The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-03-29
md supper. bought all l wanted

of him.
" How much did you buy?' l asked.
" Seven dollars worth
: ." Well, l said, 1 am not much OF
talker, and can't sell you any.
thing if you are already supplied. ;,
Nevertheless, sold him $50 worth in
the next twenty minutes. -
" How did you do it," | inquired.
At another time my brother and /
drove to a farm, - Secretary Shaw
continued, ignoring my question nv
brother was in the business, too, and
we would meet every Saturday night
and compare notes. He went to the
house and in half an hour came out
and said: That is the hardest case 7
ever have had. | tackled the farmer
and got big order. How did | sue
coed? By getting the confidence of the
customer. | have won more law suits
by my opening statements than in any
rateer way. Opposition nursery agents
would guarantee that everything
would grow..>I wouldn't. impressed
the man with whom | was talking
with the reasonablenesg of what
sale If he wanted something that
would not lowell in his soil told
him so. Just the'sme, was watlI
full concerning my own s1asnents. sed
might say to farmer: sDon't ysl
think you ought to plant some cur
rants?''
eyes, he would say 1 will take
a few.
" Will 100 be enough?'
Now, if l had not put the number
at 100, he would have ordered 200 or 300.
have seen plenty of such orders,
but never took any myself. l don 7
expect to sell 100 currant bushes to
one man. Accordingly, the farme,
would say: Give me twenty-five, and
next year may buy more, Z"
And thus you paid your way
through college?''
eyes, through Cornell college ano
the Iowa college of law. In the mean
time saved $1,000. | went back to
Denison to the county in which l had
sold narsery stock, and opened law
office. That was in 1876, and Hayes
had been nominated for president.
stumped the county. | was known
to multitude of farmers, but my
speechmaking widened my acquaint-
ance somewhat Better still, it gave
the farmers another view of me.
reasoned that they would not have an
overpowering confidence in nursery
agent turned lawyer. However, l was
republican and wanted to help my
party.
After the election of November,
a man who had been making abstracts
of all the land in the region offered
to sell his books for $500. | consult
ed James Perry Conner, who is now a
lcesgresentati. in congress: There
were about twenty-five LAWYERS in
Denison, which was then small town,
and times were not brisk in our pro-
fession. Buy the books Conner
said, and l will take you in partner
Ship | agreed. What is your idea
about division Of the fees?' he ask.
ed. You keep what business 20,
have, l answered and I'll keep wha
l have. We will divide the profit
= on everything else. We were part
ners for years on that contract"
"You loaned 100000 in twent
!, years on farm mortgages?'
y Farmers began to come to US fc
d loans. / obtained the money at frs
in Vermont. 1t was loaned out at
l. per cent interest and commission.
IS That is, a farmer or other borrowe
1T would give his note for 81, 900 at
/ per cent and pay $500 commission
1T The eastern lender was paid the inte
$; est and $40. We received g per cen
W or $50, for our trouble. Gradual
rates went down to per cent lntere
~ and per cent commission. We e
= IdDllSUGu lllIGG UdDhS, ulu we'll dI
W are doing we'll today. Our connection
ly became so various that it was custom
Je airy to ask a juror if he did bushes
I'd with Shaw & Kuehnle. When a farm
l er bought cattle we wrote the pape
I'd and supplied the money. When
N purchased farm we made the NOR
G. gage. Before he died we drew his will
at a man of Denison went away frol
to home and was arrested on the chars
rd of attempting to collect an account IL
VS. representing himself to be deput
Sc sheriff. After being led from place
I'D place all day, he was locked up 6
IN night. Worn out and defiant, he sale
ar IF you don't let me go shall SCI
~ for Shaw. -
nd "Who in thunder is Shaw, he W;
KS asked. An Attorney"
m "No, he's lawyer" the ma
il shouted. This story pleased the Sc