Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-09-04
ACQUIRING
EXPERIENCE
A Father Put. His Sons
Shrewdness to
the Test
By THOMAS R. DEAN

My son., said Nathan Mayer.
jeweler. II am getting old and have de-
cided to give up my business to you.
l shall leave enough capital with you
to enable you to carry the same
amount Of stock have always car
ried. Before turning over the man
agement, however, l desire that you
prove yourself fitted to assume it.
why, father, have / not been in
your employ four years? Am not
considered an excellent Judge Of gems?
What need of proving myself fitted
to manage the business?"
II admit, Isaac, that as judge of
gems, especially diamonds, you are a
better man than /, who have been In
the business more than forty years. 1t
is not having passed on you spurious
stones that fear, but the many tricks
that are perpetrated by swindlers on
jewelers.. l have endeavored to sharp
en- your wits by explaining to you the
different methods that have been at
tempted upon me. but my reputation
for shrewdness has been such that few
attempts have been made to get prop
erty from me without paying for it in
good money. shall go away On a
trip. and during my absence you shall
have charge of the business. Since
you are a young man, the swindlers
will consider you one to be attacked
with fair chance for success. If on
my return you have withstood their
efforts and have kept the business up
to its present prosperous condition
will turn it over to you.'
Never fear. father. will increase
the sales and will not get swindled
either How long will you be absent?'
six months. think that long
enough for the test"
Nathan Mayer gave his son. Isaac.
power of attorney to manage the bust
ness. to sign his name to checks and
to use his capital: then the old man
went abroad for change, rest and rec
years old. but was considered one of
the smartest young men in the jewelry
trade. He was very anxious to show
his father on his return that he had
not only done a larger business than
the concern had ever done before. but
his trial passed. and so far he had
made good both his promises. There
had been but few. attempts to get gems
from him without payment. and these
had seemed so palpable he wondered
that any one could have taken him
for such fool as to be deceived by
them.
Two weeks before his father was to
return, in figuring his profits since the
old mans departure. Isaac Mayer no
ticed that they were $4,000 more than
those of the previous six months. He
had hoped for an excess Of $4,000. He
determined to strain every nerve to
make up the remaining $500.
A few days later gentleman who.
from his appearance might have been
an English marquis. stepped into his
store and asked to be shown some
bracelets. The strangers daughter
was with him. She examined the jew
els with her father. and it was evident
that any purchase he might make
would be for her She wished brace
! let set with a ruby between two large
diamonds. worth $4,000. but her father
was unwilling to spend so much mon
ey for her in this way. Mayer heard
her appeals and the reply Of her father.
who told her that if certain securi.
ties he had ordered sold in London in
case the market price on the Stock Ex-
change should rise to certain figure
had been realized upon it would have
given him profit three times the cost
of the bracelet and he would gladly
buy it for her. Instead he purchased
one she fancied. set with a sapphire,
worth $3.50 Drawing check book
/ from his pocket he wrote check for
the amount, saying that he would send
some one, in whose knowledge Of gems
he had confidence, to look at the set
ting, and If he pronounced the sapphire
! genuine Mayer was to send the brace
| let to his hotel The seller would have
ample time to discover If the check
was good
The next day man came into the
store, looked at the bracelet, pronounc
ed 1t genuine. the check was found tc
be good, and the bracelet was sent tt
the customers hotel.
A few days later the strangers
daughter entered the Mayer store. evi
IDENTITY in very high spirits, and tolt
Isaac to send the bracelet she hat
coveted to her father at his hotel
1.-THE shares have been sold," she ex
claimed, bubbling with excitement.
Papa got cablegram from Londol
this morning."
| The girl was very pretty and yer,
charming in her frankness. Sh,
couldn't wait till the bracelet had beer
sent home. but must have look at II
When it was being shown her sh'
manifested great deaf of trepidatiol
lest the purchase should be delayed
pending the sending of funds iron
London. Another thing that trouble,
her was that her father had ono
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