The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-11
CREDIT MAN ON HUMAN NATURE.
He Believes That Most Men Are Hon
est, Though Perhaps Not Always
From Good Motives.

He Believes That Most Men Are Hon
est, Though Perhaps Not Always
From Good Motives.
From the New Orleans Picayune.
1.-THE longer a man is a credit man.
the more faith he has in human ma
ture," was the remark dropped by Mr..
Charles s. Foster, ex-president of the
New Orleans Credit Mems Association,
the other night, as the regular associ-
alton meeting was adjourning.
what is that? The longer-what
was that?" urged a tenderfoot who had
never made any life and death chases
across the state to save some mans
credit. as well as his business future.
1.-THE longer a. man is credit man,
the more faith he has in human ma
ture." repeated Mr.. Foster. THE long
or he works in the business he VIII
discover that the vast majority OF man
kind are honest at heart and want TO
do the square thing. or course there
are exceptions. The exceptions prove
the rule. you know, and were 1t not
for the exceptions, the credit man
would be devoid of thrilling incidents
and experiences. He would De deVolo
of what the newspaper man Is eager TO
term deathbed cases.
1T haven't been a credit man long
enough to have a large fund OF the
get-there-qu ick-or-your e-lost cases.
Int some rather interesting ones came
To nv knowledge while l was serving
az the head of the local association.
There were two in particular, as they
now come to my mind. One Is GOOD
example of the class that are caieuiat-
ed To stimulate ones faith In human
nature: the other-well, IL IL one OF the
exceptions that make the other the
rule-you understand, one OF the ex-
ceptions. .ha
Southern Pacific Railroad in this state
| had a merchant whose credit was gilt
edge II was prime in every parucu-
! lar. His business was much sought az
| fer nv the leading wholesalers in this
| market as well as in New York ana
| Chicago. The mercantile agencies gave
| him a top-notch place on their DOCKS:
| He could buy to most any amount ana
| the same people would still gladly take
| more orders. He did an enormous bus
| mess. and his store in this thriving
| Southern Louisiana city was first-class
| in every detail There was the air OF
| prosperity about the place that enthus-
| ed
The Exception.
"Thfs Louisiana merchant conceived
| the idea of bankruptcy. He thought he
could see in his scheme the way TO
| make a handsome pile and never be
| detected at 1t. His idea came near
working out and he gave the New Or
| leans credit men the hveiiest chase 1
| have ever had anything to do with,
| before we discovered all his crooked
| ness.
"His previous business methods made
| 1t possible for him to get graft that
possibly no other merchant In the
| state could have gotten. 1t was his
| custom TO have an apex and base in
| his credit accounts. At certain time
of the year his credit was up to It's
| limit; IL was way up at the apex; then
| as the crop was harvested and the
money of his section came in, he would
wipe that out, until his books stood as
clear as a sheet of white paper. This
gigantic bankruptcy scheme was
launched at that period when the ac-
counts were wiped out. He had bought
heavily but had discounted all the or
ders; that is, paid for them within ten
days after delivery which allowed him
a certain per cent. discount. II cred
itor does this, the man in the whole
sale market is pleased. He will usually
set that creditor down as being good
pay. 1t speaks we'll So ii was with
this Louisiana dealer. He had in a
good stock and was paid up when the
drummers came around taking orders
for the fall delivery.
mo, no. this willy merchant would
say to the travelling statesmen. II don't
want any more goods. have a pretty
good line. We are fixing to do the big
gest years business in our history, and
/ will buy and buy heavy after a lit
tie, but not now. Wait a while. Come
in next trip and I'll See
Now. that is the way a drummer
wants to hear man talk. Just let a
customer say something about a big
years business, and a prospective
heavy purchase in the future, and
you'll never shake that drummer. This
customer didn't. either. OF course, he
had no intention of doing So but he
wanted to make IL appear that he was
not at all anxious TO buy goods, He