The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-04-09

Now, because your first wagon is
partly my creation, ! will throw in a
sunhower on the dashboard, a forget
me-not on the tail-board, and John Pet
ers either on top or below the for get-me
not SO you may have it, forget-me-
no. John Peters, or Ohm Peters forget
| me-not. Would this not be an adver-
tiser, rolling down hill and dale, through
| forest and plain, with always the same
refrain, ''forget-me-not John Peters, p"
only costing you four shillings, while
you pay as many dollars to have it in
| cold print which no one notices. No,
no, you cannot send your first born so
naked into the cold world. ! know
| you have more feeling than that, and
besides, your reputation would be blast
| ed forever. The artistic work on that
| wagon is worth as many dollars as |
ask in shillings, and because | have be-
come attached to it is the only reason |
do it so cheap.
he could not afford it. SO he paid me
the first shilling | ever earned, and the
| first wagon | ever painted rolled down
| the ages in an unfinished state, ofwhich
| wash my hands in innocence.
Now you know how | earned my
| first shilling by work, long and persist
ent work. and | suppose it would
be more interesting to you if | told you
how and when | earned my first one
hundred dollars, one thousand dollars,
from the experience of which you might
derive a greater benefit. But this is
another story and would embrace II
period of over tifty-siX years, too long
to tell here.
This shilling was my first nesting
for further accumulation. Whether |
saved it, and whether it is still part
of what | now possess, don't remem-
Der, but | do know that strict econ
omy in my younger days contributed
more to what | now possess than the
earning of it.
Now allow me to give you my first
important financial transaction, on the
outcome of which might have rested
my future veal or woe.
This happened in the year 1857, the
financial panic year. Many banks and
commercial houses failed, hard times
prevailed, and credit was guardedly eX-
tended. The merchants at that time
had to lay in their stock of goods in the
fail to last them until navigation open
ed III the spring. My father was fear
full lest we had not enough money to
pay up the old debts we owed to the
merchants, for these would not trust us
the supply of goods required for our
winter stock. The time was at hand
when navigation would soon close.
What should we do? No money to pay
our debts.
Somehow we were informed that a
teacher near Clarks Mills, had some
money to loan. was at once sent out
to apply for it. The roads were terrib-
~ rough as it had rained for several
days, and then froze. | started in n
blackboard in the morning, and arrived
at little house on hill where | was
told the school-teacher boarded. After
I =
lady, preparing dinner. AS she did
not know me. | introduced myself and
inquired for the teacher. She told me
he was ut the school and would soon be
around for his dinner. She pointed to
the school-house, not far distant.
went out to meet him rs | was too bash
full or proud To disclose in her presence
my beggarly mission. | soon saw the
children come tumbing out of school.
comes. Now take courage. Good day,
sir, excuse me, are you Mr.. Fleming.
| am glad to see you. | was sent by
my father to ask whether you have
some money to loan, He asked how
much | wanted. | answered Yankee
fashion, Che was a down-easterner) by
asking how much he had? lie replied,
well, | may have tive-hundred dollars.
All right, | will take it all. At my Gag
err, grasping answer he looked startled
and ii came near defeating my negotia-
tons. But it taught me n lesson, that
when you want II thing, don't be too
eager to get it,
lie said he knew Schuette's store, but
not that | was n son of the owner That
is so, | will identify myself when we
get into the house. 1t was now dinner
time and the farmer. Il think his name
was Evenson.) told him that | was
Schuette's son, not in Norwegian Gus
tom, in one word, but the son of John
Schueite, and that he considered us all
right. After we had all taken dinner,
took out my blank note with my faith
er's signature. Now" he said "be-
fore we proceed any farther it must
be understood that ii will be repaid
in gold, the same as | shall give you,
in six months from date, which will
be the time school is closed and when
| shall return east again, and the
interest to be twelve per cent" All of
which =! heartily agreed to.
| saw at once he knew more about