The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-02
PAY AS YOU CAN
4 COMPARATIVELY MODERN WAY or
DOING BUSINESS.

DOING BUSINESS.
! Its Blessings and It's Bane-How the Gus
tom Started Thirty Years Ago In New
YOrk-Grown to Enormous Proportions
In All the Cities Of the Country.
There is one trait in which people Of the
! present day have departed widely from the
example of their forefathers. Without
giving the latter credit for all the virtues
4 1t is safe TO say that. generally speaking
/ they didn't buy things until they had the
money with whick 10 Say for them. They
were not victims OF the 'installment" hab-
&c, which nov numbers its thousands in
( New York and every large city.
. An Irishman who kept little stors in
! Barclay street some go years ago has the
credit Of being the first man TO grasp .he
fact that shere were unnum bcred pee pie
IN this city who would be glad to hDy
merchandise of all sorts pertaining TO
homemaking, but whose circurnstal ces
would not allow them 20 pay cash down
for it. They were ambitious 10 have more
clothes, more furniture, more bric-a- blac,
TO rise TO a higher plane or TO keep poce
with their better TO do neighbors; h.It,
alas, their income would not allow it,
They had never been taught 10 save. which
is a slow, uncertain, old fogy method any
way, and SO they sighed and longeG II
vain.
This long headed man realized this fact
and sat him down to cogitate. He had a
little capital which was not turning ever
as quickly as he could wish, and he wisely
reasoned that these people who wanted all
sorts of things so badly might be willing
and glad to buy them if they could lave
a little accommodation" OF course
these good citizens had been allowed lit
tie occasional credit at the grocers' and
butchers shops, and perhaps even ne the
taiiors where they were known. But he
would do better than that. He would sell
them almost anything reasonable person
might desire and deliver il TO them, and
he would allow them TO make paymepI at
such intervals and Of so small amCunt
cash that they would not feel it''-magic
words!
He commenced in q small way en-
gagged half dozen good men, gave item
some samples and list of the different
goods he would furnish on this plan. and
before long the returns began TO csne in.
1t was Immediately evident that .his
filled a long felt want" People at last
saw way to satisfy their longings for
fine things without bankrupting them-
selves to pay for them. The goods Jrst
sold in this manner were neither large nor
costly-lamps, clocks, albums, Bibles,
rugs and the like. Bat the business has
been gradually systematized until nCw
man can step into an immense shop, select
from a large stock furniture, carpets,
stoves, crockery, kitchen utensils, pictures,
everything wanted TO furnish his hous. or
fiat completely, then supplement- his twn
wardrobe with whatever is lacking and
that of his wife and children. More taan
that he can buy the house which is TO SON
tain all this on the same plan, can insure
his and their lives, and last OF all, cal ar
range with funeral director 1.-THE I'M
dertakers are all dead to bury him, al on
this beautiful installment plan.
But, if you are the intending purchaser,
don't fancy that the goods you have select
ed will be Immediately loaded on van
and sent TO your house. You must go
through the hands of an investigator
This interesting person takes your name,
address and place of business at the office /
and goes out on still hunt to find out /
what he can in relation TO your income /
your habits, your moral character, eto> /
He is an important factor in the scheme,
and good man commands a good salary. /
His report being satisfactory, then are you /
soon made happ. with a house filed with
new goods, and your duty and pleasure
now consists only in having the weekly or
payments ready when the col
leCtor calls.
Don't imagine that he will forget you,
or be bashful in claiming his money, or
can be thrown off the scent by moving
away. He has ways you would never
guess at of following your movements and
Will stick to you closer than your shadow
until he has extracted the last cent due.
For man who has horror of being dun
ned the plan is not an unmixed good.
Then there is the ironclad mortgage, (
which is an interesting accompaniment
Of the installment plan, giving the creditor
the right TO rcplevin his goods whenever
the payments are not prompt and accord
ing TO contract. This is practically never
except in the case of sales of fur
piture, sewing machines, safes and the
like Clothing, carpets, boots or shoes
and bonnets, it can readily be seen, would
be useless TO offer for sale a second time.
II is said that the commissions OF good
ranvaSSer for safes on this plan are enOr-
nous. IL is hard TO effect much damage
on an iron safe. When the purchaser gets
tired Of the never ending payments and
says he will pay no more and his safe is
lifted and returned to the warehouse,
unkind people hint that il is very easy 20
apply little putty, paint and varniSh
and send IL out rs a new article 10 60 the
rounds again. But this is probably SLAM
der.
The number employed in the business
IS canvassers, invests gators; deliverers and
Collectors is enormous and increasing. I ,
They can be seen on every car and ferry !
boat, pulling out their books and slips,
making memoranda, calculating expenses ,
md worrying their brains over the ingrat- ,
tude of some one they have just come in ,
contact with who has possibly received
hem coldly, has frowned at them. has no
money, doesn't know when he will have
my, and wishes from the bottom OF his
leart he had never listened 10 the entrcat-
IS of the siren who sells her blandish-
nentS by nstallments-NewY York lib
Inc.
NE GRsSpEO TIE OPPORTUNITY.
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