Rock Island Argus., 1901-06-11
QUAINT WAYS IN RIO.
TO DISPUTE A BILL is TO MAKE
ONESELF AN OUTcAST.


Place In the World TO Get Credit
and the Hardest Place In which to
Dodge a Debt.
"Ilio 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,
and. If you are not on hand with the
cash-well. I'll give you n little expert
ence of my own TO show you what hap
pens.
Il went TO the city as the representa-
tive of n well known American house,
and at the outset l was surprised to
Gnd that it was practically impossible
for Inc TO pay for anything. Don't
bother about that, SENIOR the store
keeper would say. I will make an ac-
count of it, OF course my American
friends soon explained the system TO
me. and, while didn't like it. thought
best to conform to the custom of the
agreeable 10y kicking.
about two months after my arrival
l went to n native shoemaker's one
day, ordered Il pair of English riding
boots. and, as had been used TO wear
ing ready made footgear. 1 mentioned,
incidentally. that my number was 81.
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. one 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 Il. 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 !
had ordered. You said that you de-
sired them 10 the number of eight and
a half,' he added, and / accordingly
made you eight pairs and one boot,
right, which. IL you desire. l will eX-
change for left But, good heavens
protested. you ought to have known
there was some mistake, why on
earth should | order half n pair of
boots? He shrugged his shoulders.
That was not for me to inquire he
said.
81 realized that the fatal reputation
for eccentricity which Americans en-
joy the world over was partly respon-
sible for the muddlc. Still it was an
inexcusably stupid blunder. and, after
vainly arguing for an hour, l put him
on notice that 1 would only accept one
pair When 1 returned. sent back the
other 10 and considered the incident
closed. / heard no more about il, in
fact. until exactly six months later,
when l received n bill for So pairs o.
riding boots at $15 each-tOtal, S12T.5O
goId-and Il polite notification that 7Ia
pairs awaited my pleasure ut the shop.
''That made me furious. l sent the
man my check for SO 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 Il week every tradesman
with whom 1 did business advised me
courteously that he had closed my ac-
count-meaning that my future Gus
tom was not desired. Moreover, the
foreign colony all gave me the cold
shoulder, and when l dropped in at the
club the frost was something awful.
"At last l sent for particular friend.
Look here said, 4 want you to tell
me frankly why 1 am getting this ta-
boo Because you haven't paid for
your boots he replied. But this is
monstrousv said /. You know very
well that 1 never ordered S1a pairs of
boots. OF course not said he, but
you'd best pay for 'em all the same. 1t
ruins n man here he went on to eX-
plain. IF he allows any bill to pass set
tIement day. No explanation is per
mitted. and everybody joins in cutting
him. 1t seems hard, but we have TO do
it to sustain this credit system. If we
didn't. we'd all be ruined by bad ac-
counts
"I groaned I'm spirit. but 1 sent the
shoemaker $112.5O and told him to let
me have the rest of my boots / was
so mad L could have worn out the
whole II on his anatomy, but 1 pre-
served my outward calm and was
promptly reinstated socially and finan-
ciaIly throughout the town. Later on
I used seven pairs of boots as Christ
mas presents to friends and gave the
one odd one to one legged beggar
on tue plaza."-New Orleans Times
Democrat.