Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-05-09
QUAINT WAYS IN RIO.
&C DISPUTE A BILL is TO MAKE
ONESELF AN oUTcAsT.

p Brazilian Capital Is the Easiest
Place In the World to Get Credit
and the Hardest Place In Which to
Dodge a Debt.
"Rlo Is the easiest city in the world
to get credit in," said a New Orleans
man who lived for awhile at the Bra
lillian capital, "but it's the worst place
IN the world in which to dodge a debt.
All business there is done on the semi
annual account system, and you can
get anything you want and have it
charged without difficulty, but the end
OF every six months is settlement day,
md if you are not on hand with the
cash-well, III give you a little expert
ence of my own to show you what hap
pens.
Il vent to the city as the representa-
tive OF \ well known American house,
and at the outset l was surprised to
lind that it was practically impossible
for me to pay for anything. Don't
bother about that, senhor,' the store
keeper would say. Il will make an ac-
count of it, OF course my American
friends soon explained the system to
me. and, while l didn't like it, l thought
best to conform to the custom Of the
country without rendering myself dis
agreeable by kicking.
"About two months after my arrival
l went to q native shoemaker's one
day, ordered a pair of English riding
boots, and, as l had been used to wear
ing ready made footgear, l mentioned,
incidentally, that my number was Sh.
The shoemaker gravely made a note Of
the fact and promised to send around
the boots as soon as they were done.
Several weeks elapsed, when, n morn
ing, a porter came staggering into the
office almost buried under an enor-
nous load Of English top boots. To be
exact, he had II. was thunderstruck,
but as he could give me no explanation
except that they were mine l rushed
Immediately to the shop, where the
proprietor received me blandly and in
sisted that he had merely sent what l
had ordered. You said that you de-
sired them to the number of eight and
a half he added. and l accordingly
made you eight pairs and one boot, a
right, which. If you desire, 1 will ex-
change for a left But, good heavens
I protested, you ought to have known
there was some mistake! Why on
earth should l order half a pair Of
bootsY He shrugged his shoulders.
That was not for me to inquire he
said.
II realized that the fatal reputation
for eccentricity which Americans en-
joy the world over was partly respon-
sible for the muddle. Still it was an
inexcusably stupid blunder, and, after
vainly arguing for an hour, 1 put him
on notice that l would only accept one
pair. When l returned, l sent back the
other Is and considered the incident
closed. l heard nc more about it, in
fact, until exactly six months later,
when | received a bill for Sh pairs Of
riding boots at $15 each-total, $127.5O
gold-and q polite notification hat ~
pairs awaited my pleasure at the shop.
"That made me furious. I sent the
man my check for S15 and told his
messenger to sue me and be hanged.
But he didn't sue me. They have a
much more effective method down
there.
within q week every tradesman
with whom l did business advised me
c%ourteously that he had closed my ac-
COMMUNICATING that my future cus-
tom was not desired. Moreover, the
foreign colony all gave me the cold
shoulder, and when dropped in at the
club the frost was something awful.
TAT last l sent for a particular friend.
eLook here l said. Il want you to rs"