The Washburn leader., 1913-04-11

SH~e. Se~.v
he was the attorney for the defense in
case of hog stealing. He felt that
he could win hands down, but he was
smashed all to bits and his client sent
to JAIL An hour later the despondent
lawyer was seated in his little dog
hole of an Office when stranger en-
tered. He had been a spectator in
the courtroom.
"You ought to go to Jail in place of
your Client" said the stranger as he
took the only other chair in the room.
"Durned If l hadn'tv' was the admis-
sion.
"What's the matter with you?"
my name." ...
II believe it's Stubbs?'
Its worse than that It's Hezekiah
Pontius Stubbs!'' 49,.
"Good lands! Then you've always
been a failure?"
From babyhond up. I've tried being
schoolmaster. IL writing master. dry
goods clerk, bookkeeper. subscrip-
ton book agent, tin peddler and a
lawyer-a failure in each case"
1.-THE name may or may not be
against you. but you haven't hit the
right road yet. Perhaps can help
you. l am a piano manufacturer in
Boston. l made up 500 cheap pianos
last year. to find they wouldn't sell.
They are good at the price. but they
are square pianos. and the people want
uprights. I'm soing to give you a
problem to solve.'
"Shoot 'er off,"
Its what is the best way to get rid
Of those instruments. Solve that for
me and I'll solve your future. I'll call
tomorrow afternoon. Good day."
FL. P. S. had seen no more than half
a dozen pianos in his life. He had
never done business. He had simply
bought a dollars worth at time and
seldom had anything to sell.
Five hundred pianos at 5000 each!
Whew!
The failure sat up all night and
thought and figured and figured. He
was ready next day when the Boston
man called with his:
"Well, how did you make out?'
II will show you," was answered as
three or four pages of legal cap were
produced.
Firstly, not one farmer in fifty has
a piano in his house.
Secondly, not one farmer in 100 has
seen an upright, piano.
Thirdly. the farmer looks for some
thing cheap.
"Fourthly, he wants time to pay for
it. even If he has the cash In the
house.
"Fifthly. 95 per cent of them are
honest.
'sixthly. they must be approached in
a certain way.
"Seventhly. not one farmer in fifty
will drive to town to visit q music
store. 1.... i,
''Eighthly. piano must be stood IN
his parlor and allowed to appeal to eye
and ear.
"Ninthly, one farmer will buy a
thing because another has.
''Tenthly. am to start out at your
farmer in this county who has one or
more daughters. ....
"Eleventhly. when have secured the
names you are to ship me 100 pianos
and furnish me a rig to drive them
from door to door.
'''Twelfthly, the terms are to be $500
each-$25 down and two years to pay
the balance"
II guess that's about ALL" said the
lawyer as he leaned back.
"Hezekiah Pontius Stubbs. draw up
an agreement said the piano man as
he reached out his hand for shake.
Two weeks later n. P. s. was look
ing up names 6f farmers with daugh-
ters and young farmers that had mar.
ried within year or two.
Another fortnight and he was dHiv-
ing over the same road with three pi-
amos on his fancy wagon and saying
TO farmers:
"Oh, by the way, I want to store
one Of these pianos in your parlor for
q month. I'm not asking you to buy
nor rent, but just to let It sit there"
"But don't buy. remember" tho
farmer would caution.
"Oh, no. no. In fact, couldn't sell
Il to you. It's for a man on the Red
Bridge road. It's just a case Of doing
me Z favor"
And do you think that piano ever
went ont Of the house? And don't you
know that Farmer Jones bought one
becauss Tarhef Green did3 And wasn't
ths Brown girl Just % good 90 ths
WHITE gisi1 i
The $40 pianos were sold. IN I've
counties. The0 q thousand moro weeo
soaA TAsn II. p. g. so'd upris
shssk music. s,dtars, harps and ban3os,
and today - runs three muiic stores
and y worth hooking up IN the comnsE.
cial agencies. si II
+ Hssskiah, Pontius stubbs has na6s
gssd. Hs stood up fair against IL
nams and bsat Il St /.