Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-04-02
HOW TO USE CREDITORS.
AN EXPERIENCED CE8~Mt%97 Of
FeRS SOME SUGGESTIONS.

Each Should He Treated Don't Get
Scared at 'CaIl and Avoid Trouble"
Letter.
Few persons have had so extended an
experience. of duns as myself" said
Noodles at the Platypus Club. I'm my
bachelor days l was reckless in my ex-
penditures, and so l was forever over
head and ears in debt Naturally l be-
csime very expert i'll the art of standing
Off a creditor. To the novice in fnan-
Cial embarrassment dun of any sort is
distressing, but custom hardens. My
theory was that gentleman should I'M
deI no circumstances be reniiss in meet
ing money obligations to his friends, but
70 owe tradesmen was not discrsditable.
That view of the case is widely held
There are different kinds OF duns, for
each of which a peculiar method of
treatment should be practiced. Most
readily dealt with is the humble and be-
seeching dun. He wants the money
badly for some particular purpose, and
begs that you will let him have a small
amount on account. This is not a jul
dicious way to extort cash from dein-
quent, and you will find it easy to ask him
tc call again.
More difficult is the dun severe. He
watts his money also, and he means to
have 1t. If you are not ready, he would
Ike to know why not lie is full Of
threats. and frequently is so rude as to
Utter them. He even goes so far as TO
talk CT legal measures. However, If you
aIe experienced, you reco,niz- all this as
LIuff and you put him off with promises
OF the customary fragility.
Another type is a variation on the one
have gust described. He may be termed
the dun sarcastic. His manner is insoent
and he looks you coldly in the eye while
he asks you impertlnent questions. You
can not help feeling withered by his style
Of proceeding, but the important thing
is to hold your nerve. When lie demands
II you suppose he has a years time to
spend calling upon yourself to settle that
account you should reply coolIy that you
ale willing that he shall not bother him
self further IN the matter. If You retain
your presence Of mind you may defeat
HIM at h,s owp game and make him So
angry that he will give up,
One of the most effective sorts of duns
Is the patient bore, He comes around
every day and looks unutterably sad
when you tell him that you have moth
ing 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, it has "a
tendency to advertise the fact of your
Indebtedness unpleasantly. Your en-
ployer may inquire who the visitor is, If,
rs is likely, he turns up at the office.
That leads me to consider another
type-the conspicuous dun. His role 10
to make you ashamed. At one time in
Chicago a concern engaged in pursuing
backward creditors dressed its aycr's in
distinctive costumes, and the latter Gr3;e
around in vehicles on which a big s~u
was painted, reading: Agency for tie
Collection of Bad Debts. 1t was not
pleasant to have wagon of this sort
standing in front of ones door
There is a more dignified kind OF dun
than any Of those l have mentioned He
does not come to you, but you are ex-
pected to go to him. You receive 9
letter from firm of lawyers asking YOU
to call and see them respecting IL ma tier
Of importance. If you have been caught
that way two or three times before you
are likely to do the wise thing and fail to
respond. Sometimes they will so phrase
their letter as to indicate that they have
a claim against the person to whom it is
addressed, not mentioning what claim.
Thus his anxiety is aroused. 1t is all a
play on human nature. They are apt to
say, call and avoid trouble 1t is wonder
full how solicitous these fellows always
are lest their victims be put to trouble
"Dunning letters usually frightan the
unsophisticated. That what is they are in,
tended to do But experienced debtors
tear them up and think no more about
them They are mere formulas and the
threats they convey are verbiage. In
fact they are to be justly regarded as
cheering evidences Of weakness on the
part of the creditor since appeals by mail
only cost the writer postage stamps and
need not inJuriously affect the recipient.
AS rule, they are not even read.
'OnCe upon time. when was desir-
Gus of avoiding two or three duns, gave
notice 10 the reception room of the office
where | was employed that any unknown
person who called should be Informed
that was out In this way l managed
TO stand them of for some time, but not
without arousing their suspicion some.
what This was given to understand
by letters which they wrote me, but
did not thoroughly comprehend until it
came to my knowledge that the boy in
the reception room, whenever he denied
me to a caller was invariably SO over
come by his sense Of the ludicrous in the
situation as to turn a number of hand
springs in the presence of the stranger.
This was naturally calculated to excite
inCreduhty.
Finally hit upon desperate expedl-
ent. bribed the office boy. and the re.
suit was that when the next dun called
the youth shook his head soemnly in lie.
spouse to request to see me.
odd you give Mr.. Noodles my card
yesterday7 asked the creditor.
YES, sir
What did he sayT
: He said to tell you he was dead
"Dead?'
Yes sir And he's going to stay dead
rEtii you quit coming here
Did lie say what he died off
Yes sir He mentioned your name.
mi ia ~, 4