Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-29

tndl II tDey "oulu utNttt LitiT uHutlidbiN
remarkable talents to some legitimate pur-
suit that they now devote and have al
ways devoted to the sole business of con-
tracing debts that they never meant to
achieve eminence."
ITO illustrator"
illustrate? Well, I'd hardly know where
to begin. But I'll tell you of case that is
freshest in my mind. because 1 The
young man only this morning, after see
saving with him for more than solid
year over the payment of haberdasher's
bill that he has owed for three years. Not
that this has been my first year of dealing
with him.
On His STAFF for Six Years.
Lets see I believe I've had him on my
staff for something like six years. And
never got a cent from him. Fact is, I'm
always in fear now when I get to see him
| about his last bill that he will touch me for
whatever loose change I may have in my
| clothes
Smooth? Well. he IS sufficiently smooth
not to have pai6, according to my actual
belief. as much as 500 In five years for
what he has worn, and he is one of the
best-dressed men in this town.
| He is medium paid clerk in one Of the
| departments. Once in every two or three
| months am able to catch him at his desk
| but l always go to his club first, at any
! hour OF the day; so you can figure for your
| self how he earns his government pay.
He has too much vitality to WORK you
see, and more than enough oleagipousness
! to hypnotic them into letting him out of
| work. His pay goes for flowers, cabs and
! such like, and he has even been known |
| hear, to buy a drink occasionally, but not
! often The way this young man has made
a smian out of one of the leading tailors
| In Washington is something that I lie
| awake nights studying over.
you know a bill never gets into my
hands for collection until the creditor has
| n o. fsnn1 ans .,I,r
suit to collect It. Well. do you know that
] have in this wallet right now three heavy
| bills. contracted during three different
years by this young man at the tailor's
establishment I am speaking of, and that
/ ne Is still having his clothes. and lots of
| them, made there?
Here is the history OF these three bills:
| The tailor sent for me one day and hand
ed me bill No. l. I can't get cent out OF
that young whelp he said TO ne. See II
you cam
II grinned in his face
What the deuce IS the matter with
you? he asked me.
Then, of course, I told that tailor of
| what a golden fleece hunt he had on his
hands-how l had known his man for three
! years. ard had never seen the color of a
| sou OF his. His face grew long.
can do
so I started The young chap smiled
amiably at me when l first saw him about
| that particular tailors bill.
''Go TO the devil, as usual was his
| RreetinG delivered cheerfully
Kept at Him for Six Months.
| II kept at him for six months. and got
| the oId-time receptions from him that
| knew so well. Flat broke; aunt Just on to
| visit from the west. and he had to enter
| tain her; had to contribute to send a friend
| abroad to keep him out OF a scrape; come
| around next week, or next year; give us
70 vFnI erirl ar1I t1aaf,
] 1t would be all right, all right; got roped
! into a poker game last night and dropped
| the whole bank roll; pay you sure next pay
| day, and all the rest of it.
"At the end of year he went down to
| that tailor and ordered some more clothes.
I Big marriage on hand, or something, and
must have EN-: The tailor let him have
| the clothes. Why? Search mel Then, In
due time / was given bill No. TO nestle
| alongside bill No /.
| well, there's no use in going into details
| about bill No. q 1t was the same as be-
| fore-same stories, same smoothness. And
| I made my reports to the tailor accordingly.
| He fretted and fumed.
.Confound him! I'll sue him. he said
| finally.
And he did He got Judgment. Of course.
| What was the good of the judgment? The
| Young mans possessions consisted chiefly
| of the very clothes the tailor who got the
Judgment had made for him, and you can't
| levy on a mans clothes.
! "WeU. sir, do you know, that young man
| last year sprung rich uncle Impending
| demise yarn on the tailor and got another
| big OUTFIT of toys from him. That's why
I've got bill No. in this wallet now. Ana
even vet I'll give you my word that that
! Young fellow win be getting more clothes
| from his tailor man yet-plenty of clothes.
| I'll have bill No. after while.
Work Different Outftters.
"other ingenious youths of this town
| with less mesmeric power. but with a de-
sire for greater variety. perhaps, do the
thing differently. They work their edge on
one tailor, halter or haberdasher only once
| Then they work another tailor, halter and
haberdasher. After they get Washington
pretty we'll covered they work other cities,
and lots of 'em even hit up New York, and
make II stick, too, by the use of scientific
credit-gaining methods. I've got in this
wallet bills against Washington man who
has no apparent means of support except
his face that have been sent to me for col
lection by all sorts of dealers in Baltimore
Philadelphia and New York The man of
fers me cigar when l go to see him, and
then invites me to disseminate myself to
the four quarters of the globe
'The debtor who lives in hotel is never
in of course, when ! send up my card.
Moreover, he always has secret fnforma-
ton of the fact IL lay for him In the lobby
of the hotel, for he never comes downstairs.
HE sends for lot of papers and maya
zines, l guess, and makes a pleasant day in
his room OF 1t. / charge extra commits
sion for collecting bills from debtors who
live in hotels.
but the most interesting lot have been
dealing with for quarter of century are
fronts" and with nothing else to lift them
on In the warfare OF Life. They don't need