Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-07-18

this matter TO me, / can buy all this
stuff and we can get out Of here today
or tomorrow, and can buy it cheap"
The said members replied to you that
they desired to investigate for them
selves. Mr. A. c. Schermerhorn of
Hutchinson, being in the Office of the
hotel, you said: "What is Schermer-
horn doing here?" That there is job
in this matter, that Schermerhorn ex-
poets a rake-off in the buying of this
furniture, and that Schermerhorn had
already made arrangements with the
Alternately people, and he, Schermer-
horn, to get rake-off from the sale,
that you had seen letter from Scher-
merhorn stating that these goods could
be sold to US at retail prices. There
upon, the said members of this Board
ignored the presence of Mr.. Schermer-
horn, and at your suggestion accom-
panied you to the Keith furniture es-
tablishment and inspected their goods
and received their prices, Mr. Scott re-
marking to Mr.. Keith that we desired
his lowest figures, that we proposed
to investigate other stocks and to pur-
chase where we thought we could Sc
cure the goods for the least amount.
In the furniture department the sales
man remarked TO us that on all goods
where there was blue ticket with the
price fixed thereon, the same was the
lowest possible figure and was bed
rock; that we were exceedingly for
tunate to be present on that day, be-
cause they were making special sale.
This salesman afterwards admitted to
the Board that seven tenths of all the
furniture in the establishment was so
marked; certainly several persons were
engaged in so marking furniture dur
ing our presence in the sales-rooms
Upon the return of the said members
to the hotel for dinner they received
from the clerk the letter of which the
following is a copy, the original of
which is herewith presented to You for
inspection and marked lex. A."
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, May eth, 1895.
To the Members Of the Board, Hutchison Re-
formatOry:
"GENTLEMEN:-I came to Kansas
City on the invitation and request of
Senator Armstrong and Mr.. Hatch,
and if can be of any service to you,
in helping selecting the furniture for
the Reformatory, am at your service.
At the same time desire to say that l
do not wish to force myself or to in
trude in the matter, as have always
said to you gentlemen, ! am satisfied
that can do you some good and my
self also. You certainly will pardon
me for being so Jealous in this matter,
but l have long since learned that the
only way to get anything, either in q
business or political way, is to go for
it, and that is what l have done in
this case, and if fail willl have the
satisfaction of knowing it was not be-
cause did not do my best, but will
attribute it to the peculiar climatic
conditions that prevail in Kansas.
am aware that you are placed in rather
delicate position in this matter and
are trying to do the best you can for
the state of Kansas, and that is the
proper thing for you to do, and if you
are satisfied you can do better by
yourselves, it is your duty to do so re-
CARELESS of what may think. And
now in conclusion let me say that |
will be in the city until tomorrow
evening at the Centropolis Hotel, and
if can be of any use to you, you can
communicate with me there, and
will be only too glad to place myself at
your service. certainly trust that
will retain your respect and confidence
although my persistency may be very
embarrassing TO you. l trust you will
consider that it was only business on
my part.
/ assure you there will be no more
of it on my part. Thanking you for
the favors shown in the past, and
hoping for continuance in the future
l remain, Yours respectfully,
1 n "
Upon receiving said letter said mem
bers of the Board sent a messenger fol-
Mr.. Schermerhorn and had a conversa-
ton with him in which he said, III e
was in Kansas City on the invitation
of Mr. Hatch and Senator Armstrong,
and that Mr.. Hatch knew he was com
ing and had given him a special invi
tation to come, that he had written NJ
letter to Mr.. Alternately or consulted
them in anyway about the furniture
that the only letter he had writer
was to the manager of Burnham
Hanna, Munger & Co., Mr.. McClel
land, that he was expecting to handle
carpets for said firm at Hutchinson thi
fall, that they were exclusively
wholesale firm, and the carpets com
ing to his (Schermerhorn's) town, h,
had simply asked them to divide tn,
difference between the wholesale
price of the carpets and the price the.
got from the Board, that he had I'M
derstood in Hutchinson that Mrs
Hatch had q nephew at Burnham
Hanna Munger & Co, and that she AM
Hatch intended to purchase the carpet