handkerchief,
with which, by a dexterous movement,
they strangle their victims. The spies
having learned of the route, habits, and
circumstances of their intended victims,
the members travel in such lines as to he
near one another, and the %entrappcrs by
artful management attracted them to a
spot remote from dwellings, where the
strangers executed their office, and
having stripped them of Whatever they
possessed, the grave diggers buried
them with such precautions as generally
to prevent discovery. The plumber was
divided, n third to the widows of the
sect, one third to the goddess Kali, and
the remainder to the partners in the
assassination. After a murder, the
Thugs who had committed it united in
a sort of sacrament, eating consecrated
sugar. Their deities were carefully con-
suited before going on heir expeditions,
and unless the omens were favorable the
Thugs would not go. Neither women
or old men were victims. Europeans
were never killed, as there would have
been moredanger of detection.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-09
THE LINE KILN L U
Brother Gardner Has a Say Abou Human
Races.
From the Detroit Free Press.l

tcrOm Inc DeCTOlt cTe6 treBB.J
After Brother Gardner had opened
the meeting in due and ancient form, he
placed a letter on the desk and used his
jack-knife to hold it down, and said:
"Heah am u letter from a GUILD GEM
Ian of high IN st. Louis AKIN if
de Jack dat an applicant has a white
wife am considered cause to rejeck him.
De Seckretary will be requested to reply
to de effeck dat it am, an l a TO call
publick attention to bylaw No. 4 1885,
420, which reads: Ne applicant who
am libin' in de marriage state wild a
white female kin be received into dis
club under any sarcumstances.'
n see cherry shade of color, from dc
gold complexun of Waydown Bebee,
kin lay mis- hand on a member, either
ignored de eternal fitness of things rs to
marry into another race IN brought a
lifelong curse upon inncrcent chill'en.
While de laws in sartin states may sane
ton SIGH marriages, 1 kin but look upon
'em wild de greatest adherence. De
degradation of de one kin not elevate
de posishun of de other.
81 say to you, my frcns, dat de pussun
now holdin' de moas' painful an cmbar-
rassin' posishun in dis kcntry am dc man
who am neither black nor whitc-who
belongs to no race-who am too good
for one an not good huff fur de other.
l speak of de mulatto. He has got de
pride of de white man, an yet am not
white. He feels hisself superior to dc
black man, but an driben to his 'lebel fur
society an to do business. He am looked
down upon by one an cordially hated by
another for no fault of his.
"NOt one of you men, wild your pitch
black faces turned dis way, would trade
dat complexion for two third white if a
bag of gold war flung at you to bind de
bargain. When you go home, an de
little black faces peep at you from de
trundle-bed, DER VERY blackncss makes
your ole hearts glad. Let folks call
'em niggcrs if dcy will, but dey belongs
to a race of 6, 600, 600 people in de United
States.
81 say to you an SIGH philanthropists
as hev striven fur laws to legalize de
union of whites an blacks, dat a mo-
grievous wrong was nebbcr committed
on posterity. De result am to add to de
number of horace folks. 1t an to make
honest white folks Disguised. an honest
black folks indignant. 1t am to give
pride, ambishun, an self-respect to
young men an young women. an den
seek to deliberately grind 'cm t. pulp
in a social way. Let us now purceed
to biZness."
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-09
HOW THE CIRCUS MAN EATS.
His LILO Not Exactly What the Average
Small Boy Thinks IL L..

