The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-06-08
TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS.
TOLD IN TWENTY YEARS OF
HUs'LINe.u
The Sure Road to Success Pictured bv
One Who Has Travelled It-Jeweler
Johnston's story-Truth Stranger
than Fiction

Years of Hus'ling," now in press,
provides money.making instruction,
sugar coated with GOO pages of anus
ing anecdotes. Stranger than any
fiction, all are actual experiences of
Chicagoan, whose present position at
the head of business amounting in
1887 to quarter of a million dollars,
proves his knowledge OF how TO sue
coed. Candor compels belief; the
setbacks in Johnston's astonishing
career are as plainly spoken of as
more happy incidents and, where
any OF his stories appear incredible,
he gives the actual names of persons
and places. His truths are more
thrilling than any novel, and his
humor funnier than "Peck's Bad
Boy" because it is true. Most au-
thors Of books Of this character are
poor as Jobs turkey. Johnston has
by his own teaching become rich, land
simply tells how he did it. He was
a wideake worker and up TO snuff;
always keeping stiff upper lip, he
laughed at bad luck, and if Christmas
caught him clad in straw hat and a
linen buster he whistled to keep
warm. On one occasion he even had
no shirt. Johnston and a partner
were on their way to Fort Wayne,
Ind, where an important power. of
attorney was to be sent them; stop
ping off at Lima tor a few hours, the
one valise, which was shared between
them, was stolen from the depot. Of
this loss, Johnston says: "This lief. us
in hard luck. We only had money
enough to buy each another shirt,
box of paper collars and cuffs and
some cheap socks. 1t was economy
to buy paper, thus tightening laundry
bills. The worst feature of our loss
was having no baggage to help con-
vince landlords of responsibility. We
were, however, able to engage room
and await our Washington docu-
ments. On the third day we con-
cluded to change shirts, which
brought our new ones into requisi
ton. We then sent the ones taken
off to the Washerwoman. When
three days more passed we were at
our wits end to gain possession of
those washed shirts, as we were com.
pletely stranded. AT last the scheme
suggested itself of asking the assist
ance Of bootblack who had occa.
sionally given us a complimentary
shine. We asked him to our room
and made him make oath never to
betray US. Frank and l then took off
our shirts and told she kid shat we
must remain shirtless prisoners in our
room while he left them as security
for the Numbered. He was soon
back with the clean shirts, and we
made our toilets for dinner. We
were forced to use the kid several
times to carry out de change act as
he called it; one day he came in,
much excited, to say yer can bet yer
life it was by the skin O. me teeth l
collaied the wash this time; de ole
gals getting dead on, an says if de
gemmen is such big bugs dey better
settle, but / gin her a great song and
dance and squared her up We
asked how about the next1 Yer kin
bet I'll fix her, he replied, and we
warned him never TO leave the dirty
ones until in possession of the clean,
under penalty of being thrown out Of
the window. The next Saturday he
seemed somewhat shaky over de
exchange act but said 'he'd fix her.
We remained on our bed shirtless a
long time, and the kid not returning,
were i'll at ease and shiveripg. I'M
agine our embarrassment when the
door flew open and in rushed, not the
kid, but the chambermaid, with clean
towels. We had forgotten to lock
the door. Frank, with his fund OF
ready wit, instantly jumped to the
floor and sang out: We'll, put on the
gloves again; I'll try you one more
round before supper The girl retir
ed unsuspecting, and we laughed in
an awkward fashion. An hour passed
and no 'kid;' still worse, no shirts.
Two hours-three hours, and it was
now past supper time. Opening the
door and looking toward the stairway
l discovered the kid gazing vacantly
at our door. Come here, "kid"
For heavens sakewhat's up?' yer
never'll get me ter pitch me out de
winder,' he replied. mo, no. we
won't harm you.' well, sir gemmen
de ole gal nailed 'em all spite of eb'-
erting.'" Johnstongoes on to explain
how they escaped from this Adam
like predicament, and an ever vary
ing secession of good and bad luck
intermixed with with laughable ad
ventures, follows until the stor,
brings him TO Chicago in June, 1881
with Sas of borrowed money. John
ston always realized the benefi; y
good name and credit. This nov
obtaining for him sufficient stock t.
wholesale in small way. He wa
proprietor. cashier. bookeeper. sales