St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-07-17


advantage. However, remonstrance
unavailing, the reductions were al
lowed and the man chuckled to HIM
self that he had been shrewd and
keen and persistent and won point
He at once expressed his satisfaction
and began to talk about orders for
the next years supplies. Then the
agent replied: Our firm have sold
YOU the last bolt they will ever sell
YOU or your firm while you are con-
nected with it. You cannot buy our
bolts for their weight in gold" The
agent had of course to explain to his
employer. The latter was a quiet
old Quaker, and the agent told him
his story with some trepidation.
With serene dignity the old man re-
piled: eff thou hadst done different
" | would have kicked thee"
know a man in Chicago who is
travelling agent for large iron firm.
They once offered bids, competing
with others, for large contract IN
a distant state. Failing to get the
contract, they learned afterward
that the one to whom they sent their
bid had given it away. That IS, he
had said to one of the competitors,
"The firm A offers these figures; If
YOU will meet that bid | will give the
contract to YOU" OF course the offer
was met A few months later this
same man found himself in a tight
tract sharply limited in time. He
was suddenly out of material which
was obtainable nowhere else than
from this firm A, except at long de
lay and much grea ter expense, III adj
dition to the costly loss of time. He
telegraphed the firm A, stating his
situation and urging haste. Now,
YOU will say, was the time of retrlbu-
ton. 1t was rare chance to get
even with him. See, then, what
business honor is! Did they take
their revenge? No, they filled the
order at once. Do you say, "Of
course they did, for there was money
in it ~ Then hear the rest. There
are things more valuable than mon
ev even to a money-making business
firm. The next year the man, pleased
at their promptness and the quality
of their goods, sent to them for q
large list of supplies. Then the firm
|
order. We helped you out of a hole,
not wanting to take a mean advan-
tage of a man, but we have no deal
ings with man who gives away our
bid III honorable competition to our
competitors" Although that reply
was a loss of hundreds of dollars,
that made no difference. They kept
that which was worth more, their
self-respect.
I know a man in New York, a
member of that same Stock EX-
change, whose word was once taken
bv the president of a bank for mil
lion dollars. Banking hours were on
the point of closing, and days in
terest, nearly 5000, on that large
sum was at stake. Said this man,
"In this bag are securities worth one
million and two hundred thousand
dollars. Will you kindly look at
them at once and give me check for
q million, that | may make the de
post before three o'clock ?" Il will
give YOU the check, and look over
the papers at my leisure The bag
might have contained a bundle OF old
newspapers for aught the banker
|
good. He said it was the biggest
compliment he ever received.
If YOU want to be miserable al
your life long, cultivate slOvenly
habits in your business relations
large or small, with your tellowmen
There are few things that will work
against a young man more d1sas
trously than failure i'll this respect
| asked q man in this town if he
would help financially certain i'm
pecunious student. He said he
would not, for he had lent that stu
dent a sum of money once and the
student failed to pay it when due
and failed to come around and sec
about it until he was reminded of his
promise. A financial obligation can
not always be met promptly, but one
can always do the equivalent o
looming around to see about it"
If these incidents, many similar tC
which are occurring every day in The
business world, shall help any of yot
to a clearer conception of the sort o
spirit it is desirable that you SHOULD
carry into your business life (ano
every one must have more or tewel
BUSINESS IGldllOliS,J luS lew iIiChiNht
we have spent on this matter Thu
, morning will not be lost. Would
that the young men of this genera
ton would grow up into such con
: ceptiOn of American business homo
t as will enable them to show that Thu
commercial and mOney-gett1ng ma
: ton, as they call us, can yet be right
: eous and make commerce and richie
: a part of the Kingdom of God.