Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-07-19

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change in my health. One of the con-
tributors brought me a curious article,
it being history of trousers, past and
present. l threw the article into the
wastebasket and came near breaking
with the unlucl5y author.
just as l was about to arrange my
business for long vacation, having de-
| cided to make sea voyage and travel
in foreign lands, where my nightmare
would not appear to haunt me-the
highlands of Scotland, for instance, or
in central Africa-the Office boy-he
wore fresh pair of trousers-ushered
Demare into my presence with the most
profound Difference without even an
nouncing him.
At the first glance saw that he wore
q hitherto unpublished" pair of trou-
sers. Of course l expected that, but
what L considered as a sudden aggrava-
tion of my malady was that he wore n
new coat If coats were going to mix
themselves with trousers in my poor sick
brain, there was nothing left for me but
to arrange the details of my funeral
With haggard face, pointed to a
chair.
"Old man." said he, knowing that
you take an interest in me, have come
to tell you good news. l am engaged
permanently as financial editor of The
Gazette. So we are coworkers. Congrat-
ulate me-
murmured some feeble words of fe-
licitation.
Il owe you some explanation of my
prosperity in the last few mo- tbs, y he
added "You remember the day bor-
rowed the louis from you and returned
it the same evening? l told you at the
time it was for daisy financial stroke.
Now that my self interest does not COM
pei me to keep the professional secret,
will tell you all. 1t is pretty byplay
in metropolitan life. No, my boy, l
have not assassinated any old woman
who was incumbered with rent roll.
have not been adopted by an elderly heir
ess. have sold no political secret nor
pillaged an embassy. have simply been
a dealer in trousers. "
At the last word / bounded to my
feet There was my nightmare again.
"Calm yourself" said he, land lis
ten:
"The day before / made the demand
upon your purse l happened to be pres
ent at the first days sale at auction of
an immense stock of new goods from a
bankrupt custom made clothing concern.
The programme for the succeeding days
was the sale of 10, 900 pairs of trous as.
There were few at the sale, the necessity
of taking the goods by lots, on account
of the great quantity, shutting out
worlzmen and the class of persons who
wear such garments. l remarked that
the trousers in lots of 10 cost about 2
francs each.
"By dire experience know that the
pawnbroker lends upward of 8 francs on
pair Of trousers in good condition.
The thing to do was plain enough to be
seen. With your louis Ibid off lot of
TO- Soon after | hastened to the pawn
shop, where 1 offered three pairs. en-
countered an obstacle the first thing
They do not lend on unworn garments
[ argued my case with such elOquence,
representing that | had worn the trou
sers, but that l was very careful OF my
clothes, that l gained my point. Of
course l could prove that | was not
tailor seeking to dispose of my stock l
took two other lots of 10 at intervals
during the day, keeping the tenth pair
for myself. l received over a dollar
apiece for them. So you see it was a
pretty good days transaction.
"The next day bid off two lots, and
profting by my experience passed the
day and part Of the night in wearing
the trousers, putting on one pair after
another. can assure you it was back
breaking. / then conceived the idea of
having others wear them for me, and
timidly at first, but soon boldly enough,
l lent the garments day by day to your
boys, to your clerks and to many others,
asking nothing in return but discretion.
I told them that l needed to have actual
| proof of their quality, as they were
made in great numbers in my shop for
/ shipment to South America. AS my
business increased perfected my meth
ods employed agents to dispose of the
trousers. bought as many as 60 some
days.
"All went we'll so long as the source
of my prosperity remained undiscovered.
One day l scented danger. One of my
agents found out by the mark on the
buttons where the goods came from, and
he bought lot of 10. did not hesitate
a moment.
81 hunted up the receivers OF the
stock. told them that there were 3, 600
pairs of trousers unsold; that the 1000
pairs already sold Il had bought 3, ,OOO)
had overstoclled the buyer, and hence the
present price could not hold 1t would
be wiser to sell them all at once. In
conclusion, offered them 5000 francs
for the lot Of 8, 0C0. The deal was closed,
and SO all attempts at competition were
effectually prevented. AT the same time
| laid myself liable to the law which
Furnishes monopolies.
"Now it is all over with. The pawn
shops, glutted with trousers, rebelled
and threatened my agents with arrest
Eight thousand of my garments rest on
their shelves, so did not complain. In