The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-13

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One thousand, two thousand, posi-
bly, three thousand people will soon be-
gin to wonder what has become of j.
.. Callahan, late manager, proprietor,
sole owner and hustler for the Amer
lean Shoe company that captivating
81 footwear proposition which furnished
the kicks for the handsome sum of
% cents. Callahan has went" His
company has closed its doors-he makes
no bones about it-and something like
1000 coupon books, which cost the hold
ers 81 apiece, are floating around with
little chance of being "cashed in"
The scheme was magnitudinous. The
traditional sucker fell in with little
hesitation. Briefly stated, Callahan
sold to one man for % cents a little
book containing four coupons. The
buyer sold the four coupons for %
cents each. Those who bought of him
each presented the coupons with 81 for
a book for themselves, and that done,
the original buyer, for his energy and
hustling procliyitieS. was entitled to
81 pair of shoes for the money he
turned in from the sale of the coupons.
The other buyers did the same, selling
their four coupons. which, when pre-
scented with the 81 at Callahan's Office,
gave them the snap shoe privilege He,
at any rate, made profit of % cents on
each pair of Shoes receiving S4.25 for
the 81 shoe-and in a case where one of
the buyers failed to turn in and buy a
book, he made the s1.25 deposited by the
less successful agent
The scheme was a somewhat compli-
Gated one, but, of course, Callahan
wasn't in it for his health. He neces-
sarily made money by the endless chain
arrangement. How much Callahan
made in Salt Lake can only be sur
missed. A great many were lucky, the
coupons they sold being turned in,
when they received the shoes forth
with, but as so many were so soon sup
piled, the hosts found it harder to dis
pose Of their coupons.
An Encouraging Start.
The scheme locally took root when
two or three months ago Callahan APP
preached Manager Aaron Levitt of the
Davis Shoe company, with the propo-
sition to sell shoes for HIM, explaining
the plan, and closing the contract
whereby the Davis people should allow
him 10 per cent for ali he sold. The ar
rangement was spot cash, and Gala
han advanced $1G0 to pay for all shoes
ordered by him.
The first day out fifty orders came in,
the second about sixty, and a like num-
Der on the third. Then it was slower,
but in all the Davis people have fur
nished about 400 pairs Of S4 shoes TO
Callahan's boosters.
This gives but a rough estimate of
the way coupons went out, it being
necessary to sell at least twenty of
them before one pair of shoes could be
had. a casual and fair estimate is that
Callahan got SIS out of every sale of
shoes. Weeks went on. the number of
books sold increasing and the number
Of shoes sold decreasing every day.
Finally, some weeks ago, Callahan
came to Mr.. Levitt and said the thing
had got to erd some time and when it
ended there would be trouble. When
asked why, he replied that there would
be a lot of coupon books out and he
would be unable to pay for the shoes
upon demand. The manager, who then
saw through the proposition, would,
under no circumstances, agree to fur
nish shoes at q less price, when asked.
He answered that he would give every
pair of shoes Callahan wanted to order
after the cash had been deposited to
pay for them. The work continued in
all its glory.
Another Big Opening.
Three weeks ago Callahan told Mr.
Levitt he was going to Butte, saying
there was a big opening there, and
leaving a Miss Erdly in charge of the
business here. He also left $50 on de-
post with the Davis people, and a sum
with Miss Erdly. Slowly this was paid
out to customers, and last Friday found
the establishment without funds.
The lady in charge wired: "Office
closed here unless you send money.
Wire answer"
Poor Callahan. His very interesting
answer came yesterday by mail. 1t
reads:
Butte, Mont. July TO- 1899
Mr.. Aaron Levitt, president Davis Shoe
company, Salt Lake, Utah:
Dear Sir.-I have delayed writing this
letter to you until the last moment, hop
ing that il would not be necessary to do
so. But the very worst has come TO pass;
to be brief. l am broke, and cannot
furnish money to keep the Salt Lake
business going. came to this city 50
fun of confidence in the success of my
she idea that l could see no chance for
IL to fail to make money | paid SO TO a
man that was here three days ahead of
me to leave the city. l then started in
what ! considered, the proper way to
make the scheme ago. Sent out solicit
tors, advertised in the newspapers. Went
out and hustled myself, and in fact did
everything that l could do. With all OF
this exertion. succeeded in selling .'one
pair of shoes" This can be verified by
dropping a line to Mr.. O'Rourke-(a shoe
dealer)-I cannot give any good reason
why the :dea did not take in this city.
Ny idea IS that the Irish (and everyone
here IS Irish would rather go out and dig
in The mines for 81 than 10 sell four
coupons. Now ! realize that my failure
TO carry out my agreement with the peO-
Die Of Salt Lake will put me out of the
'.shoe business" besides branding me
talsir thief AID everything that is de-
testable to honest men,
/ have thought OF all this and / hope
YOU VIII believe me when / say that
would give years Of my life to be able
uay Miss Eardley'' her salary, and |
hope you do not think me such a cur
as 10 beat this girl out of a few dollars.
If ] had a dollar on earth could not do
that and ! want TO say that whatever
comes of this affair. 1 viii see that she
viii get her salary up TO Aug. IS. For al
though l am without a dollar at present, 1
] do not Intend to remain in that condt-
tion.
Now I cannot suggest anything to do,
unless il be for you to consent TO furnish
shoes 10 US for $2.75 per pair. and OF
course l do not know what you think or
such a proposition. ! know that II IS
giving YOU the worst of il ii every way
and that. after you have done every
Thing for me, that one person could 40
for another. But what can / do? The
cold hard fact is that l am broke, and
that covers verything. ] write TO Miss
Eardley" bv this mail. ! do not know
what she will. or can do. I am simply go
ing TO tell her the truth as l have told 1t
TO YOU SO help my God.'
Well, Mr.. Levitt, if you can suggest
anvehing for me to do for goodness sake
write to me at once. And help one VINO
is down j. D. CALLAHAN.
AIr Levitt's suggestion was that if
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