, 1886-11-17
BILL COLLECTING.
WAYS OF THE SMALL LAWYERS AND
THE REGULAR AGENCIES.

"There ARE n good many collectors In
San Francisco, but they may all he de-
scribed in two classes. The first class in
cludes the small lawyers-young fellows
just getting II start, as II rule, though
you find some old hands among them.
They work singly. The others belong
usually to one of tho regular collection
agencies and work together on some sort
of Il systcm-hunt in parties, as it were,
and bca out their game like n band of
sportsmen.
The collector settled himself for II long
conversation by fitting his chair back,
resting his feet III the table, and light
ing II cigar.
"Now, he continued, "the young law
yer has several ways of going about his
business. Surprising him TO have II case
IA bill-thc next thing to do is 10 find
his man. II he IS -impecunious he goes
ont in person with the bill and hunts the
fellow up. If he has had n fee within a
week or two and has the price of half II
dozen meals in his pocket he usually
writes. With an ordinary bill he must
write fou letters. The first will say:
Dear Sir; A bill against you has been
placed in my hands for collection Nou
will oblige, etc. by calling at my Office and
settling the same. There is no answer to
this. The second letter is still polite but
firm The third letter is worded some
what in this way: Dear Sir: If the in
closed is not paid we shall begin suit at
once. The fourth and last is n
to answer in n suit. In nine cases out Of
ten this is cfTectual. If n man has my
standing at all he won't go through the
Justices court for a little bill, so they come
up and settle.
"But these are simple cases. The tough
,naa p 1tgfrall.~ turnnI atrnr To tI. ,.If.,.
tion agencies. The collection agencies will
take anything, and If the bill is collcctible
they can usually get the money. When
bills come in they are 'districted' accord
ing to the part Of the city in which they
belong. They are then turned over to
the regular collector for that district who
present them in the usual smooth, oily
form. After IA bill has been put out once
It is rcassigned, according to the reception
which il received. If the debtor manifested
II disposition to pay, it is placed in the
hands of the ordinary collector. The ard
cases, though, are turned over to the col
lector technically Known rs the bulldozer.
II H%ULLpoZER 81 HIS CLUB.
"The hulldozer Is big man, and usually
carries n club for company. He goes to
the hard case, swells himself up To look
ms big rs possible, tramps mp aud down
Nv WI WIN ms ilNlb ~ Il Iftilts ullf
announces that he has come to see that
hill paid. He doesn't make any threats;
hat is against the law. But he has II
very suggestive way Of twirling his club
and making the most of his big voice.
and If the hard case Is "A small man he
usually slccumbs ut the first encounter.
II he is big man the argument gets pretty
warm, and they dare zach other to come
out into the street and fight. But MS the
bulldozer has orders not to fight unless
necessary, and there aro not many who
want to try to throw him out, there il
usually n compromise.
what struck me as remarkable as any
thing when ] first went into the business,
resumcd the collector, retlectively, after u
pause, was the number of men who
would acknowledge II bill but decline 10
pay it for some frivolous reason. There
are lots Of men who 20 into an enter
prise with the cheerful intention of allow
ing someone else to foot the bills in casc
of failure. | had II case where II ma
chinist did some work for an inventor. |
presented the bill last week. The bill
is all right he confessed, but the ma.
chine is no good. DO you think am
paying bills of that kinds As he has a
little property | think he will pay in a
few days. Sometimes II mnn Of this kind
maJ, mo rurchasa ar Lod tha v.nrl J,no
:" so,'a lI, ois.'l, a1., ~ ~.
,,,, u,. ,,,n.. a,, - -, ~
sSSno az ~, :" ne" n...
e. , IL nhaart'i H.. ="
;n', ron.nn 49,, 49, ,s," '"'. 9i.,,
does water. He has no property and no
ncome. lie is MS nnco lcerned rs the
summer breeze, and admits the hill with
us much u|ncOncern rs though it were
un In, .oh t4".r
van cnn ,,n, /, tha, 10" as, ,In
,,ht. rbion,iam ""' NV WV
" W :. 9N'' N9''e MAI"
ne SnroaStle klh1 rs usually u woman
= n"u 'ii' N's'rr,"S 'h"t iolio"s Vhe 'hcrr-
lnl BUSINESS Oh laying out inc dead hy
WY WY sue Neht ior me uiuh l know
p"' "n"t she WIS gong 10 follow hcr pro
i'sS'"n rlsnt mere nhu intended 10 see J."
u 'nnt ! ,urnlshcu the corpse ANA IL
'n", 'he hlhu nI plll ye would collect me
san ,h' mn OF man that calls NM
Seli II u"e'or ana gives n glrl IN sPhsms
n','',oiu' !" We '"keh once III iour nourS
demonstrated thao she Hau chlleu the
u"o'"r "nu "usn, TO pay nm doctors II
mo goo1, She salu soorhluily; throwcd
ms 'le"iclhe out OF the window, ana Ia
TIM.
"''".nnE very s"rVas,l' you can
sur u you want ,oi put YOU know what
'nein C',cies as sues peggars' ANA shn
''' 'mt 'nuiEnrn.ly out.
"'"s1crlnR ihnh ~ "no'her nl'a
on'.'o''t' III comes aroild
to know why in the name of the seven
devils he is distraccd by having a bill sent
Ia him through nm agency. 'The idea he
out with IN. ~nnrting shot tbot ha ,,e,LI
have paid it hut now he will wait till he
pats r.uIN Thar. t. ,,t,+., ,...h.