Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-23
ONLY SLIP OF PAPER

arseach bag to weigh 100 pounds. The
order was filed, the bill paid. and the
transaction closed.
One day recently a man with SON.
brero on strolled into the Office Of
Wade, Scales & Co. He took the blank
slip Of paper offered him and wrote this
on it:
Mr.. Nobody, from Nowhere. This is my name
until after our conversation
"Give that to the boss" he said. land
tell him think he'll be glad to see me-"
Curiosity more than anything else led
the staid and dignified Mr. Wade to al
low this unconventional visitor
chance to get into his private Office.
Once there. Mr.. Nobody said, IF I'll
show you where there is $1,000 due this
firm and easily collectable. $500 that
you know nothing about. what will the
| information be worth to me?'
Il don't see how it's possible" said
Mr.. Wade. that even with our great
business there could be that large
! amount due us and we know nothing
about it,"
"'Tell me what it's worth to me II, mg
| information is correct-and III prove to
minutes that it is correct-and then
We'll proceed to business"
information that this firm Is so fool
ish as not to know that an easy collect
| able $500 is due is worth $50 to any
| man who will prove it. Show me that
we are such business idiots, and I'll
give You $50 right out of my own peck.
ct. More than that. If by the faintest
chance what you say should prove true
, and we can collect the $500. I'll give
you third Of it,"
The sombrerOed stranger went down
into an inside pocket. go to your
books Sept. II. 1889" he said.
Mr.. Wade went to his books. There.
after the stranger had mentioned an
invoice number they found what in Il
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 II.
1890
1t did not take MIR. Wade and his
lookkeeper more than a minute t. find
out that instead of sending Il bill! for
10000 pounds Of sugar to John Fox
they had sent him bill for 400 pounds.
bill which he had paid promptly. A
receipt had been sent Mr. Fox and the
transaction closed. and the error had
never been discovered. There was due
the firm Of Wade & Scales from John
Fox $500 and interest thereon for
something like twelve years.
You see" said the visitor. II 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
a bill for the remaining 5000 pounds
III pay that. too. but l guess we don't
need to worry about the mistake The
other day John Fox kicked me out Of
his employment for Il trivial mistake
kicked me out penniless at that What
l am doing now you may consider
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. hay
ing received 10000 pounds of sugar
Mr.. Fox had sent on pay for only 400
pounds.
Within a week check for the full
amount of the bill and interest was re-
ceived John Fox was too good 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 never to pay until bills are
presented You never sent the bill for the extra
5000 pounds. JOHN Fox.
Was Fox a thief or simply CONNER
cially shrewd?
In the years that had passed John
Fox had become multimillionaire.
Recently he wished to open a great es-
tablishment in Chicago. A real estate
agent found him finely located build
ing near the heart of the business dis
trict. Fox came way on to look at 1t.
He went to the agents office and found
him looking somewhat downcast, as a |
man might look who was out fat COM |
mission.
"Mr. Fox" said the agent, II 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 it 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:
I 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
Inhn Eoy hold ont hiS hand and 20.