Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-10-28
CREDIT RATINGS.
TrifItng Considerations Have Influenced
Merchants In Trusting Customers.

Triitng Considerations Have Influenced
Merchants In Trusting Customers.
Credit rating is more easily OBJ
tanned nowadays than in the old
times The process has been simpli-
fed by the credit bureaus, the deyel-
opment of the commercial travelling
system and the ready means by which
knowledge is diffused by telegraph
and rapid mail service.
Not many years ago it was differ
ent matter for an out Of town mer-
chant TO get rating in New York than
it is to-day. As usual thing man
began business in small way by buy
ing and selling for cash or on short
credits. When he came to New YORK
he was questioned and cross-ques-
toned on wide variety Of subjects.
One man asked him about the crops
and collections in his vicinity; an
other about his capital, class Of trade
and volume of business His answers
were carefully noted, and the chances
were that his personal habits were
made the subject of a rigid inVesti-
CATION. Features such as these enter
into the granting Of credits nova
DAYS. but not to such an extent as say
fifty years ago. ..
1t may not be generally known.
but it is true, nevertheless, that pre-
Judice, superstition and tradition en-
ter into the matter Of credits. To
this very day there are merchants in
New York who will not sell q bill Of
merchandise except on cash to per-
son the terminal letters Of who:e
Name are SKY or "kie," Years ago
a class of the population whose names
frequently end in these letters were
in the habit OF failing in business,
and hence even to this day preju
dice prevails against them.
In addition to this othet names are
frequently prejudicjal to business
man seeking to buy goods on time.
For years. and until his death, sue
cesSful merchant in the dry goods
commission business would not trust
a man who as the saying is, parted
his name in the middle. A person,
for instance, who gave his firm name
as J. Thomas Brown & Co., was at
once bIacklisted.
mo man, the veteran used to
affirm, "whO is ashamed of the name
given him by his father or at baptism
is honest, and no such one can get
credit from my house"
Trifing incidents sometimes deter
mine a man to give or withhold credit
Thus some years ago old men, be-
levers in the manners and customs
of the past, have been known to re-
fuse to sell merchants who wore mus
taches or who parted their hair in the
centre. The prejudice against the
former wore away long before the
latter was Outgrown. In fact it is
only within comparatively few years
that some men could regard others
who parted their hair in the centre
without suspicion or disgust.
Men who were utterly unknown
have been at once rated as ''good for
their wants." by an exhibition of fru-
galitY or caution. One instance is
recorded of merchant, who, upon
entering store to buy goods, knocked
the ashes from half smoked cigar
and put the butt in his pocket One
of the partners, who observed this,
at once concluded that he was man
careful of small things and capable
of paying for his goods His opinion
proved correct and eventually the
man became one of the firms most
desirable customers. New York Her
aid.