The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20

no further They demanded the sums due
them, and Insisted upon having the money
at once,
Il thanked them for their forbearance.
expressed regret that l had not known
that they had needed the money, and put
them off by telling them I would seriously
consider the matter and would communi-
cate with them in a day or two. l shook
hands with them again, and left them
standing talking the situation over among
themselves.
After had left them felt greatly re-
lieved and thoroughly satisfied with my
self for having faced them ALL had met
my creditors, had talked with them, had
shown them l was well disposed toward
them, and recognized what they had done
for me, and was no longer afraid to face
any of them on the street.
The situation was simplifed. I was in
the position of a culprit after sentence has
been passed. knew the worst.
las l subsequently learned, they stood
where l left them until they had taken
such action as business men should take
under all such circumstances-they APP
pointed the man to whom l owed the most
money committee to call on me the fol-
| lowing evening and demand immediate
settlement of all the bills under pain of
| judgment and execution at the sheriffs
| hands.
las 1 had met my creditors and was In
no fear of an immediate demand from any
| of them. was at home when the COM
mittee called. OF course saw him, for I
was sitting on my doorstep when he ar
| rived.
81 tried to put him off, but he was so
insistent that to molllfy him / asked him
to give me a statement of the sums owed
and to ask his friends to call on me the
following evening.
II knew l had exhausted their patience
and must try a new bluff, or judgments
| would mn
| hold supplies, and then the few shreds of
| my reputation that were left would be
| gone. These l felt l must save If there
was any way to do it.
The butcher, the baker the candle
| stick maker called at my house the next
evening. L treated them as well as l
could with whisky, beer and cigars that l
| had from the grocer for the OCCASION
rather enjoying the grocer's expression of
dismay as he saw his goods opened TO
| treat the assembly-and made a clean
| breast of my inability to pay their bills.
They became angry and threatened TO
| sue me. and so obtain their money,
| whether l wished to pay it or not. The
| sheriff, they declared, could get it if they
| could not and some of them were for
running off to their lawyers that night.
| Il quieted them sufficiently to get all to
listen to me, and saying had anticipated
| some such action and was prepared to
/ show that / was honest in the matter
| took from my pocket a bundle of papers,
in which L had confessed judgment to each
| one individually for the amount of his
| claim, with interest.
| Il told them l was unwilling that they
| should lose any more than 1 owed them;
| that felt it would be a shame to put them
| to the expense of paying out good money
| in a hopeless effort to obtain bad, and be-
| ing a lawyer, had decided TO conduct the
cases against myself and save them law
/ yers' fees.
"They were taken aback at my propo-
sition, not knowing what to make of it.
1 After a moments silence, during which
| they loked blankly at each other, my
| butcher said:
"'Wil you enter up those judgments
against yourself?
"'Certainly, / said, but you gentlemen
1 will have to give me about 80 cents apiece
TO pay the sheriffs and other fees, as /
haven't it myself, because without that
the sheriff won't receive the execution
"'Well, the butcher said, If it is as bad
as that 1 guess we might as well go, and
/, for one, won't bother with lawyers and
judgments. There's no good wasting any
more money on you. But next time you
send for meat, send the money or you
won't get it. See"
II gave them another drink and cigar
| from the grocer's supply, and they with
drew They talked earnestly on the side
/ walk before my house for while, and
| undoubtedly decided not to sue me, as no
lawyer ever asked me to pay one of their
| bills.
"That night 1 asked my wife what she
/ had in the house. She said we could get
along for a day or two, and the following
morning walked over the bridge, not even
enough to pay ferriage.
81 reached my friends office, sat at my
! desk and pretended to look over the court
calendar-which had about as much in
| terest for me then as the inscriptions on
| the Obeisk in Central Park-my courage
! all gone, and my heart in my boots.
| "An old lawyer a longtime friend of
mine, came in on his way to the court
/ house. / chatted a few moments with
| him. and as he was about to leave, pro-
posed that 1 should walk up Nassau
| street with him.
"He told me he was going to get an
order of reference in partition case. l.
| in half-hearted way, suggested that he
try to get all the attorneys to agree upon
me as referee. He accepted my sugges-
ton, made 1t to the other lawyers, and
] was appointed.
1T was the turning point. 1 went back
| to my desk with the order containing
my appointment, figured what my fees
would be, went to a shark who would
loan on anything that he thought half
/ way good--he then owned me body and
breeches-raised a couple of hundred dol
lars, went home at once, and, handing
my wife the money, told her to buy for
| cash the best dinner the market contained
not forgetting little something to drink
| and a good cigar.
After that 1 got a little business here
and a little business there. paid the trades
men off gradually and now l have all that
l care TO do.
80 far as / know, the tradesmen have
] never told of my having been hard up,
and, thanks to my little bluff, there are
| no judgments on the docket in which my
name appears except as attorney"
The House n Millionaire VIII Build.
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Newport, r. l., Dec. "A magnificent
mansion. built entirely of colored glass
bricks, has been planned to be built here
for a Pacific coast millionaire The ar
chitects are not as yet permitted to dis
close the name of the prospective owner
Of this unique architectural oddity-hrst,