The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-12-01

l. How long will 1t take to finish thia
city," came the next anxious inquiry.
"Oh, possibly three months, maybe
more" j.;
What! three or four months, and
an average of 500 contracts day?
Man alive! How can l take care of all
that business? Great Caesar! you're
got me swamped the first day."
well, that's your lookout. Your
contract reads that I am to make a
complete canvass of the town, and you
are to pay me so cents cash for each
contract and order and pay cash 1.-TWO
dollars), for each jardiniere. am
here with my men and shall expect
you to do as you agreed"
But" figured the laundryman, "just
see what l have to contend WITH 1t
means that have to pay you and the
pottery concern $500 the first week.
and you will food me with 5000 wash
ings in the same length OF time, and
you can see that within three months
l will have to pay you in cash $87, 500.
and I will have $4,000 more washings
to do every week than l now have, pro-
vided they should all STICK
WELL" the CRATER asked, dryly,
chow about your cash receipts every
day, and every week? These custom
ers have to pay their bills, and you
will certainly get in an ocean of money
from them"
''That isn't it; the question is, how
am going to take care of all this
business with my present facilities?"
insisted the laundryman.
Expand, expand" was the grafters
suggestion.
Indeed, l won't have time to ex-
pand, besides, I'll be In the insane
asylum before three weeks, to SAY
nothing of three MONTHS if this keeps
up"
Il suppose you have lots Of COM
petition suggested the CRATER.
eyes, we have plenty of that
well, We will put all the other
laundries out of business inside of 80
days, and then all you will have to 10
is to buy their plants cheap and mo-
nopolize the business
'That's all right to talk about, but
your methods would break up a dozen
men like me in no time. What's going
to be done? If you keep this up, I'll
be ruined financially inside of week
I am not a millionaire, and have
| worked hard to establish this little
business, and there is no use in your
going on with this work, because
can't stand it,
But your bondsmen are all right,
are they not? Perhaps they will see
the necessity of backing you in this
enterprise"
mo, III never ask them to do that"
the laundryman vowed, "and you might
as we'll let up right away"
You understand, Mr.. -" said the
CRATER, that this contract is worth
lot of money to me-" and in order
to prove it to him, he showed him in
plain figures just how much it was
| worth. Then he explained that the
pottery concern allowed him a commits
sion of Is per cent, or 30 cents, for
each jardiniere. The CRATER paid his
! canvassers 20 cents each for every con-
tract secured; leaving him a profit of
30 cents on each contract, which, to-
gether with 80 cents more on each jar
diniere, made him profit of so cents
| on every contract taken, and 500 a day
meant to him clear profit of $500,
or $1,000 per week. as the canvassers
paid their own board and all other ex-
penses, except railroad fare
This was revelation to the laundry
man. who by this time began to realize
the sort Of game he was up against"
and instantly began to plead for a set
Element
Glow much are you willing to give to
be released?" the CRATER asked.
+ 'You tell me the least you will take
and let me out of this muss."
"Well," the CRATER replied, "you can
figure, if it takes about three months to
finish this city, that will mean about
IL weeks, of six working days each
which means IS days, and if my profits
! are $500 per day, you can see that my
gross personal gain for that length OF
time will amount to $50, 400 cash."
BY this time the CRATER had his vic
tim walking the floor; and, anxious to
settle on the spot, he once more asked
for bottom figures.
well, I'll tell you. I'll take $6,00v
in cash and call the deal off,
This, the CRATER explained, was al:
| ways his compromise offer, and while
he had, on two different occasions, re-
| ceived that amount, he figured ON get
ting $4,000, and wouldn't refuse half
that amount if he couldn't do better.
| After the CRATER had finished his
story, l said I thought he could make
the scheme legitimate and we'll paying
one by going into large city and con-
| tracing with several different laundry.
men to secure, for each one, from 5000
| to 10000 contracts, and keep up the
business, in business way; or, If he
could find a laundry concern with a
large enough plant and sufficient
money to back the scheme, they could
all make big money out of it.
| He laughed and said: Eyes, know
that is true hacauso 7 str,,ok ono n,r