Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-03-23
a COD CaLE.ECTOP.
How Don NJ. Dickinson Made = Eir1rl which
Had ssFaIled'' Come to Time with 9
$40 600 indebtedness

How Don n. Dickinson Made . Eirra which
Haa ssFaIled'' Come TO Time with
$40. 900 indebtedness
Fst Louis Republican,
A Western Congressman tells the
following about Mr.. Don 81. Dickinson
the new Postmaster General:
ayes, I know Dickinson, of Michigan,
very well. have been in some rail-
Foa6 cases with him. He is cham
lightning. Dickinson has made the
bulk of his fortune In the practice OF
one legal speciality. BE is the best
collector of bad debts on the face oft
earth. Oh, no; I don't mean small
debts. This is the way Of it: In the
first place there used to be a good
many people with q bad habit of failing
every few years. They always owed
large sums of money to Eastern mer-
chants and capitalists, and did not mean
to pay a cent if they could help it. To
this class Dickinson was and is a mortal
terrOr. There is no device that Dickin-
son can not see through, aud he is as
sharp on the trail as the best Partisan
detective. The man who can pay and
won't is the fellow Dickinson likes to
get hold Of About ten years agO-to
| illustrate what I mean-there were
three big failures in Detroit. One firm
/ had the sympathy of everybody, but
/ the others were uncertain customers,
| The two doubtful concerns each owed
| over $3.50 600 to New York and Boston
| people. Among the other creditors wasa
/ 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 1 am talking about
/ He was a German JeW--generaIIy good
responsible people, but when they ara
tricky, look out The usual tales were
told of customers who could not come
to time, and all that. 1t really looked
like a bad case and the Boston shoe
concern was about to accept q settle
ment at 20 cents on the dollar Don't
do it for a day or two said Dickin-
son.
aJust how he was going to get the
money out OF his customer he did not
know, but he was sure there had been
some sWindling. 1t happened that In
his household there had been an ex-
tremely pretty Irish girl living as a
domestic for many years. She was
faithful, neat, and unusually intelligent,
| and the household was very much at
tached to her. About q year before
this she had married a very industrious
young country man Of her own, who was
a thrifty young boss drayman That
evening after dinner Dickinson learned
that Maggie's husband had broken his
leg a week or two before. He went
around to see the man. How did it
happen, Pete p he asked. Well ys
see, sir, was on bit of a job that
but, sir, the man told me, sir, that /
must not tell
Nonsense: you can tell me, can't
J you?' said Dickinson, and, why not
tell Mr.. Dickinson, PeterP said the
Irishmans pretty wife. So I6 came
| about that two weeks before, late at
night, Peter had been draying goods
from the rear end of a store. A heavy
box had slipped and broke his leg.
But why did you say you must not
/ tell said the lawyer. I'm sure don't
know, sir that's what Mr.. Katzenyam-
mer told me, sir, answered the man.
'KatzenYRmmer; so you are working
for him, Ell? p asked Dickinson. He
soon got of the Irishman ali he knew.
Z see it now, said he to himself as he
went home. The next morning Mr.. x.
was rather surprised to receive a call
from the great lawyer. He had not
sent for him, and was somewhat q little
{ uneasy. 7 am the attorney for Messrs
blank, Of Boston, he hogan very
, politely: they have claim against you
of $47, 977. 80. What do you intend
doing about it, Mr.. Katzenyammer?
Wy, I hat failt. you know, Mr..
Dickinson; I don't know how much
can pay on de dollar.
f 'YOu must pay this in full or I viii
send you to the penitentiary in less
D than a month"; said Dickinson, sternly.
you have been running your goods out
, of your store at nights and sending
] them to Chicago auction houses to be
sold for whatever they would bring in
! cash, and you have filed up your books
: with false entries.
d" 'Fader Abraham screamed the
other, as white as he could become
[ how tit you fnt all dis Oud?
. " 1T doesn't matter how know it all,
and if you don't settle now, to-day, I viii
have you arrested before tomorrow
3 night You are watched. you can't get
away, so don't try it, and with that
Dickinson left. It happened that he
? had dropped on to what the man had
r been doing. How he guessed it he does
{ not know himself. About 2 o'clock the
1 man came around to see what terms he
could make. None, sir, except one
3 hundred cents on the dollar, was the
only reply. In three days the claim
/ was paid In full.
: Found in a Cows Stomach.