Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-26
ONLY A Sir Or PAPER


transaction closed
One day recently man with a som
brero on strolled into the office ..
Wade Scales & Co He tCos the Olanb
slip of paper offered him and wrote this
on it:
Mr. Nobody from Nowhere. This is ny nans
until after our conversation.
Give that to the boss" be said. ''ans
tell him | think he'll be glad 10 see me
/ Curiosity more than anything else LED
i the staid and dignified Mr. Wade 10 al
/ low this unconventional visitor Il
i chance to get into his private office
Once there. Mr.. Nobody said. IF III
J show you where there is Sl.5oo due this
/ firm and easily collecta bic. $1,000 that
I you know nothing about. what will the
/ information he worth 10 me-
! Il don't see how its possible" said
/ Mr.. Wade. that even with cur greai
business there could be that large
amount due us and we know nothing
I about it,
Tell me what its worth TO me If my
i Information is correct-and I'll prove to
you by your own books inside of five
we'll proceed to business
"Informati ton that this firm is so fool
ish as not to know that an easy collect
able $1,000 is due is worth $50 to any
man who will prove it. Show me that
we are such business idiots. and III
give you $50 right out of my own pock
ct. More than that. il by the faintesi
chance what you say should prove true
and we can collect the 81 500. III give
you third of it,"
The sombreroed stranger went down
into an inside pocket. Go to your
books Sept. -, 1889" he said.
Mr.. Wade went to his books. There.
after the stranger had mentioned an
invoice number. they found what in a
nutshell was this: shipped to John
Fox. Bicknell, Ariz.. 400 bags of sugar
of 100 pounds each-4o.000 pounds"
Now turn to your books of Jan. IA.
1890
1t did not take Mr.. Wade and bis
bookkeeper more than minute to find
out that instead of sending a bill for
10000 pounds of sugar to John Fox
they had sent him a bill for 400 pounds,
bill which he had paid promptly.
receipt had been sent Mr. Fox and the
transa ction closed. and the error had
never been discovered. There was due
the firm of Wade & Scales from John
Fox $1,000 and interest thereon for
something like twelve years.
You see" said the visitor. Il was
Mr.. FoX's bookkeeper for years and
years. When the bill for 400 pounds
of sugar came in. | said. I'll pay the
bill as it stands. and if they ever send
bill for the remaining 5000 pounds
I'll pay that. too. but | guess we don't
need to worry about the mistake The
other day John Fox kicked me out of
his employment for a trivial mistake
kicked me out penniless at that What
l am doing now you may consider a
piece of revenge. So it is largely, but
/ also need money"
The westerner left the place with $50
in his pocket. and the next mail took a
bill to John Fox for $500 plus the in
terest for twelve years. Actuated by
curiosity to know how the man would
explain the matter. Mr.. Wade inclosed
with the bill a query as to why, hav-
ing received 10000 pounds of sugar.
Mr.. Fox had sent on pay for only 400
pounds.
amount of the bill and interest was re
ceived- John Fox was too good a bust
ness man not to know that he must pay
instantly, but as far as his dishonesty
was concerned this is what he said in
his letter. the only bit of writing that
appeared except the name and figures
on the check:
make it point to pay until bills
presented You never sent the bill for the extra
5000 pounds JOHN Fox
Was Fox thief or simply conAner-
cially shrewd?
In the years that had passed John
Fox had become a multimilliOnaire
Recently be wished to open a great es-
adjustment in Chicago. A real estate
agent found him a finely located build
ing near the heart of the business dis
trict- Fox came way on to look at it.
He went TO the agents office and found
him looking somewhat downcast, as q
man might look who was out fat COM
mission.
MIR. Fox" said the agent. Il was ut
terly dumfounded this morning when
Informed by the owners OF the build
ing selected for you that they would
not let you have u under any circum-
stances. The owners are a firm of
wholesale grocers. When pressed
them for a reason for refusing to let the
property to you. the head of the firm
handed me slip of paper and said:
L understand Mr. Fox is to come to
see you today. When he asks you for
our reason in declining to rent to him.
simply give him this piece of paper"
John Fox held out bis hand and re- |
eeived the slip of paper from the agent
He unfoIded il He saw that ii was one !
of his own ietterheads. and below the
printing he read this. written in his
own hand:
Wade Scaics Co
Gentlemen-I make Il 4 point never to pay
until bills presented joan Fox