The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-04-16
BUYElS AND S. 4L..A
a Practical Sermon by Rev. ~.
De Witt Talrnage, p, D.
Tho Difficulties Of Business Life-How
Dishonest Methods are Resorted to by
Merchants to Make sales--A For. ,s..
tune Obtained In That way
Brings No Enjoyment. r.t .R Z

At recent service In the brooklyn
Academy of Music DIR. Talmage an
nounced as his text Proverbs Xxx, IL
ut is naught, it Is naught saith the
buyer, but when he has gone his way,
then he boasteth.p Following is the
sermon: w SH Vaf
Palaces are not such prisons as the
world imagines. If you think that the
only time Kings and Queens come forth
from the royal gates is in procession
and gorgeously attended, you are mis-
taken. Incognito, by day or by night,
and clothed in citizens apparel, or the 1,
dress Of working woman, they come
out and sec the world as 1t is. In no
other way could King Solomon, the author
Of my text: have known every thing
that was going on. From my text l am
sure he must, In disguise some day have
walked into store OF ready-made cloth
ing, in Jerusalem, and stood near the
counter and overheard conversation
between buyer and a seller. The
merchant put price on coat, and the
customer began to dicker and said:
! Absurd that coat is not worth what you
ask for 1t. Why, just look at the coarse
ness Of the fabric! See that spot on the
collarl Besides that, 1t does not fit.
Twenty dollars for that? Why, 1t isn't
worth more than ten. They have a
better article than that and for cheaper
price, down at Cloathem, Fitem &
Brothers. Besides that, don't want 1t
at any price. Good morning" Hold"
says the merchant; "don't go of in that
way. want to sell you that coat. l
have some payments to make and l
want the money. Come now, how much
will you give for that coat?" SWELL"
says the customer, 81 will split the diff
ference. You asked $40, and ] said $40.
Nov. will give you S15." "Well," says
the merchant, 'it's great sacrifice, but
take 1t at that price, Then Solomon
saw the customer, with a roll under his
arm, start and go out and enter his own
place Of business, and Solomon in dis
guise followed him. He heard the Gus
toner as he unrolled the coat say:
"Boys, have made great bargain.
How much do you guess / gave for that
coat?" "Well," says one, ''you gave $50
for it." Another says: II should think
you got It cheap II you gave s25." mo, "
says the buyer in triumph, 81 got 1t for
SIS. beat him down and pointed out
the imperfections, until really made
him believe 1t was not worth hardly
any thing. 1t takes me to make bar
gain. Hal Hal" 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 sal
down at his writing desk and made fol
all ages crayon sketch Of you: at is
naught, 1t is naught, saith the buyer
but when he Is gone his way, then he
boasteth."
There are no higher stylos OF men II
all the world than those now at the head
Of merchandise in Brooklyn and New
York and in the other great cities o
this continent Their casual promise Il
as good as bond with piles Of collat
erals Their reputation for integrity Il
as we'll established as that Of Petrarcl
residing in the family Of Cardinal Co
lonna, and when there was great dis
tnrbance In the family, the Cardina
called all his people together and pu
them under oath to tell the truth, excep
Petrarch, for when he came up TO swear
tho Cardinal put away his book and said
''As 10 you, Petrarch, your word Is sufi
cient" Never since the world stoo'
have there been 30 many merchant
whose actions can stand the test Of tn
Ten Commandments. Such bargain
makers are all the more 10 be honore'
because they have withstood, year afte
year, temptations which have fun
many 80 fat, and flung them so har
thoy con never recover themselves
While all tho positions in life have pow
erful besetments 70 evil, there are spe
cihc forms OF allurement which ar
peculiar TO each occupation and profei
sion. and It will DO useful TO speak Q
the peculiar temptations Of bushes
men. s
First, as in the scene OF the text, bus
ness men are often tempted to sacrific
plain truth, the seller by exaggeratin
the value Of goods, and the buyer b
depreciating them. We can not but at
mire an expert salesman. See how b
first induces the customer into moo
favorable 70 the proper consideration {
the value Of the goods. He shows hin
solf 10 be an honest and frank salesman
How carefully the lights are arrange
till they fall Just right upon the fabri
Beginning with goods Of medium qualit.
he gradually advances toward those I
more thorough make, and Of more q
tractive pattern. How he watches II
moods and whims Of his customerl Wit
what perfect calmness he takes u
order, and bows the purchaser from b
presence, who goes away having mad
up his mind that he has bought Il
goods at price which will allow him
living margin when he again sells ther
The goods were worth what the salo
man said they were, and were sold at
M prico which will not make II necessal
for the house TO fail every ten years
order 10 Ak up things. ..sq b4a ..a
But with what burning Indignation '
think OF the iniquit6us stratagems
which goods are sometimes disposed Z
A glance at the morning papers sho'
81 the arrival at one Of our hotels OF
young merchant from one OF the inlal
cities He is comparative stranger
the grea. city, and, OF course, he mu
be shown around. and 1t will be the du
Of some OF our enterprising houses
escort him. He Is alarge purchaser al
has plenty OF time and money, and