Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1903-12-17
Forethought can
be grown like wheat
after we know how.
A HuNDRED-DoLLAR DINNER.


me a beautifully printed invitation
reading as follows: The committee
of management requests the pleasure
of your company at dinner on Thurs
day evening. Important plans will be
presented relating to the approaching
celebration" | went, | saw and was
conquered. The banquet was in the
interest of an old debt. During the
dramatic appeals and after the many
courses of gastric endangerers, | re-
marked that | thought the friends of
my department would give them
hundred dollars. The two secretaries
in charge of the subject replied that
they would help me If necessary get
that amount.
Failure.
BY experience | found my plan for
getting the money did not work. One
young man told me that would be in
money for the debt on his new house.
Nearly every one seemed to think
was holding him up.
Then came the following: Il am in
structed 70 write you with reference
to your pledge of one hundred dollars.
| shall be glad to have an expression
from you within few days so that |
may report to the committee. We are
in special need of funds at present
and of course nothing would be more
acceptable than the money. Very
truly yours, Secretary" TO which |
replied: "The plan / had for getting
that hundred dollars has been ratified
and it is not wise for me to promise
when i can pay it, though | have not
abandoned it,"
Trouble.
When the secretary saw me he twit-
| ted me of repudiatlng my signature.
| At another time | limited that he was
using the lowest form of commercial
promotion, jollying, in securing sigma
lures We had plenty of arguments
| pro and con. Finally we decided that
he should write me letter such as he
thought that | should have written
him, and then | should reply to 1t as
! thought he should have written me-
This is what he sent me: "Mr. Secre
tary: Dear Sir-I write you concern
ing the pledge | made to give or raise
one hundred dollars toward removing
the floating debt. When | made this
pledge. about year ago, | thought
had plan whereby the amount coulf
be easily secured. The plan has
fallen through. however, and | only
succeeded in getting three dollars,
regret very much that | am unable tt
comply with the conditions of my
pledge and must confess somewhat Il
a feeling of chagrin that 4 have faller
so far short of meeting my obligations
still consider myself bound to keel
the agreement, however, although an
Obliged to ask you TO grant me an ex
tension Of time. Ii is impossible TO
me to say just when | will secure TIN
money but as am troubled very mucl
about the matter you may be sure tina
it is my purpose to do this work at tn
earliest possible moment. Please tel
me what you think of this, and
should also be grateful for any sue
gestions you may make as to how
could go about raising such sum o
money. | have not had much eXper
ence soliciting money and not bein
very well acquainted with your wor
and the reasons why business me
should contribute to it, found mysel
handicapped to a considerable extent
Trusting you will appreciate the spiri
in which l write this letter. | remain
very truly yours"
The Other Letter.
In the sample letter sent him Their
we're blank spaces left for special il
formation for me from him. The TO
lowing is the compete letter: 'Dea
Sir-Your favor of the 9Th inst. col
corning your pledge of one hundre
1o,11oooo@@e ~~~@---~~e-~~-~N-@-~
TWO HEADS.
One worker met another and e