The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-04-19
TO BUSINESS E
DIR. Talmage Discourses to Amer
loan Merchants and Traders.
The Value of a Reputation For Business
Disaster Sure to Follow
Ubiquitous stratagems - Trade
and Religion Not Inimical.

~ 1 -"
bounced as his text Proverbs XXX, IA:
1t is naught, 1t is naught, saith the
buyer; but when he is gone his way, then
he boasteth." DIR. Talmage said:
Palaces are not such prisons as the
world imagines. II you think that the
only time kings and queens come forth
from the royal gates is in procession
and g~orgeously attended,, you are mis-
taken. Incognito, by day or by night,
and clothed in citizens apparel, or the
dress of a working woman they come
out and see the world as IL Is. In nc
other way could King Solomon, the au-
thor of my text, have known every
thing that was going or. From my ext
1 am sure he must. in Disguise, some
day have walked into a store of ready
made clothing, in Jerusalem, and stood
near the counter and overheard a con-
versation between a buyer and a seller.
The merchant put a price on a coat, and
the customer began to decker and said:
Absurd that coat is not worth what
you ask for 1t. Why, just look at the
coarseness OF the fabric! Set that spot
on the collar! Besides that 1t Ices
not 1T Twenty dollars for thatP Why.
It isn't worth more than ten. They
have q better article than that, and for
cheaper price down at Cloathem, Ftem
81 Brothers. Besides, that, l don't want
IL at any price. Good morning"
Hold" says the merchant; don't go
of In that way. I want to sell you that
coat l have some payments to make
and ! want tho money. Come now, how
much will o givo for that coat?"
well" says the customer, 81 will split
he difference. You asked $50. and I
said $40. Now, l will give you S15."
SWELL" says the merchant, sits q great
sacrifice, but take it at that price," Then
Solomon saw the customer with O roll
under his arm start and go out and enter
his own place of business, and Solomon
In disguise followed aim. He heard the
customer as he unrolled the coat say:
"Boys, have made agreat bargain. How
much do you guess | gave for that coat?"
"Well," says one, wishing to compli-
ment his enterprise, you gave $50 for
It." Another says: ~ should think you
got 1t cheap II you gave $25." mo"
says the buyer, In triumph, ~ got 1t for
SIS. l beat him down and pointed out
the ~imperfections, until l really made
him believe IL was not worth hardly any
thing. II takes me to make a bargain.
Hal Har'
o, man, you got the goods for less than
they were worth by positive ~falsehood;
and no wonder when Solomon went
back TO his palace and had put off his
disguise that he sat down at his writing
desk and made for all ages a crayon
alraNnA 80 ,n.. ssIA q -n,uLt IL L..
naught, saith the buyer, but when he
Is gone his way. then he boasteth."
There are no higher styles OF men in all
the world than those now at the head OF
merchandise In Brooklyn and New York
and In the other great cities of this con
tinent Their casual promise is as good
as q bond with piles of collaterals.
Their reputation for integrity Is as we'll
established as that OF Petrarch residing
in the family OF Cardinal Colonna, and
when there was great disturbance in the
family the Cardinal called all his peo-
pie together and put them under oath
TO tell the truth, except Petrarch, for
when he came up to swear the Cardinal
put away his book and said: "As for you,
Petrarch, your word Is sufficient"
Never since the world stood have there
been so many merchants whose transac-
tions can stand the test of the Ten Com
mandments. Such bargain makers are
all the more TO be- honored because they
have withstood, year after year. tempta-
tions which have flung many so fat, and
hung them SO hard they can never re-
cover themselves. While all positions
An life have powerful besetments to evil
there arc specific forms of allurement
which are peculiar to each occupation
and profession. audit will be useful to
speak OF the peculiar temptations Of
business men.
First, as In the scene of the text,
basiness men are often tempted to sac
rifce plain truth, the seller by exagger-
ating the value Of goods and the buyer
by depreciating Thorn. We can not but
admire an expert salesman. See how
he first induces the customer into =
mood favorable to a proper considera-
tion OF the value OF the goods. He shows
himself to be an honest and frank sales
man. How carefully the lights are ar
ranged till they fall just right upon the
fabric! Beginning with goods of me-
dium quality he gradually advances
toward those Of more thorough make
and Of more attractive pattern. How he
watches the moods and whims of his
customer With what perfect cslmuess
ne takes the order and bows the pur-
chaser from his presence, who goes
away having made up his mind that he
has bought the goods at q price which
will allow him q living margin when he
again sells them. The goods were
worth what the salesman said they were,
and were sold at n price which will no,
make IL necessary for the house to fail
every ten years In order to FIX up things
But with what burning indignation
We think OF the ubiquitous s~tratagemi
by which goods are sometimes disposed
OF. A glance at the morning paper
shows the arrival ut n OF u hotels o.
q tonng merchant from one OF the In
Land cities. He 10 q comparative
stranger in the great city and, OF course
must be shown around, and IL will bt
the duty Of some OF our e~nterprisin(
Houses to escort him. He is a large pur
chaser and has plenty OF time and
money, and IL will pay to be very atteDt
I've. The evening is spent at a place o
doubtful amusement They go back :.
the hotel Having just come TO towI
they must, of course. drink. A friend
from the same mercantile establishment
drops In, and usage and generosity sug
0est that they must drink. Business
prospects are talked over and thl
stranger Is warned against certain dilap
ipated mercantile establishments tha'
are about TO fail, and for snch kindiinesl
and magnanimity OF caution against tht
dishonesty OF other business houses, ol
course IL Is expected they willard 81
they do--they take a drink. Other mer
chants lodging in adjoining rooms mt
Il hard to sleep for the CHATTER OF decant
ers and the coarse carousal OF these
sshail fellows we'll met" wakes louder
But they sit not all night at the wine
cup. They must see the sights.
They stagger forth with cheeks
flushed and eyes bloodshot. The
outer gates OF hell open to let In
the victims. The wings Of lost souls
dit among the lights and he steps Of
che earousers sound with the rumbling
thunder of the damned. Farewell tc
all the saDctities of home! Coul
mother, sister, father, ~slumbering in the
finland home, in some vision of thai
night, catch a glimpse OF the ruin
wrought they would reRd out their hail
by the roots and bite the tongue until
the blood spurted, ~shrieking out "God
aaye himf'' What, suppose you. will
come upon such business establish
ments9 and there are hundreds OF them
IN the cities They may boast of fabu