The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-07-31
Dollar Bills For Cigar Lighters.

Al drummer for large wholesale
clothing house has trick which he says
saves him great deal of money. He
has to go around with retailers in small
country towns q great deal. de finds that
an amount Of display and extravaganza
is necessary in order to convince them of
the standing and generous dealing of his
house. This used to cost him a great
deal of money in travelling expenses. He
was expected to bear great part of the
expense of entertaining the men to whom
he sold goods; he had to buy them
drinks and cigars and take them around.
In the course of this he had to drink q
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 it which impressed them, and that
it was more important to seem careless
and generous than really to spend 4
great deal of money.
Cine night he was with some retail
clothiers and their friends drinking. He
had several small bills in his pocket. He
had been drinking a good deal himself,
and in reckless way pulled out bill
and lit cigar with it. Without think.
ing he put out the light and stuck the
burned remnant in his waistcoat pocket.
He noticed how it impressed the men
with whom he was. The bill did not
amount to any more than the price of a
round of drinks or cigars, but it made
the eyes of his CUSTOMERS open to think
that man should use money in such 8
reckless way. The next day, when he
sobered up, he found the burned bill in
his pocket, only one end of it had been
burned. He thought that he had made
fool of himself by throwing away good
money. The idea occurred to him, how.
ever, that possibly he could take the bill
around to the sub treasury and get a 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. Tie bill had not been
destroyed it was plain what its denomi-
nation, number, and issue were, and he
had no trouble in having it replaced.
The idea became strong in his mind
that he might do the ostentation and
reckless act without having to pay for it..
So the next time he was out with several
of his customers he bought few rounds
of drinks and then began in reckless
and careless way to burn up one and two
dollar 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 qualities. He also told his
customers eXtravagant stories about the
percentages his house was paying him,
how cheap ii was selling, and what lib.
eral concessions be was making to get
rid of the stock which his house had on
hand. He found the trick worked excel.
lently. He has been carrying 1t on ever
since to a greater or less extent. One
night he held card party Of some of his
customers at his rooms at the hotel, and
thinking that possibly they might notice
that he Immediately put the bills out and
put them back 10 his pocket, he used
dollar bills for lighters during the whole
evening and then drew them in q cuspi-
dor which he kept by his chair, first put
ting them out before be threw them in
so that they might not be burned up
there After his customers had left he
took the cover of the cuspidor, took the
bills out, folded them all up and redeem
ed them when be next returned to New
York. He has gained the reputation of
being cue of the most careless aud ex-
travagant men on the road, without its
costing him as much for expenses with
his customers as it costs other salesmen
who do not burn up their money-Ne'o
York Sun.