The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-03-14
HOW HEGOT STARTED
A MERCHANT TELLS OF HIS MIN
MING BY A SHOW or HONESTY.

start in Chicago, ell? Well, / don't {
mind telling you about it Low. although
you may not iDdorse the means adopt
Cd. .
nere the merchant prince laughed
heartily. withdrawing his cigar for the
purpose. After moment or two he re-
gUmed:
Il had come here from the country.
a Gawky farmer boy, ignorant Of the
ways of the world and disposed TO re-
gard every city chap as sharper. Be
fore leaving home / had settlement
with my guardian, who turncd over TO
me $500 in cash, all the possessions
had in the world.
The distress of the panic Of 1857 had
not passed, and things were awfully
dull here After securing a modest
boarding house l applied myself with
diligence to the seeking of employment,
in the meantime assiduously studying
bookkeeping every evening. The 2l
years of my life had been spent upon the
farm, and / was utterly ignorant Of all
business methods. Hence / sought hum
bic work, being willing TO begin Mt the
lowest rung of the ladder. But some
how didn't catch on. must have becu
what is WI carly called an 'orncrv' chap
-uncouth in speech, vulgar in manner
and easily abashed Still pursovered.
offering myself as porter, coachman,
day laborer, gardener, helper in grocery
storeS-in short, any kind of work that
demanded muscle without too much ex
perience- Once in awhile got "a Job of
saving wood, cutting grass and tending
garden, but / spent far more than
earned, although Eyed very econom-
ically. Month after month passed IN this
way until nearly one-half of my capital
was exhausted.
My necessities lcd me 10 much co-i-
tation, and having made rapid progress
in my study Of bookkeeping as we'll as
in knowledge of good English fiaally
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 scedy. The tailor's hill
made big iEroad upon my diminishing
capital, and the thought of it set my
teeth on edge. Out / went day after DAY
among the merchants, Offering my sorv-
ices as bo0kkecpcr, accountant ship
ping clerk or salesman, but / found nc
takers. The market was suffering from
an oversupply Of the commodity, ami
the demand was nil.
Finally / decided that something
had to be done. could not and would
not be penniless in big city. am nat
urally of saDGuine temperament, but
six months of enforced idleress to one
who loves work arc enough TO becloul
the sunniest temper. But / see You are
getting impatient A chal =, fid final
ly come. Ono dag In Davis, the heal
Of the big dry goods store ON Lake
street, was surprised ont OF his usual
equanimity by the rushing in Of an excit-
ed individual, mys,l II holding in his
hand small bundle and saying LrC-
kenly:
:" i have found, sir, q package Of
money! hundred dollars, think.
am stranger in the city and wish you
to keep it until you fird the owner.
When he found breath, Mr.. Davis.
who recalled me as one who had applic.i
to him more than once for employment,
demurred, insisting that should leave
it III the hands of the police.
That will not do, sir know yoUt
reputation and can confidently leave the
sum with you / am desperately poor
and unemployed, and any imputatiou
upon my honor would kill me Nv 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 .
age?'
" think not, sir, l replied, but tine
bills, as you will see, are done up in a
peculiar red clotb-debicge think il j.
called-and if you would merely advcr-
tise the fact that a sum Of money had /
been found, and required the applicant
10 name the amount and the envelop-
covering it, you could not possibly mis- /
take. {
My importantly finally overcame his +
objections, and be took my address. and (
after pronouncing me sterling honest
fellow, babe me come around III ths
morning
Well. that was my start in life
Mr. Davis greeted me when / returned
In the morning most efTusively.
I've been thinking over that matter
and confess that | admire your honesty.
There's no reason in the world why you
shouldn't have kept that money. Mauy
men who are far better of than You
would have done So. .
He ended by Offering me place be.
hind one Of the counters at SC a week,
aud five years later was his partner.
Oh, the money! A number Of par
ties answered tie advertisement. lint
they couldn' { proSe up, you Sec, for the
best Of all reasons The money was NV
own, and Mr.. Davis finally returned il
to me i ran not the slightest risk and
was satisfied that the act would bring
me under the favorable notice OF Mr..
Davis
Yes, there was deception in il, and
am not saying that it was commend
able But did no one an injury, and il
was the prt,uulNrork oF ,,,r- -.