Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-06
lPhtladelphla Times.l

lPhtladelphia Times.) ~
ordinaxh& Rehssee no Sccasfon for
rejoicing III Bankruptcy proceedings
no - AvrQt * aHousekseper HI
beams upon NIL 4he Acustorners kwht
come into his little drug store, and Il
prebably the happiest man IN Narheftf
Ta1l bespussshe is bankrupG Untn re-
Gently H0usekeeper was a drUg cl4ri
In store at Nineteenth and Parrish
streets. and had 1t not been for the
bankruptcy proceedingsshe might have
continued to be = clerk for the remain.
der Of his day4e With his hands trus
deep In his pockets and little wreath,
of smiles sprinkled over his face. he
told the story to 3 reporter. yesterday
interrupting the narrative occasionally
to attend to the wants Of customers.
About ID years ago." he began. ia
friend OF mine. who is. a conveyancer
came 10 me and askc1 me to sign my
name to some mortgage bonds. He
said II was a mere matter of Formally,
and as did not think my signature
could create such rumpus as follow.
ed. complied with his request. How
many Of the bonds 1 signed don't
know, but they kept coming in with
great frequency. have since learned
that they made me what 10 known as
straw mana sort of cat's-paw to
pull other peoples chestnuts out OF the
fire. Att that time I was only % years
old and hadn't cent in the world ex-
cept the salary I made in the drug
store.
well. II wasn't long before the trouble
began. The creditors started to call upon
the straw man to make good, and sud.
denly discovered that owned half the
houses In West Philadelphia. to say moth
ing of four or five hundred properties in
small towns up the state. When I learn
ed what bioated bondholder and legal
scamp ! had become. unbeknown 10 nv
SELF. ! was frightened. My name began
to appear In the sheriffy advertisements
and I was billed to be sold out almost
every week. For some reason the sale
never took place probably because they
found out beforehand that there was
Il figured up my assets. one day. and
made them szis7: counting a pair OF old
with one blade broken, which valued a
u cents. Then | added up my liabilities
and they amounted to $2.s9l .ua,. 49, Even
II the trousers had been new and the
point hadn't been broken of the knife
could not have begun to satisfy such 4
thirsty lot OF creditors as these
Il was afraid to buy suit OF clothes
because | didn't know what mInut. Il
would by attached. l was SO nervous that
my fears were magnihcd beyond reason.
| imagined that III ] were 10 walk down
town dressed In fine clothes | would b..
set upon Immediately by creditors and
sent back home In n garb that would
make Adam blush.
You know it's a fearful responsibility
to owe $3.UJD,0. II isn't every man who
can owe so much. Things got worse and
worse and | was in a state bordering on
nervous prostration. Finally l couidn;
stand II any longer and consulted law
He asked il ! knew who my creditors
were and l said he must think | was a
human directory. for l owed thousand
or two To pretty nearly every man in
Philadelphia. Mr.. Culbert said that. un-
der the circumstances. 1t was no use try
ing to get releases from ali of them. tie
suggested the bankruptcy proceedings.
and now, thank Heaven. I'm free man
once more. | have this little store and
can wear n silk hat and a trcCk coat II
want to. oh. tell you it's "A bully thing
tu he a bankrupt.
The door opened and n bevy OF pretty
girls walked in. The man VINO had Owed
S. 0oO COZ was all business at once. As the
reporter came away he heard Housekeep
er say:
Vanilla. chocolate. lemon. orange.
peach and raspberry.