Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-06
Peculiar Business Methods of
An Oakland Man.
Numerous Wholesalers Would Like
to See Color Of His Money.


lots of close figuring to get through this
cold, hard winter doesn't il? Money is tight
and work is scarce and many are already
wondering how they will manage to keep
soul and body together until warm W. ather
comes again, and business in general take
an upward start. Those, who, during the
pa,t year have started into ILLNESS on
pinched capital. have nearly all been. driven
10 the wall and the doors Of their places of
bu,iners closed.
Oakland. hoA ever has an exception to
this rule and can boast, Gf indeed she
chooses to boast)of a man who start in a
business last summer with a small capital,
and who has seemed to succeed in bis un-
dertakings.
This mans name is Gross. He COM
menced lis mercantile pur.u .uits, according
20 Il best information. last spring. when
nice strawberries were being shipped this
way, to tickle the pal ties of us down casters,
e th- first r pc fruit of the srason. H.
"nt an order, accompanied by the
quo'ed cash price to a Boston fruit
i~sler for trial one or two crate lot
Tn t was good, and the bean-eaiing fruit
ealer probably smiled in q satisfied sort
+ awsy as he entere the name of "Gro,s,
D,kl.nd, Me. ;" ON his book as "cash"
cal and filed th.- order with some of bis
iOicest berries. The dealer was soon salts
fed that the trial order was satisfactory to
is new customer, for in q day or two he
was in receipt of second, and much lar
one from Mr.. Gross, but the gentle
m,n down in Maine had this time neg
| cred to send cash with it. at was
If course all right" and so the dealer
slipped the berries as requested.
Now Gross was in the mean time having
lively trade in berries, di.posing like hot
axes his stock at the rate of 1.-TWO boxes
tor quarter" while other dealers in town
ould not see their money good unless they
retailed their berries for at least 1S or 20
cents box. Gross second order was re-
ceived and the third one shipped AMI then be
seemed to think that the BostoniAn was not
che man he wanted to deal v ith for he hunted
up the address of another fruit dealer and to
i'm he sent another trial" order, enclos-
ing cash for the same as in the first case.
Dealer No. 2 was as prompt in filling the
little order as was the other concern and
like the first was favored in q day or two
~ a second, good szed order, but unac-
companied by the pay. 1t was of course,
inh sitatipgly shipped.
Now as time went on these two whole
sslers ''sent out bills for the unpaid for
berriee, but if they ever found their way
{, the Oakland post cffice, and this event is
iuque stoned, they were never returned
" Gro,s to Boston for the signature of the
hrm under the abbreviations Reed Pay r."
cut some of the local lawyers now hold
opies of them for collection and when they
~ to collect the m are remin le of the ol1
.dsge, "How can you get tlood from q
urnip?"
When the straw berry trade grew dull
Gross psned up in the fish business on the
anne plan a. he hid worked the other deal
re. Portland concerns one by one were
tempted by small trial cash orders. followed
" one or two larger ones without thu
ash, then ceasing entirely while Gross Gus
toners here we're suppli. d with nice hal but
teak for 10 cents per pound VIII le the other
Iealers had to get l6 for an article equally
good. and till he had worked every fish
l. aler he could hear of, was king of the fish
rade in tn 9 town.
His fsncies were, however, continually on
he wtirl, FIR after few weeks bu.iy en-
ssRed in cutting fish he became possessed
the idea that he was suited to grocery
rade. This class of trade sc. m. to be hi
,oorest venture, for, although for time
ne sold 80 punds of sugar FIR 81, yet th'
,ost of tine wholes .l-rs Of Portland. while
hey filled the trial o'd-rs as soon ms re-
'aived, ere slow in filing the second and
third orders which vas unaccompsnied b,
he cash. One wholesaler has al.o taken
he trouble to come down personally to looI
after the elttle bill' OF $50 or $40, whic,e
Gross promptly paid by M king disclosure
and swearing the poor debtors oath.
Goudy & Kent of Portland, the large
cracker and confectionery msnufar-
,urere, were given an order and
.lso filed . succeeding order fo'
..veral b .rrels Of crackers. A short time
,go Gross went into the grain and fed bus
ness by sending an order to Ham & Co. Of
Lewiston, saying that there wasn't bag OF
iced in town and goods must be shipped at
nee. The next freight train brought mp
80 bags Of oats, cracked corn, ETC., whicf
Gross sold in competition with the local
.rsders for 81 per bsgs Time, however,
,rirgs changes, and today he is selling out
l0-g,llon keg Of oysters for 25 cents
quart while store goods of the same
high grade article are slow in the market at
40 cents.
Such is the plan and success of Gross
business 40 told the JOURNAL representa-
i've bv Deputy Sheriff Hersom and corrob-
GRATED by . dozen or more Others about
town. The shrewd chap hiss not yet
done anything for which the hand of the
Law can grasp him. He merely orders the
goods, pays for the frst order and negiects
payment on succeeding ordels, dealing with
another house before his credit il ruined
Ia The one where he has been doing
,u.inese. He may eettle up sfter the
stringency in the money market ceases
he may not. At any rate he claims that
he hasu't any money now, for one lawyer
in Waterville holds bills agair st him from
Is or 20 different wholesale coucerps, and
another attorney over there hss nearly -
many more.
pepn,s Sh, riff Eefsom is on the sharp
lookout for any chance be can get TO cor
ner the cAep but be probably i too sharp
70 be csught 1t bis own game, and wau
without doubt continue to do business On