The San Francisco call., 1899-01-15
+ ND the point of the matter lies
right here-the American people
I are as a rule. honesti"

n ND the point of the matter lies
~ right here-the American people
~ are, as rule, honest!"
L - We sat chatting over our after
- luncheon cigars. He was the
confidential man of a large publishing
. house-an old friend of my college
days. We happened upon each other
occasionally, as men will in the course
of their business life. To-day we had
been talking over affairs in a desultory
way until the conversation drifted into
the topic under discussion. 1t was the
plan adopted some time ago by large
publishing house of sending cut books
on approval, the only deposit required
being the request for the books one
cared to see, which We're sent at the eX-
pense of the house. The recipient was
invited to look them over caretullE'
and. if satisfactory, remit the price
named, or if for any reason the DOCKS
were not wanted they were to be re-
turned at the expense of the house l
had often wondered if the scheme PAID
And the funny part Of it all is, con-
t;nued the confidential man. that our
h.avlest losses We're along the pclltlcal
line.
30 YOU know, Johnson, here's rat
tlirs good tip for any business man
Who could use the same scheme.
felt under obngation for pelns let IN
on The ground hcJr and SO said, out he
l,uncd :, ring or ty,o and assured me
ii WAS worth money, and became the
@ recourive audience ne 50 evidently
CTaVeG. '
when | first figured in the scheme |
put Ii all down in red ink, Just what L
. Inoueht it ought to cost, anu just What
If O, Nd A-h9I IL tnnlQ
: ne allowed to cost, based C1 a iar es-
innate. including losses and damaged
o. goods and All that. say. 90 you kAuW'
at my figures ii LETT suCn pretty proht
e that Tho scheme caught the old gentle
=: men 1T sight. Well, say, / never though
out e betUer money maker IL my Ilfe.
1t was d peach, sure enough. A1y mas
.. .IerpieCe,
= 'Well. sir. 1 kept tabs on the deal,
. and was ready t. haul in canvas any
day. l had margined With 20 per cent
for losses. If il went over that l Was
prepared to call halt. Inside OF SIX
months, before the firm had to gasp for
breath or lost enough to kick [ hoped
to prove the proposition winner.
What do you think il has cost US to
carry that department? Mind, we ad-
vertise TO prepay the express and all
that, and the people can fire the books
back ct our expense, too, if they don
want to keep EN-. We'll, sir, our en-
tire loss has been just , per cent.
Don't call for water yet, Wait till
g ] tell you the joke About % per cent
Of that was on that confOUnded pOliti-
cal book we carry-the pet of the firm.
Surprised? Well, l should say 50!
Every night before | went to bed | used
to kneel down and ask TO be forgiven
the bluffs [ put up at the office, espe-
ciaNy with the old gentleman. l never
missed a chance TO shrug my shoulders
and remind him that l predicted this
success; that it was coming out about
as I had thought. 1t put me on Easy
street all right and made me part OF
the firm-the bluff-or the game-or
both
And the other day I was talking
with friend of mine who is in the
boot and shoe business. l never saw
the man until he came into the office a
couple of weeks ago; but I'm violating
no condolences to call him my friend.
He swears by our friendship now! And
he's going to put goods out on the same
proposition-send you boots on ap-
proval. And any fellow who knows his
business and can stand for a six
months run at the game can soon learn
whether it's the song for him. AS !
told you at the start, the secret of the
matter, and the safety of the PROPOSE
tion, lies just in that simple little fact
you can bank on the American peo-
Pile; they're honest and they're
straightforward and clean.