Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-01
Subscription Methods.


From thu Boston Transcript
II seems that the business Of collecting sub
scriptions il no exception 10 the rule that there
are tricks in every trade. A man or woman
with q gift for business may collect Of the
same men at least twice as much ~ another
would A little incident will illustrate.
They were getting up . subscription little
while ago for the Home for Decayed Apple
Women. There ID no more deserving instifu-
ton. as everybody knows. than the Home for
Decayed Apple Women, and moreover, an in
huential coterie Of Back Bay women, headed
by Mrs. Charity Drummup, had become inter
ested in the home and were pushing the sub
scription. When Mrs. Charity Drummup sails
into counting room with subscription paper
in her hand the bankers and men Of business
know perfectly well that 1t In Of no possible
avail for them to turn her a cold shoulder, un-
less they are anxious to lose caste or custom
among the wealthy circle which revolves
around her.
Down town there are two solid men in bust
ness, one AZ q retailer in large way and the
other as fnancier, who are very good friends.
They have known each other from boyhood;
they live side by side, they belong to the same
club, and growl at each other in an amiable
fashion whenever they meet. They are, how
ever, for all that, very unlike each other in
temperament The fnancier is mercurisl, ex-
citable, and passes for a free-handed, gen.
matte and slow, and has the reputation Of
being very shrewd and close in money matters.
Well, when Mrs. Charity Drummup came
down town in behalf of the Home for Decayed
Apple Women, she made one Of her calls upon
tho hnancier, and promptly showed him q
paper, already signed by Mt least a dozen
bankers, merchants, and other wealthy men,
and upon this paper there was not single sub
scription for less amount than $50.
''You see what they are all doing" said Mrs.
Charity Drummup, with an engaging smile.
The financier gave low whistle.
Nothing but ESQ subscriptions, eh?' he
said. well, I'm afraid this is a little too
steep. for me. You are quite right, Mrs. Drum
mup, in assuming that should not care TO
lead the break off into smaller figures; but, see
here, is this the only paper you have got, Mrs.
Drummup2"
"The only one," said the lady, with little
confusion. why, this is the subscription paper,
SIR"
s'But is It the only one you have got?"
Pressed for an answer, Mrs. Dummup pro-
duced from her reticule a paper, upon which
there were several $25, $l0, and even s5 sub
"Ah, this looks more like IT," said the fnan-
cier You may put me down there, If you
please, for &25." And he went down there,
high up on the list.
at the club
well" said the merchant "did you have
call from Mrs. Drummup today"
eyes"
''Struck you for $50, supposed"
''Oh, no; only gave S25."
"What? Why, there wasn't single subscrip-
ton on her list for less than ESQ.,"
mot on the list she showed you, my friend;
but you should have called for her other paper "
He explained the scheme to the close-fsted
merchant. who became fairly black in the face
with chagrin. He felt that he had been over
reached: and the fnancier, who seemed to have
come in for share Of his wrath, is of opinion
that he did not sleep that night and that it was,
indeed, several days before he regained his
usual calm.