The Owosso times., 1913-09-12
ACQUIRING
EXPERIENCE
A Father Puts His Sons
Shrewdness to
the Test
BY THOMAS r. DEAN

MY son." said Nathan Mayer. a
jeweler, II am getting old and have de-
cided to give up my business to you.
/ 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 l not been in
your employ four years? Am l not
considered an excellent judge of gems
What need l of proving myself fitted
to manage the business?"
81 admit, Isaac, that as a judge Of
gems, especially diamonds, you are a
better man than j. 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
jewellers. l have endeavored to sharp
en- your wits by explaining to you the
different methods that have been at
tempted upon me, bat 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
trip. and during my absence you shall
have charge of the business. Since
you are young man. the swindlers
will consider you one to be attacked
with a fair chance for success. If on
my return you have withstood their
efforts and have kept the business up
to it's present prosperous condition
will turn 1t over to you"
"Never fear, father. l will increase
the sales and will not get swindled
either. How long will you be absent?"
"Six months. I think that long
enough for the test"
Nathan Mayer gave his son, Isaac.
power Of attorney to manage the busi-
ness. to sign his name to checks and
to use his capital: then the old man
went abroad for change, rest and rec
reation. Isaac was only twenty-five
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 larger business than
the concern had ever done before. but
had made no losses. Five months OF
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 papable 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 $1,000. He
determined to strain every nerve to
III II" -, the remaining $500.
\ fa'Y lars later gentleman who.
fro 49, "Hpearance might have been
an EH"'i,', marquis. stepped into his
store "nd asked to be shown some
hrs "ele:s. 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 a brace
let set with ruby between two large
worth $4,000, but her father
was unwilling to spend so much mon
ey for her in this wny. 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 a profit three times the cost
Of the bracelet and he would gladly
buy 1t for her. Instead he purchased
one she fancied. set with sapphire.
worth $3.50. Drawing check book
from his pocket he wrote a check for
the amount. saying that he would send
some one. In whose knowledge Of gems
be 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.
lie utAL hiuh Nh"C ihto thC
store. looked at the bracelet. pronounc-
ed It genuine. the check was found TO
be good. and the bracelet was sent to
the customers hotel.
A few days later the strangers
daughter entered the Mayer store, evi-
IDENTIFY in very high spirits. and told
Isaac to send the bracelet she had
coveted to her father at his hotel
''The shares have been sold," she ex-
bubbling with excitement
'Papa got cablegram from London
this morning."
The girl was very pretty and very
charming In her frankness. She
couldn't wait till the bracelet had been
sent home, but must have look at It.
When II was being shown her she
great deal Of trepidation
est the purchase should he delayed
pending the sending Of funds from
London. Another thing that troubled
her was that her father had once
bought jewel and an inferior article
had been substituted on delivery. She
feared there would he lot Of red
.ape about that. Isaac assured her
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