San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-18
A GOOD COLLECTOR.
How Don VI. Dickinson Made a Firm
Come to Time.


A western congressman tells the
Missouri Republican the following
about Mr.. Don M. Dickinson, %
Michigan. the new postmaster gen
eral:
Eyes, know Dickinson of Michigan,
very well. have been in some rail.
road cases with him. He is chain
lightning. Dickinson has made the
bulk of his fortune in the practice
of one legal specially. He is the
best collector of bad debts on the
face of the earth. o no; / don't near
small debts. This is the way Of it.
In the first place, there used to be
good many people with a bad habit
of failing every few years. They al
ways owed large sums of money tc
eastern merchants, and did not mean
to pay a cent if they could help it. To
this class Dickinson was and is
mortal terror. There is no device
that the swindling debtor can adopt
that Dickinson can not see through,
and he is as sharp on the trail as the
best Partisan detective. The man who
can pay and won't is the fellow Dick
inson likes to get hold of. About ten
years ago-to illustrate what l mean
there were three big failures in
Detroit. One firm had the sympathy
of everybody, but the others were un
certain customers. The two doubtful
concerns each owed over $250,0O0 to
New York and Boston people. Among
other creditors was New England
shoe manufacturer for a large sum.
This firm quietly retained Dickinson
as their counsel, and the largest other
creditor did the same thing, Don't
let them know am in the case said
he as he left his clients. He went
home. The agent of the New England
firm came out to see the broken
merchant l am talking about. He was
German Jew-generally good re.
sponsible people, but when they are
tricky, look out! The usual tales were
told of customers who could not come
to time, and all that. 1t really looked
like bad case, and the Boston shoe
concern was about to accept settle
ment at 20 cents on the dollar. Don't
do it for day or two,' said Dickinson.
''Just how he was going to get the
money out of the 1sraelitish customer
he did not know, but he was sure
there had been some swindling. 1t
happened that in his household there
had been an extremely pretty Irish
girl living as domestic for many
years. She was faithful, neat and UNI
usually intelligent, and the household
was very much attached to her. About
a year before this she had married
very industrious young countryman of
her own, who was thrifty young boss
drayman. That evening after dinner
Dickinson learned that Maggie's hus-
band had broken his leg a week or two
before. He went around to see the
man. How did it happen. Pete he
asked. We'll, We see, sir, was on a
bit of job that-but, sir, the man
told me, sir, that | must not tell
Nonsense; you can tell me, can't
you? said Dickinson, and why not
tell Mr.. Dickinson, PeterP said the
Irishman's pretty wife. So it came
about that two weeks before, late at
night, Peter had been draying goods
from the rear end of store. A heavy
box had slipped and broke his leg.
But why did you say you must not
tellP said the lawyer. I'm sure ]
don't know, sir; that's what Mr.
told, SIR answered
the man.
'Katzenyammer; so you were work
ing for him, elIP' asked Dickinson. He
soon got of the Irishman all he knew.
Il see it now,' said he to himself as he
went home. The next morning Mr..
K. was rather surprised to receive a
call from the great lawyer. He had
not sent for INN, and was somewhat
a little uneasy. 4 am the attorney for
Messrs. Blank of Boston, lie began,
very politely. They have claim
against you of $47y77.SO What do
you int,Hd dong about it, Mfr. Katzen-
yammerP'
"'Vy,I hat failt, you know, Mr..
don't know how much j
can pay on de dollar.
"'You must pay this in full or will
send you 10 the penitentiory in less
than month"; said Dickinson, sternly.
You have been running your goods
out of your store at nights and send
ing them to Chicago auction houses to
be sold for whatever they would bring
in cash, and you have filled up your
books with false entries,
"'Fader Abraham!' screamed the
other, as white as he could become;
how tit You you flint all dis oudp
est doesn't matter how, l know il
all, and if you don't settle now. to-day,
1 will have you arrested before to-
morrow night. You are watched, you
can't get away, so don't try it, and
with that Dickinson left. 1t happened
that he had dropped on to what the
man had been doing. How he guessed
it he does not know himself. About 2
o'clock the man came around to see
what terms he could make. None,
sir, except one hundred cents on the
dollar, was the only reply In three
days the claim was paid in full"
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