Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-01-30
THEARTNN"iOUCH!NG
HOW TO EFFECT SMALL LOANS IN A
GENTLEMAELY WAY.

GENTlEMANlY WAY.
/ Little DlsnertatlOn That Will Not
| Only Give ideas to the Impecuni-
Gus. but Also to These Who Desire
to Escape From Borrowers.
The conversation nj little stag supper
party the other night had driftcd to the
art Of touehing-in other words. to the
devious and diversified methods by which
small loans are secured from unwilling
victims--and also to the best plans for
evading the "toucher"
$50 many fellows make IL regular bust
ness of holding up their acquaintance
nowadays" said one Of the company.
''that it is really worth while to give Sc
rious consideration to some scheme OF
escape. have tried a number. and the
one find most satisfactory III the long
run is to hear the hard luck story through
! in absolute silence and then to say sim
! ply one word-'No! 1t makes u bitter
! enemy every time, OF course but IL has
the advantage OF putting a definite period
/ to the discussion"
II don't think that scheme would be
practical with Il really artistic convrrsa-
tional TOUGHER" said another of the party.
| II mean one of those fellows who lead
you up to the point by gradual and cir
cuitous route. You have a horrible pre-
monition Of what is coming, but before
| you know it he has you interested and in
a sense committed. He generally sug-
gests performing some slight service for
you, gives you the details. gets yunr ar-
prevail, and when he finally asks you Incl
dentally to accommodate him with IL five
IlI,
in no polition to decline. II you did You
wonld feel like a yuifian. You would
rather lose the money than put yourself
in such an uncomfortable attitude.
ITO illustrate what mean. although
| dare say you arc familiar with the
| breed" continued the speaker, ''let me
relate a little experience: Day before yes
| terlay man you all know sauntered in
| to my place of business He is notorious
| as TOUGHER. and the instant l laid eyes
| on him l knew be was after the usual
| small lean and made up my mind firmly
| he shouldn't get it, He greeted me in
pleasant. offhand fashion and took seat
at my desk.
Say. Charley he began. do you ever
| do any business with -? And he
named hotel man here in town.
II admitted tina, didn't.
"'Wcll.' he continued easily. I believe
you can get q good sized trial order from
him if you try With that he went OH ia
tell me how he had met the hotel man the
night before and had heard him mention
casually that he needed scme things in
my line.
'''rhen he proceeded to question me
about prices. and said he would take oc'
cas;on to hiring the matter up next time
he encountered his man and would get
him to stroll around to the store and have
a chat with me.
"Now. bear in mind, | knew in my
heart all through this long. detailed. cir
cumstantiaj preamble exactly what was
coming, but it was put to me in such
pleasant. easy and natural fashion that
in spite of my strenuous efforts found
myself gradually entanslcd in its meshes
and finally resting under more or less OF
ali obligation to my visitor. At last he
got up to 60 and, just rs anticipated. he
said:
"'Ry the way. old man. l wish you'd
let ule have q couple OF dollars until l
see you again.
II writhed internally, but ! handed
over the coin. l gave it not out Of con-
sideration for his feelings. hut out OF con-
sideration for my own. After being
lurcd into that conversation it was impos'
sibic to refuse without feeling utterly
cheap and mean and experiencing far
more than 81 worth Of actual dis omfort.
Do you catch the pointT'
II understand exactly what you ,nean.'
said another Of tho diners, land agree
with yol that that type OF TOUGHER IS
har,ics, to combat The ouly man | ever
= l. .F,,nr
LAWYER who is now dead lie was an
exceedingly generous man, and his repu-
tation in that respect made him a com
mon target but Ike had IL settled aversion
to being 'wcrEr.l.
with the breed You describe he had
fixed programmes Before the TOUGHER
had said a dozen words he would sudden
ly raise his rirh, hand. palm outward.
"'Stop.' he would say. and first tell
ME cH"ctly what you wish me to do for
yon.
"IhAt gesture and abrupt demand were
terribly JiscunctrtilE. and the visitor
grilrraIly began 20 i!uun,lr!, 1T the old
yenlirll.:lu wuuid hold him Grl,'rstIcS-l.
to the point.
"'Whnt is IT, hc would say. Tell iEH
plainly and briefly. ans! We will discuss
the other matter uftrrWara.'
THAT robbed the TOUGHER OF his care
fully arrange! pr,.iublc aud reduced him
to the bald fact that he wanted money,
which | never knew but one to have
nerve enough t" PVT into SO many words.
A. 4 rule. they wonid look embarrassed
and stink out.
II have tried the same scheme myself,
but | must confess it didn't work. MY
TOUGHER looked blandly at my appraised
palm. remarked that | ought to get my
nails manicured and went ON with his
touch. | guess | lacked the old advo-
Gates imprcssivcness. - New Orleans
Times Democrat
4 NcixhbOrIy View.
>nf --N.,lr ,lntr nt,ivhbprS ~