Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-04-20
SCIENCE OF BORROWING.
How = Young Gothamlte Lives High at thG
Expense OF His Friends.

How . Young Gothamlte Lives High 1T the
Expense OF His Friends.
What are you doing for living
nowP" was asked OF young man whose
ordinary methods OF obtaining lIveli-
hood did not inspire confidence and re-
spect
~ am loan contractor at present, i"
he replied ~ have been six months
in the business, and can honestly say
that have been successful You Won
der what loan contractor isP' Well,
/ borrow small sums of money and live
upon them The work is profitable
and not too hard. Oh, no, don't ex-
haust my list OF lenders. On the con-
trary am steadily adding to it or
course can not borrow from man TO
whom am already indebted, but before
! finally part company with him | make
him introduce me to at least two Of his
friends, SO that for every customer l
drop / pick up a couple-a net gain Of
one.
'The business requires a good deal
Of skill, and certain rules must be care
fully observed. In the first place, !
never ask man to lend me money un-
lessI am quite assured he has it about
him. When your intended victim re-
fuses from necessity you have lost him.
1t is hopeless to try him again. He
thinks over the matter, because he feels
more or less mortified about it, and he
will be sure to end by congratulating
himself that he was unable to accom-
modate you. and when he has once ar
rived at that stage OF reasoning you
may knock him off your list
"When | have selected my man /
don't approach him as though am
ashamed Of what am doing. l am
always we'll dressed and look like a
gentleman, because know by painful
experience that a shabbily-dressed man
has no chance at all as a borrower.
Drawing him timorously to one side
and whispering your request is pretty
certain to annoy him and bring a de-
nial. In such matters men are always
bolder alone than when they are in
company. For this reason l always
saunter up to my victim when he Is
surrounded by his friends. He must
present me to them, and, If the meet
ing is in a bar-room, as | generally
manage that it is, q drink is likely to
follow.
This establishes a certain amount OF
confidence, and when l turn to him
suddenly as though l had just remem-
bered my need, and say aloud: oh, by
the by, just let me have couple OF
dollars until tomorrow, will you?
have little account to settle down the
street, and I have no small bills about
me, he must be determined man If he
refuses. You see. he has Introduced me
to his friends, and stood before them as
my sponsor, so to speak. To slight me
now would be equivalent to impeaching
his own witness. l get the money,
which l am very careful to pay back
the following day. When l have done
this twice generally find that the man
is at my mercy. Then / wait until ]
know that his pockets are we'll filed,
when / strike him to the tune of from
$40 to $25. according to circumstances.
After that / avoid him. The whole
campaign usually occupies about a fort
night, and / can operate in dozer
fields at once; SO that, you see, make
fairly good income.
''Men who are accustomed to wealth,
and always carry large sums Of money
with them, are almost useless to me,
and rarely try them. They are stingy
to the last degree, and there is no good
in them. 1t is with those who are usu-
ually poor, but occasionally find them
selves flush, that l deal take them
at the food tide OF their fortune, when
they are elated with the possession ol
money which seems to them inexhaust-
ible, and they fall easily into my trap.
'Will you take something with meF
Don't be afraid, l know it would be
hopeless to attempt to borrow from
you after what I have told you, and
won't ask you for an Introduction to any
of your friends, because ! am sure you
would not give it to me. You don't
drinkP Well, good-by; see a man
coming who drew his pay to-day, and
must go across the street and cultivate
Hmm Y. Times.