Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-12
DUNs AND THEIR VARIED WAYS
Different Types Of Dcot Collectors and How
Each should Re Treated.


sENEw PERSONS HAVE HAD so EX-
= tended an experience OF duns as my
self, said Noodles last night at the Platypus
Club. In my bachelor days was more than
ordinarily reckless in my expenditures. and so
1t came about that was forever over head and
ears In debt Naturally became very expert
in the difficult art Of standing or a creditor.
To the novice in financial embarrassment n
dun Of any sort is most distressing. but custom
hsrdens- My theory used to be that a gentle
man should under no circumstances be remiss
in meeting money obligations to his friends
but to owe tradesmen was not at all discredit-
able. That view Of the case is widely held.
believe.
There are many different kinds OF duns, for
each Of which peculiar method Of treatment
should be practiced. Most readily dealt with is
the humble and beseeching dun. lie wants the
money badly for some particular purpose and
oegs that you will let him have small amount
on account, at all events. This is not usually
1udlcious way to extort cash from a delinquent
and you tind it easy 20 ask him TO call again
another day.
More difficult to handle is the dun severe.
He wants his money also. and he means 20 have
It. Ii YOU are not ready with it, he would like
TO know why not He is full of suggestive
TO utter them. He even goes far TO say
that legal measures will be invoked. However.
II Won are sufficiently experienced, you recog-
nize all this as mostly bluf, and you put him of
with promises of the customary fragility.
Another type is variation on the one
have just described. He may be termed the
dun sarcastic. His manner Is mildly insolent
and he looks you coldly in the eve while hc
asks impairment questions You cannot help
feeling rather withered by this style of pro-
lint ha 81, h.,ll
your nerve. When he demands if YOU suppose
ne mas years time to spend calling upon
yourself TO settle that little account you should
reply cooily that you are quite willing that he
shall not bother himself any further in the
matter. Finally, il you retain your presence
of mind, you may defeat him at his own game
and make him SO angry that he will give up
the pursuit.
''One Of the most effective sorts of duns is
the patient bore. He comes around every day
and looks unuttersbly sad when you tell him
that You have nothing for him. This sort OF
thing becomes so annoying after a while that
you are apt to pay up merely for the sake OF
getting rid OF the persecution Besides, il has
a tendency to advertise the fact of your in
deb'edness unpleasantly. Your employer may
inquire who the visitor is, if, as is likely, he
turns up at the Office.
That leads me to consider another type
namely, the conspicuous dun. His role is to
make you ashamed. At one time in Chicago
q concern engaged in pursuing back ward
creditors dressed its agents in distinctive cos
tunes, and the latter drove around in vehicles
on which big sign was painted, reading:
Agency for the Collection of Bad Debts 1t
was not pleasant to have a wagon OF this sort
standing in front of ones door. have known
a dun here in Washington to sit upon the front
steps OF house on the reception day
OF the mistress and make some re-
mark about his little claim to every
guest who came in. Another instance was
told OF by the victim. where a collector actually
introduced himself to private residence on
such occasions, took cup Of tea in the draw
ing room, and after some conversation with tho
puzzled hostess, drew out q bill ana presented
it to her.
There is a more dignifed kind Of dun than
any OF those have mentioned. He does not
come to you, but you are expected to 60 to
him. You receive letter from firm of law
yers' asking you to call and see them respect
ing matter of Importance. IL you have been
caught that way two or three times before you
are likely to do the wise thing and fail to re-
spond. At most you will send line in reply, re-
questing to know what the business is OF course
IL they have anything of moment to communi-
cate, 1t is properly their affair to say what il is
about But in forty-nine cases out of fifty the
cipient Of such a communication falls into the
trap. The unexplanatory character of the
missive makes him nervous, and he
considers that for all he knows there may be
u
the lawyers and then they have him. They
know that a debtor can be much more effec-
lively bullied IN their own Office than anywhere
else. Sometimes they will SO phrase their
letter as to indicate that they have "a claim
against the person to whom il is addressed, not
mentioning what claim. Thus his anxiety is
aroused 1t is all q play on human nature.
They are apt to say, call and avoid trouble
1t is wonderful how solicitous these fellows al
ways are lest their victims be put to trouble.
'.Dunning letters usually brighten the un-
sophisticated. That is what they are intended
to do. But experienced creditors simply tear
them up and think no more about them. They
are mere formulas. as a rule, and the threats
they convey are verbiage and nothing more.
In fact they are to be justly regarded as cheer
creditor, since appeals by mail only cost the
writer postage stamps and need not injuri usly
affect the recipient As q rule, they are not
even read.
'Once upon a time, when was particularly
DESTROYS Of avoiding two or three persistent
duns, gave notice in the reception room of
the Office where / was employed to the effect
that any unknown person who called should be
informed that | was out In this way / man.
aged to stand them off for some time but not
without arousing their suspicion somewhat.
This l was given to understand by letters which
they wrote me, but did not thoroughly CON-
prehend until it came to my knowledge that
the boy in the reception room, whenever he
denied me to caller, was invariably so overcome
by his sense of the ludicrous in the situation as
to Immediately turn a number of handsprings
in the presence of the stranger. This was nat
urally calculated to excite incredulity.
Finally hit upon a desperate expedient
bribed the Office boy, and the result was that
when next the dun called the ingenious youth
shook his head solemnly in response to re-
quest to see me.
Did you give Mr.. Noodles my card yesser-
day?" asked the creditor.
"'Yes. SIR
"'What did he sayr
He said to tell you that he was dead, sir
"'DeadY
"'Yes. sir. And what's more, he's going TO
stay dead until you quit coming here
Ibid he say what he died Off
"'Yes, sir. He mentioned your name, sir
"Thank you? said the dun, and walked out.
never saw him afterward"
AFRAID OF BEING RESCUED