The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-10

1t Looks Terribly Extravagant and
Doesn't Cost Anything.
New York Sun

1t Looks Terribly Extravagant and
Doesn't Cost Anything.
New York Sun.
A drummer for large wholesale cloth
ing house has a trick which he says saves
him great deal of money. He has to 60
around with retailers IN small country
towns great deal. He finds that an
amount OF display and extravaganza is
necessary in order to convince them
of the standing and generous deal
ing of his house. This used to
cost him a great deal of money
in travelling expenses. He was ex-
pected to bear great part of the expense
of entertaining the men TO whom he sold
goods; he had to buy them drinks and CT
CARS and take them around. In the course
OF this he had to drink good deal himself
He noticed that it was not SO much the
amount of money that he spent, but the
show that he made with y which inn
pressed them. and that it was more impor-
tant to seem careless and generous than
really to spend great deal of money.
One night he was with some retail cloth
iers and their friends drinking. He had
several small bills in his pocket. He had
been drinking good deal himself. and in
cigar with it. Without thinking he put
out the light and stuck the burned remnant
in his waistcoat pocket. He noticed how
il impress sed the men with whom he was.
The bill did not amount to any more than
the price of round of drinks or cigars, but
it made the eyes of his customers open to
think that man should use money in such
a reckless way. The next day, when he
sobered up, he found the burned bill in his
pocket. Only one end had been burned. He
thought he had made fool of himself by
throwing away good money. The idea oc-
Cured TO him, however, that possibly he
could take the bill around to the sub
treasury and get new bill for it. So the
next time he was in town he took the
burned bill to the sub-treasury. where it
was readily exchanged for a new one. The
bill had not been destroyed: it was plain
what its denomination, number and issue
were, and he had no trouble in having it
The idea became strong in his mind that
he might do this ostentatious and reckless
act without having TO pay for it. So the
next time he was out with several of his
customers he bought a few rounds OF
drinks, and then began in a reckless and
careless way to burn up 81 and 81 bills. He
took pains to put the bills back in his
pocket, and not to burn up enough of any
one bill to destroy its redeemable quail
ties. He also told his customers extrava-
CANT stories about the percentages his
mouse WAS paying uifli, HOW cnedp IL was
selling, and what liberal concessions he
was making to get rid of the stock which
his house had on hand. He found the
trick worked excellently. He has been
trying it on ever since to greater or less
extent.
One night he held card party of some
of his customers ut his rooms at the hotel
and thinking that possibly they might no,
tice that he Immediately put the bills out
and put them back in his pocket. he used
81 bills for lighters during the whole even.
ing and then threw them in a cuspidol
which he kept by his chair, first putting
them out before he threw them in, so thai
they might not be burned mp there. After
his customers left he took the top off the
cuspidor. took the bills out, folded them al
up and redeemed them when he next re
turned 10 New York. He has gained the
reputation of being one of the most care
less and extravagant men on the road
without il costing him as much for ex
penses with his customers as il costs othel
statesmen who do not burn up their money