Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-12-11
HOW WHEGOTSTARTED
A MERCHANT TELLS or HIS WIN
MING BY A SHOW or HONESTY


- Sterling. Honest Fellow
You wish to know how I gct lay
start IN Chicago, CHI Well, I don't
mind telling you about it now, although
you may not indorso the means adopt.
cd.
Here tho merchant prince laughed
heartily, withdrawing his cigar for the
purpose. After q monssnt or two no re-
sumeds
had come hero from tho country,
a gawky farmer boy, ignorant Of tho
ways Of the world and disposed to re-
gard every city chap as a sharper Be-
fore leaving home 1 had a settlement
with my guardian, who turned over to
me $500 IN cash, oil tho possessions I
had in the world
The distress Of tho panic Of 1867 had
not passed, and things were awfully
dull here. After securing q modest
boarding house applied myself with
diligence to the seeking Of employment,
In the meantime assiduously studying
bookkeeping every evening. Tho 81
years Of my life had been spent upon tho
farm, and was utterly ignorant Of all
business methods Hence sought hum
bic work, being willing to begin at the
lowest rung Of tho ladder But some
how didn't catch on. must have boen
what IS vulgarly called an 'Ornery' chap
-uncouth in speech, vulgar in manner
and easily abashed. Still persevered,
Offering myself as porter, coachman,
dory loio,.o, rrorIo,,or hol.o, l., ...-,..-....
stores-in shoft, any kind Of work that
demanded muscle without too much OK
perienoe. Once in awhile / got job Of
saving wood, cutting grass and tandiug
garden, but spent FAR more than /
earned, although I lived very econom-
ioally. Month after month passed in this
way until nearly one-half Of my capital
was exhausted.
''My necessities led mo to much cogi-
tation, and having made rapid progress
in my study Of bookkeeping as well as
In knowledge of good English / finally
concluded to aspire to something higher.
A prerequisite to this step was the doff-
ing of my old jeans suit, which had be-
come decidedly seody. The tailor's bill
made big inroad npon my diminishing
capital, aud tho thought Of it set my
teeth on edge. Ous 7 went dRy after day
among the merchants, Offering my serv-
ices as q bookkeeper, accountant ship
ping clerk on salesman, but found no
takers The market was suffering from
an oversupply of tho commodity, and
the demand was nil
Finally / decided that something
had to be done. ] could not and would
not be penniless in q bigeity. am nat
urally Gf n ganguino temperament, but
six months Of enforced idleness TO ono
who loves work are enough to becloud
the sunniest temper. But zoe you arc
getting impatient. A change cid FINAL
" come. One day lir. Davis, tho head
Of the big dry goods store On Lake
street, was surprised out Of his usual
equanimity by the rushing in Of an excit-
ed individual, myself, holding in his
hand q small bundle and saying bro
kenly:
i have found, sir, a package Of
money-a hundred dollars, / think.
am q stranger In the city and wish you
to keep 1t until you find tho owner.
when he found breath, Mr. Davis,
who recalled me as ono who had applied
to him more than onco for employment,
denurred, insisting that should leave
It in the hands Of the police
That will not do, sir. know your
reputation and can confidently leave the
sum with you am desperately poor
and unemployed, and any imputation
upon my honor would kill me. My only
wish Is that this money may reach its
owner. You will be sure to find him.
''Mr. Davis became interested.
is there any way Of Identifying
him-any name or address in the pack
agel'
- I think not, sir, 'Ireplied, but The I
bills, as you viii see, arc done up IN /
peculiar red oloth--debiege l think it is
callod-and II you would merely adver
tise the fact that q Gum Of money had
been found, and required the applicant
TO name the amount and the envelope
covering IT. you could not possibly mis-
take
My importantly finally oyorcamo his (
objections, and he took my address, and /
after pronouncinR mo sterling honest
fellow bade me como around Ia tho
morning.
Well. that was my start IN life.
Mf. Davis greeted me WHOM returned (
ia the morning most eifusiyely
I've been thinking over that matter /
and confess that ! admire your honesty. /
There's no reason Ia the world why you !
Hhouldn't have kept that money. Many /
men who are far better of than you /
would have done So
He ended by offering me place bo- I
hind one of tho counters at SO a week, /
and fivo years later was his partner.
'Oh, the money A number of par
ties answered the advertisement bat
they conldn't prove up you soe, for the
best Of all reasonl. The money was my
own. and Mr. Davis finally returned Il
to me- ran not tho slightest risk and
was satisfied that the act would bring
me under tho favorable notice Of Mr.
Davis
Yes there was deception ia it, and I
! am not saying that It was commend
able But / did no ono an injury, andit
was the groundwork Of my present
comfortable fortune Still I would not
r17.co cry othcr yccrs mnn 70 60 and
do likewise '-Chicago Tribune
Drawing II Rine.
Owner Of Race Horse llooking oloqoly
az soaios) -Jinkina yon are triilo over
weight Can't you Tighten yourself o