The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-26

selfish on MT. Harper's part to want to get him in the restaurant business, for 1t would mean that Harper would be the manager, but he assured MT. Flodden that his main desire was to have his friend well settled.
 MT Flodden assured MT. Harper that, far from being selfish, he was acting in a most praiseworthy manner. And MT. F'lodden was equally sure that no better opportunity in all New York was open to Mr. Honan than MT. Flodden had to offer. Then, he took MT Harper through the restaurant. Everything was new, Everything was neat and orderly. visit to the kitchen and the store room was equally satisfactory. The inspection trip over MT. Flodden got down to his fine work He told MT. Harper it was nol necessary, of course, to tell a person of his experience what restaurant was worth.
 Aside from the fixtures, everything de pended upon the volume of business .Sothng could induce MT. Flodden to sell but the fact that his wife was frail and it was necessary to take her to more favorable climate. Of course MT. liar per did not know so much about New York as did MT. Flodden, but if he made inquiry he would learn that Twenty-fiftl street was the Broaway of upper Man hattan It had many theatres, many street was the Broadway of upper Man. and a great population to draw upon The growth of Harlem was amazing The restaurant did excellently. Possibly Mir Harper did not know 1t, but New Workers patronized restaurants more literally than any other people in the world 1t would surprise MT. Harper tt see tie trade Floddens place did on Sat urdays and Sundays. It had good profitable business every other day, but on Saturday and Sunday dozen extrt walters were employed and there had to bo extra help in the kitchen. And the people spent freely, too. No one could make Mr. Flodden believe times were hard. Too many of his patrons took wine with their meals to make him consider that hard times chatter as anything but idle talk.
 MT. Harper listened with rapt attention To every one of MT. Flodden's state ments he nodded assent. When MT. Flod- den finished speaking MT. Harper tol1 him he knew how great thoroughfare One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street was, how surprising had been the de velopment of Harlem and how excellent was the opportunity for such restau rant as MT. Flodden owned. But pos siblv MT. Flodden held the place at too high a figure. Would he mind stating the prlc6 al WnlCn ne Wouiu SSii. Mr. Flodden said if MT. Honan would pay cash he would be willing to sell al a sacrifice He did not want to appeal linouisitive. but would MT Harper mint telling him, as friend, how much MT Honan had to invest?
 MT. Harper hesitated a moment and then rather reluctantly stated that MT Honan had $2S,000 cash
 MT. Flodden beamed. He patted MT cha nd Sqid ba fell it was lucky for both of them that the, had met.
 My dear fellow" he said, this ii | just the chance you are looking for I've told you why>I have to sell. Pv' told you, too, I would sell at sacri flee. No one knows better than l d' how much this business is worth. want you to see for yourselves. Sup pose you and MT Honan come here al often as you can for the rest of thu | week. Or, better still, suppose vol come here and remain on the job as 1 were, through the afternoon and nigh you know we have a great nigh trade here. You can judge for your selves. You can go over the books, SCI the receipts, estimate the profits an know exactly how things stand. The you can figure how much this bushes | is worth to YOU. Between you and me MT. Harper there's from $10,000 to $15, 900 a year to be made here, and yo are the man to make it if I am an judge of men. I would as soon hay you for manager as any man I've eve met. Now, here is my propositions; IT llet this weeks business be the basi on which we estimate the value of tn | restaurant If the profits show, fig uring rental, light and all othe charges, that there is $10,000 year t the owner of this place I'll sell for SEQ, | o0O If it shows $12.500, I'll sell fo ss5,o00 If it shows $15,000, I'll sell fo S30,O00 That would mean 5 per cen dividend to the owner. But I told yo I'd sell at a sacrifice. and I'm ma of my word. Whatever the price i' lll knock off S2000, and I honestl think you personally ought to get tn
 saO0o for MT. Honan will make enoug
 for himself and it will be throug
 your management that he makes it."
 MT. Harper demurred to the suggestio
 about the 5000, but MT. Flodden argue
 so well and persuasively that he finall
 consented to think about it. But. reall.
 MT. Flodden, MT. Honan ought to get it,
 he insisted.
 .'hat's all right, my boy said M
 i-,odden. Let this be a matter betwee
 ls two And now there is just one thin
 .,,,,re I'd like to come to settling tn thing at the earliest reasonable time. ft .c sooner get Mrs. Flodien away tf aicr. I'd like to close the deal Q
 aronday. You'll have ample time to stud figures"
 Mr. Harper said this was agreeable
 him. but 1t all rested with MT. Hona
 And, by the way, he wanted MT. Flodde
 to know more about MT Honan.
 He Is a trifie peculiar said MT. Ha
 per. "He has lots of good, hard cOmmC