Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-06-02
4 SEWING !.
MACHINE STORY


It through the Vaccinations OF Mrs.
Johnson Potter. Mrs. Potter Is hon
est She lives up to her word. When
she came down to see about getting
machine she said some OF the most
astonishing things you ever heard
come out OF woman's mouth.
81 don't want to rent a machine.
she said. neither do ! want to buy
one l simply want to have one sent
In for two or three weeks so l can
get my spring sewing done. And l
don't want to pay anything for 1t.
have spent all my money for material
for new clothes and have no money
left to pay for a machine to make
them on. thought you might let me
have one on trial
Mrs. Potter's extraordinary candor
almost fioored me.
1T Is the usual superstition I re-
piled, cautiously. that when we leave
a machine at house on trial the
party intends to buy II eventually.
"'I know 1t is returned Mrs. Pot
ter. airily, but you have been In the
business long enough to know by this
time that half the people who get ma
chimes on those terms don't really in
tend to do any such thing They sim
ply wish to get the use OF machine
for a few weeks free of cost and then
send II back on the ground that 1t Is
unsatisfactory. The difference be-
tween these people and me is that
tell you the truth. and they don't. i
don't want to buy. and say SO: they
don't want to buy. and say they do
Il told Mrs. Potter that appreci-
ated her fat-footed honesty.
But I can't see.' said I, where we
come in. What do we get out of the
deal?'
"'Oh, as to that said Mrs. Potter.
7 intend to try to sell machine for
you. The woman in the Nat across the
hall Is going to buy. and II you will
send one of your machines around to
the house this afternoon, SO can start
right in sewing and SHOW her what
excellent work 1t does before she de.
cides upon something else, ! am quite
sure I can persuade her to buy OF
you -
AS soon as Mrs. Potter got through
talking i went back and told the man
eger and his assistants what she had
said. We all agreed that Mrs. Pot
ter was a curiosity. but we didn't
know what to do with her.
1T is my opinion said I. that We
ought to let her have a machine as a
reward for hef unparalleled truthful.
ness. OF course. don't take any
stock in that yarn of hers about try
Ing to sell a machine for the use III
her own. Nevertheless. ] think We
ought to accommodate her merely Is
an encouragement Of veracity.
AT last ] talked the manager
around to my way Of thinking.
but don't let her have one OF our
machines he said. Put her on with
a renter. She will never know the dif'
ference
The managers suggestion dred my
brain with brilliant idea
what's the matter said. with
letting her have that secondhand ar
fair made by the A b C company that
we got the other day in trade? We
will never he able to do anything with
It. and even II Mrs. Potter should
smash It all to pieces we wouldn't be
out anything = - Il
An right said the manager. 1t
IL your funeral Fix her out any way
you please. -"s
so Mrs. Potter got her machine.
We heard nothing from her for
three weeks, Then ope day she came
into the once. She brOug3 seven
women With her. and the way they oil
bowed and scraped and smiled at me
actually made me dizzy.
That machine you sent me Is .
treasure said Mrs. Potter. 1t does
the lovsjiest work you ever saw In
your NE. All these ladies say they
never saw such tuckine and stitching
and hemming. and they have decided
20 sen their old machines and buy
new ones lust HE II. In net, am
SO pleased with Il that am going to
buy one myself. although 1 can't see
hcw !. can aiFocd II Just nov. We oil
live in he same building. and would
IKE etsAt nschines sent up to that
address this sfserEooa- -a
..Mrs. Potter's wholesale order sur
pr.seA me into an honesty tfat was
ousdone only BY. he: own
-'Rut ve % not handle tnat maze