Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-10-16
A Self-Made Merchant
Telling the Truth on the InstaIIment
Plan is Safe - For Very
Short Time

Your first report looks SO good that
I'm little afraid of 1t. Figures don't
lie, know, but that's only because
they can't talk. AS a matter of fact,
they're just as truthful as the man
who's behind them.
It's been my experience that there
are two kinds Of figures educated and
uneducated ones-and that the first are
good deal like the people who have
had the advantage Of Il college educa-
ton OH the inside and the disadvantage
of a society finish on the outside
they're apt to tell you only the smooth
and the pleasant things. OF course it's
mighty nice to le told that the shine
of your shirt front Is binding the floor
managers best girl. but If there's a
hole in the seat of your pants you
ought to know that, too, because sooner
or later you've got to turn your back
to the audience.
Now, don't go off half cooked and
think I'm allowing that you amt truth
full, because think you are reason.
ably so, and I'm sure that everything
you say in your report is true. But is
there anything you don't say in it?
A good many men are truthful on the
installment pan-thatlis, they tell theiI
boss all the good things in sight about
their end of the business and then
dribble out the bad ones like fellow
who's giving you list Of his debts.
They'll yell for week that the bust
ness of their department has increased
10 per cent and then own up in whis-
per that their selling cost has increased
90 In the end that always creates q
worse impression than II both sides OF
the story had been told at once or the
bad had been told FIRST. It's like buy
ing a barrel Of apples that's been dea-
coned--after you've found that the
deeper you go the meaner and worm.
fer the fruit, you forget all about the
layer Of big, rosy, wax finished pippins
which was on top.
never worry about the side Of a
proposition that can see. What ]
want to get q look at Is the side that's
out Of sight. The bugs always snug
gle down on the underside of the
stone.
The best year we ever had. in our
minds, was one when the superintend-
ent Of the packing house wanted an in
crease in his salary, and, to make q
big showing, swelled up his inventory
like a poisoned pup. 1t took us three
months to wake up to what had hap
pened and year to get over feeling as
IL there was sand in our eyes when
we compared the second showing with
the first. An optimist is as bad as a
drunkard when he comes to figure up
results In business; he sees double. I
employ optimists to get results and
pessimists to figure them up.
After I've charged of In my inven-
tory for wear and tear and deprecia-
ton deduct a little more just for luck
bad luck. That's the only sort Of
luck merchant can afford to make a
part Of his calculations.
The fellow who said you can't make
a silk purse out of sow's ear wasn't
on to the packing business. You can
make the purse, and you can I'LL it, too,
from the same critter. What you can't
do is to load up a report with moon
shine or an inventory with wind and
get anything nose substantial than a
moonlight sail toward bankruptcy.
The kittens Of wildcat are wildcats,
and there's no use counting on their
being Angoras.