Mr.. James M. Nixon, who knows all
about a circus, said to the Cook: "There
are no people excepting plainsmen-
the skirmishcrs over the wild country of
the West-who live so hard q life as
circus employees, both performers and
w~orkinrmen. Their lives are not as
hard now, it is true, as it was some
years ago, excepting with the small con-
Germs. They are the wagon shows that
travel through the small towns. But
even with the big concerns that travel
by train it is hard enough now.
"Takc the case OF n wagon show that
has to travel thirty miles after q night
performance to get to the mex town,
where a street procession is to be made
in the forenoon. The workmen, canvas
men, and the like have to take break
fast at II o'clock Mt night. Then
they get no meal till dinner, after the
procession, say Mt Dol Wherever
they are their work must be attended to
first, eating is a second consideration.
With the performers, gymnasts, riders,
clowns, and the like it is not so bad.
They get better pay and better food.
AS a rule they live On the best food
there is to be had where they happen to
be, and they take a great deal of it.
Most of them are great beef eaters, and
not very particular whether the meat is
cold or hot so long as it is good and
plenty. They are very particular, how
ever, about cleanliness, / have seen
twenty or thirty of them get up and
leave the table because the table cloth
was dirty. And when they want a meal
they want it., and will have it. l have
often seen them leave a hotel where they
would lave to wait fifteen minutes for a
dinner that was paid for, and go to a
restaurant where they would have to
buy another. They won't eat unless
they are hungry; but they are always
hungry after a night performance, and
will not go to bed without a hearty sup
per. They say they can't sleep if they
are empty.
One thing that is peculiar about them
is that they do not take medicine, and
they arc remarkably healthy. When
they arc out of sorts they diet them
selves, each n according to his own
ideas, but l don't think 1 ever saw $50
worth of medicine around a circus in all
the years I have been in the business.
Yes, they drink. Not to excess, but
nearly all of them drink when they feel
like it. They eve drink, however,
before performing. They are very
careful of themselves. They have to be
or they would not last long.
AS n matter of course with their
irregular habits, they are in a certain
sense e~xtravagant. Their extravaganza.
however, is mainly in the matter Of eat
ing. Experience teaches them very
soon, if their own sense does not at first,
that they must take the very best poss-
ible care of themselves physically, md
that good eating is a primary consider
alton"
There has been in late years a vast i'm
provement in all departments of the
travelling circus, and in nothing has
this been more observable, to those in
the business, than in the provisions
made for the health and comfort of the
employees. A good chief cook with a
circus will get as good a salary as a first
class performer, aud has to earn it.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-09
Thinning Them Out.

A gentlemen. having missed . lot Of
new potatoes from his garden, suspected
hat an old negro had dug them up, and
determined to watch for the culprit. So
one evening, loading an old rifle with
ripe currants and q blank cartridge, he
stationed himself in a clump of bushes,
whence he could have u full view of the
potato bed, About ten O'Clock u figure
stealthily approached and began quietly
to dig up the potatoes. AS soon us the
bag was full the owner took aim and
fired the charge. of currants at the thicf's
head. Hearlug the report and feeling
the currant juice trickling down his
face, the culprit screamed out
Help! Help! Use done killed. Oh.
somebody come and help me for I die"
He then began to groan and finally
fell to the ground. The gentleman sec.
ing the distress his shot had accustomed,
dropped his gun and walked to the old
man, whom he found almost dclncntcd
from fright.
"Wclk, 10. you seem in trouble"
"Trubble? Vas, yas, yc'd call it
trubSle CT We had IL grut mole in your
hoad, and a pint of blood a-coming
out"
but, 10, what are you doing with
that bag Of potatoes?"
Pears like yer tatcrs grows too
thick, so | thought I'd jest thin en- out
fur We in de cool oh dc cbcning. and dis
Years what / done got fort. l shall die
fore mawnin.'
Il fancy it's only a scratch; III bino
t up and take you home"
So wiping the old mans face he bound
t. up and took him home. There were
no more dcprcdations committed, and to
this DAY old 10 thinks his hcuctac,or
performed a wonderful surgical opera
ton.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-09
A Vanderbilt Story.

The Chicago Herald says:-'tSo
Vanderbilt is dead" said the freight
brakeman. IL saw Billy once, and at
that time l wished l hadn't. It was
when l was brakeman on the Central.
One day we were shifting cars at n little
station near Syracuse when a special car,
with locomotive attached, came in and
stood on the main track, near where we
were ct work. Special cars were not
very uncommon, and we didn't pay
much attention to this one. Pretty soon
l was making a coupling, but the infer
nal thing wouldn't fit. l tried it two OF
three times, and the engineer got out
of patience backing up for me so many
times, and I begun to get mad myself.
Then l gave it another trial, but still. it
wouldn't work, and then I'took the link
and gave it Il sling into the creek, and
swore into the bargain. In about ten
seconds l heard some one. calling me,
and looking up saw q plug-hatted, side
whiskered man standing on the platform
of the special car. l knew him as soon
as / laid eyes on hint was Billy
Vanderbilt. See here young man., > says
he, I've been watching you. Do you
know whose property you have been
throwing into the creek2' Yes, sir,
says /, trembling and expecting to be
bounced the next minute.
"'Well, whose was it9' The Penn.
sylvania Railroads., SIR says I. oh,
replied Vanderbilt, and then he went
into his car and shut the door. / wasn't
bounced either.