The record-union., 1899-08-21
THE MAJORS NEW TRUST.
A Great Promoter Takes the Land
lord Into His Confidence.

lord Into His Confidence.
1t was the landlord again with his
bill for the rent of the office. but he
had scarcely entered the door when the
Major advanced with outstretched hand
and greeted him with:
Good morning to you, and g-o-o-d
morning. You have come for the rent,
and, of course, you have brought the
bill? All. I see-I see. / was just
about to send a telegram asking you
to call. So many months rent-so
much. Correct to a. cent, and you don't
know how glad l am to do business
with a man in a busines way. Excuse
me, while l lay the bill away where
it will be safe and undisturbed for
months and years to come. There
it's done, and'--
I'm after the remit" announced the
landlord in a decided voice.
Exactly exactly - see. Three
months ago, when it was impossible for
me to raise $40, you showed your faith
in my integrity by renting me this
office. You have not lost it yet. If you
did not get your rent for the next six
months you would still go on trusting
me and feeling that your money was
safe. It is needless to add that l am
grateful-that your confidence in me
has touched tender chord
Look here, now, but I'm after my
remit" exclaimed the landlord, with a
threat in his tones.
Yes, you touched tender chord. ;"
resumed the Major as he wiped his left
eye with his handkerchief. II like to
| ha fo ha
fidence in me- When you called here
few weeks ago / explained to you that
/ had gone out Of law and real estate
and insurance, and had become pro-
moter of enterprises, but you were IN
a hurry and / had to cut it short. In
deed it was only an experiment then,
but to-day YOU look upon a Napoleon
of finance. Your hand, sir. Shake!
Congratulate me, and at the. same mo-
ment permit me to say that 1t does me
world of good to be able to repay you
for your untiring confidence in Major
Crofoot.'
Then you can pay the rent?" queried
the landlord as his face frightened.
MY dear man, I did not take Eou in
on my first five or six schemes, because
there was one chance in a thousand OF
failure, and I was determined that you
should not lose dollar through me. /
waited for a safer and better thing.
I've got it at last, and when you walk
down those stairs you will have posi-
tive contempt for corner lots worth less
than 500, 1000 apiece. Treasurer and
General Manager Of the Great Ameri-
can Rat and Mouse Trap Trust, | greet
theei"
But where's my rent: / did not come
up here for a dose of wind
1T was the incest, slickest JOB or
them all,' chuckled the Major as he
paced the floor with beaming face. THE
idea was my own-strictly original.
There isn't a house in America without
its rats and mice. OF late years COM
petition forced prices down till no man
ufacturer has been able to make cent.
To catch rats and mice you must have
traps. Owing to the low price, only
one trap turned out for every five hum
dred rodents. The uncaught rodents
do $50, ,0OO, 600 damages a year. There
was the situation, sir-t-h-e-r-e it was,
and was Major Crofoot equal to it?
am proud to say he was-proud to say
it. The first step VAS
account?" interrupted the impatient
| landlord.
.sThe first step was to protect the
manufacturers" calmly continued the
Major. "Forty-two rat and mouse trap
makers in America cutting prices till
you could buy trap for five cents and
get a pound Of tea thrown in. Forty
two circular letters from Major Crofoot,
grand promoter, brings about COM
bine and prices jump 30 per cent No
more throat cutting. Every trap goes
at a profit of five cents or no sale.
public must have traps or be over
run. Number of traps to be sold in the
next year 100000. Tt won't take you
a minute to figure out the profit. But
Major Crofoot does not stop at the
traps. sir, at 100000 rat and mouse
| traps paying a profit Of five cents each,
but he pushes onward and upward to
the cheese with which it is baited. No
use for trap unless you've got cheese
| in the house. Cheesemakers were try
! ing to do each other up, and the price
! went down to six cents. Dead loss OF
a cent pound to every maker. Major
| Crofoot steps in and there is cheeSe
| trust and prices go up until there is
four cents profit on every pound. Sale
| of cheese for batting rat and mouse
| traps, 1.450000 pounds annually. And
So my dear man, there you are, and
| there you are, and let us shake
hands again.
| "I'll be hanged If do. If you don't
pay this rent I'll have you out of this
| office inside Of three days!"
| do you know the present number of
rats and mice in America? How much
damage per capita? And while on the
subject study the cat. She is supposed
to catch mice, but one of our 10-cent
traps will catch twenty to her one, and
costs nothing to keep. Arouse public
excitement by getting out a circular ad-
vocating death to cats as q safeguard
against the spread of disease. No germs
or microbes about our traps. We turn
out four kinds of rat traDs and five
kinds of mouse traps
Hang your rats and cats and mice
and cheese!" interrupted the landlord
as he was gently led to the door; s'but
I want to know about this rent If
you are not going to pay shall take
steps at once"
'sAnd there you are-there you are"
blandy replied the Major, articles of
incorporation will be filed tomorrow.
and within a week you can enter upon