Crawford avalanche., 1895-08-01
A Fatefu1 Partnership.

Even stranger to the big town walk
Ing for the first time through London
sees on the sides of the houses many names
with which he has long been familiar. His
precognition has cost the firms those
names represent much money In adver-
Using. The stranger has had the names
before him for years in newspapers and
magazines, on the hoardings and on
boards by the railroad side, paying little
heed to them at the time; yet they have
been indelibly impressed on his brain, and
when he wishes soap or pills his lips al
most automatically frame the words most
familiar TO them. Thus are the lavish sums
spent in advertising justified, and thus are
many excellent publications made possible.
There was the firm of Dandy & Strong,
for instance. The name may mean
nothing 10 any reader of these lines, but
there was time when it was well known
and widely advertised, not only in England
but over the greater part of the world as
well.
Curiously enough, during the time the
firm was struggling to establish itself, the
two members OF it were the best of friends,
but when prosperity came to them causes
of difference arose, and their relations, as
the papers say of warike nations, became
strained. Whether the fault lay with John
Dandy or with William Strong no one has
ever been able to find out. They had mu-
tual friends who claimed that each one of
them was a good fellow, but those friends
always added that Strong and Dandy did
not ''hit it off,"
Strong was bitter man when aroused,
and could generally be counted upon to
use harsh language. Dandy was quieter,
but there was a sullen streak of stubborn
ness in him that did not tend to making up
of quarrel. They had been past the
speaking point for more than year when
there came a crisis in their relations with
each other that ended in disaster to the
business carried on under the title of Dandy
d Strong. Neither man would bulge, and
between them the business sunk to ruin.
Where competition is fierce no firm can
stand against it if there is internal dissen-
sion. Dandy held his ground quietly but
firmly, Strong ragged and accused, but was
equally steadfast in not yielding a point
Each hated the other so bitterly that each
was willing to lose his own share in a
profitable business, if by doing so he could
bring ruin on his partner.
When Strong found himself penniless,
he cursed, as was his habit, and wrote to
friend in Texas asking if he could get
anything to do over there. lie was tired
of a country of law and order, he said,
which was not as complimentary to Texas
as it might have been. But his remark
only goes to show what extraordinary
ideas Englishmen have of foreign parts
Strong got himself out there somehow, and
in course of time became cowboy. He
grew reasonably expert with his revolver,
and rode mustang as well as could be ex-
pected, considering that he had never seen
such an animal in London, even at tue
Zoo. The life of cowboy on a Texas
ranch leads to the forgetting of such things
as linen shirts and pager collars.
Strong's hatred Of Dandy never ceased,
but he Began to think of him less often.
One day, when he least expected it, the
subject was brought to his mind in man.
ner that startled him. lie was in Gal
weston ordering supplies for the ranch
when in passing u shop which he would
have called a draper's, but which was there
designated as dealing in dry goods, he was
amazed to see the name 'Danby & Strong''
in big letters at the bottom of q huge pile
of small cardboard boxes that filled the
whole window. At first the name only
struck him as familiar and he came near
asking himself Where have seen that be-
fore?" 1t was some moments before he
realized that the Strong stood for the man
zt trn OF itta ttA. .lntA IL,
dow. Then he noticed that the boxes
were guaranteed to contain the famous
Piccadilly collar. He read in dazed man.
ner large printed bill which stood beside
the pile of boxes. These collars, it seemed,
were warranted to be the genuine Dandy
g. Strong collar and the public were
warned against limitations. They were
asserted to be London made and linen
faced, and the gratifying information was
added that once a person wore the ID. g. S.
collar he never afterward relapsed into
wearing any inferior brand. The price OF
each box was fifteen cents, or two boxes
for quarter; Strong found himself max
ing mental calculation which resulted in
turning this notation into English money.
As he stood there q new interest begar
to I'll his mind. Was the firm being car
ried on under the old name by some on,
else, or did this lot of collars represent par
of the old stock? He had no news from
home since he left, and the bitter though
occurred to him that, perhaps, Dandy haC
got somebody with capital to aid him II
resuscitating the business. He resolved t.
20 inside and get some information.
"You seem to have very large stool
of these collars on hand" he said to tn
man. who was evidently the proprietor
''Yes," was the answer, ssYou see, W,
are the State agents for this make. w
supply the country dealers"
"Oh, do you? Is the firm of Dandy
Strong still in existence? / understood |
had suspended"
II guess not" said the man. ''The
supply us all right enough. STILL / reall
know nothing about the firm except tina
they turn out first-class article. We'r
not IN any way responsible for Dandy
Strong; we're merely agents for the Stat
of Texas, you know" the man added, wit
sudden caution.
Il have nothing against the firm," sal
Strong. II asked because once kne,
some members of it, and was wonderin
how 1t was getting along"
"Well In that case you ought to see th
American representative. He was here thi
week. That's why we make such di
play in the windows; II always pleases th
agent He's noe ~sstipg up the Stat