The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-02-26
HOW HEGOT STARTED
A. MERCHANT TELLS or his WIN
MING sY a SHOW or HONESTY.


- Sterling. Honest Fellow
"You wish 20 know how I got my /
start in Caicago. eh7 Well, don't /
mind telling you about IL now, although .
you may not indorse the means adopt /
ed 1"
Here the merchant prince laughed
heartily. withdrawing his cigar for the .
purpose. After q moment or two he re- /
gumed:
Il had come here from the country, I
q gawky farmer hoy. ignorant Of the
ways Of the world and disposed TO re-
gard every city chap rs a sharper. Be
fore leaving home l had n settlement
with my guardian. who turned over 70
Ine $500 in cash, oil the POSSESSIONS ]
had In the world
The distress Of tho panic Of 1857 had
not passed. aud things were awfully
dull here Alter securing n modest
boarding house / applied myself with
diligence to tho seeking 81 employment
I'm the meantime assiduously studying
bookkeeping every evening. The 2l
years Of my life had beCn spent upon the
farm, and was utterly ignorant Of all
+ business methods. Hence l scnght hum
E lie work, being willing 20 begin at the
I lowest rung Of the ladder. But some.
how didn't catch en- / must have bccu
what is vulgarly called an 'ornery' chap
-uncouth in speech. vulgar in manner
/ and easily abashed Still l pcrsevercd,
I Offering myself as porter. coachman,
day laborCr. gardener. helper in grocery
/ st0res-in short. any kind of work that
u ,..r.a-fa TO vssrsfsh
perience. Once in awhile got job Of
saving wood. cutting grass and tending
I garden. but / spent far more than
earned. although ] lived very ecOnnEn-
ically Month after month passed in this
way until nearly olc-half Of my capital
was exhausted.
MY necessities led nc 90 much cogi-
tation. and having made rapid progress
in my study Of bookkeeping as well as
in knowledge Of good English finally
concluded to aspire to something higher.
A prerequisite 60 this step was the dof-
ing Of my old jeans suit, which had be-
come decidedly scedy. The tailor's bill
made big iuruad upon niy diminishing
capital. and the Thought q it set my
teeth ON edge Out went day after day
among tho merchants. Offering my sCrv-
ICES as bookkeepCr. accountant. ship
ping clerk or salesman. Lut 1 found nc
takers. Tho market vas suffering from
an ovcrsupply ~ tho commodity. ami
the demand was MI.
Finally I decided that something
had to b. done. I cou!I not and wuuld
not b penniloSs IN . lig city. l am nat
urally q n ssanguino temperament. hut
Elk months of clifuaccd igleue-s TO one
who loves work arc enough % l5ccluul
the suuniCst temper. Tut I rec you are
getting impatient. A change Gid fnal-
J. cCmC. UEc d..y Lir. LAWS. the b, al
a. the big dry eUufls store ON Lake
street. was surprised out % his u~ual
cquaEinsity ly the rushing; ia q an excit-
cd individual. myself. holding in his
hand n small bundle AID saying lro-
keuly;
- have found. sir. a package Of
moncy-a hundred dollars. think.
am n stranger In the city and wish you
20 keep IL until you find tho owner.
when be found br-lth. Mr. Davis.
who recalled ne - one who had applied
O. him moro than once Tor employment.
demurrcd. insisting that should leave
IL in the hands o. the police.
That will not do. sir. I know yOut
reputation and can confidently leave the
sum with you am desperately pooi
and unemployed. and any imputafiuz.
upon nv honor would kill me. Ny only
J wish is that this money may reach its
owner You will b. sure 90 find him
MIR. Davis Became interested
Is there any way q identifytuf
him-any name OF addrer, n the pack
ages
] think not. sir. replied. but the
bills. n you will ss-e. are done up in .
peculiar rei cloth-debiege think IL is
called-and II you would merely advcI
Z tisa tho fact that n sum of money hal
been found. and re4uind the applicant
a. name tho amount and the envelup
covering IL, you could not possibly mis-
take
Ny importantly finally overCame his
objections, and be took my address. aud
after pruuouncing mo n sterling honest
fellow. hado me come around In tbs
morning
Well. that wns my start in life
Mr. Davis grcctud me when I returI n
In the morning most eiIusively.
I've bccn thinking over that mattel
and confess that I Admire your honesty
There's no rtason in the world why yol
shoul.ln't have kept that money. Man
men who are far better OF than yul
woull have done 81 4"
He ended by Offering me a place b.
hind one % the counters no 60 n week.
and i've years later was his partner.
oh. the money A number q par.
ties answered tip advertisement. bui
they couldn't pruso un you sse. for the
best of all reasons The money was my
own. and Mr. Davis finally returned IL
20 me ran not the slightest risk and
: was satisfied that the act would hrinR
me under the favorable notice Of Mr.
: Davis
Yes. there was deception in IL. and