The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-10-09
LEARNED A LESSON.

How Merchant Found Out That DFtn6-
ing Men Arc Not Good Customers.
In the southern part of Jefferson
County, N. Y, in the village Of M,
among the business men is manufact-
urer of stoves, cool, level-headed man.
He, like many other business men,
thought ono or two licensed hotels was
necessary for the good of the village.
About three years ago an incident oc-
Cured that opened his eyes One year
before this revelation came he had sold
stove for Sls to a drinking man; the
drinker was not worth any thing. but
agreed to pay for the stove in install
ments, 81 per month. At the end of the
year the merchant had not received
even one payment
He knew his debtor lad been earning
good wages the whole year. He had no
ticed that the money had not been ex-
pended for clothes, for the family of his
drinking customer were poorly clad,
and the man himself had only one suit
and that almost in rags.
Two weeks before the time in ques-
ton, the drinking man had gone five
| miles out of town to do job of work at
VC q u0ys ! AC man uAdCbuICI hAO" CuASS
and was waiting for his return, think
ing he might get part payment on the
stove sold the year before, II not the
whole amount.
just before dark he made his appear
ance. The manufacturer knew the man
who had employed his debtor; knew he
was man of means and it was his Gus
tom to pay down for all work done for
him.
The manufacturer said: ''Hold on,
J., want to speak to you. You re-
one dollar each month; over a year has
gone by and you have not made the first
payment yet; you have been at work
for W. can't you pay me half? Five
dollars. anyway
''I'm sorry can't; but have not got
any pay out of W.; when I get it I
will call and pay all"
The manufacturer was not satisfied
He looked up from his meditation just
in time to see his customer 60 into the
hotel Zone of the necessary (?) places
for the prosperity of the village).
His going into the hotel aroused the
thought: Il will just walk over to the
hotel and see what is going on" He
entered the hall where he could get a
good view of the bar. and was witness
to the following. The drinker said:
well, landlord, what is my bill?
can pay you now'' 'Your bill may DO
larger than you think; you have not
paid up for some time. All! it is more
than l thought-S2L5 So"
LAS much as that? It can't be. ] do
not know what my wife will say. I had
promised to buy new bonnet for her
and the girl. Twenty-one fifty! Well,
we'll, suppose you have kept it right
You wouldn't wrong poor man who
works hard for his money
cit is correct Your wife and daugh-
ter must not expect to dress as we'll as
those who have a larger income. l think
your wife is most too dressy, any way.
Have a drink, J-?''
The manufacturer saw 1.-The man who
pocket the money he had earned. count
out $2l.50. and hand it to the landlord.
He went out of the hotel wiser man
than when he entered. The manufac-
turer went to his desk, took down
bundle of unpaid accounts, and COM
menced to figure up the worthless &C
counts that had accumulated in the ten
years of his business life He found the
sum total to be 81. BATS OF this sum
he found that all but S113. 10 was against
men who had been ruined by drink
D1o,v