Gilpin observer., 1914-12-24
Collapse Of Early Business Ven
ture Made ShuItz a Pickle
I King.
MOTHER AND WIFE HELPED
Persistent Work, Honest Goods and
Old Woman's Cheerful Philosophy
Carried Him Through Adversely
to Great Prosperity.
BY RICHARD sPILLANE.


When the firm failed, Mr. Shultz
could not understand why people
didn't get excited and the newspapers
did not devote columns and columns
Of space to the event. To him the
collapse was the most crushing dis
aster in commercial history. He was
only twenty-five and had been a part
ner less than eight months. He had
$4,000 in the concern, and that was
lot Of money to youth who had been
working for small wages and had been
In America only few years.
There are some sorrows that are
bearable II they stir sympathy or in
terest Of other people. 1t would have
been soothing to Mr.. Shultz if men
stopped him in the street and told
him how much they grieved over this
great business tragedy. but instead
they seemed callous or scornful. He
had to ask some of them II they knew
about 1t. A few said they expected it.
When he told them the failure was a
complete surprise to him. they were
incredulous.
Deceived by His Partners.
Slowly the truth dawned upon him.
The firm had been in financial straits
for a long time. Both Hoffman and
Gerhardt had deceived him. Hoff-
man, for whom he had so much re-
spect, had lived beyond his means.
Gerhardt, who was out on the road
most of the time. was intemperate.
When they heard that the youth who
worked for them had come into an
inheritance Of $500 on his twenty
first birthday. they deliberately set
their plans to get hold OF his money
in order to tide them over And now
the whole concern had gone to smash.
1t would have not been SO bad II
Shultz. glorying in the fact that he
had become partner. had not mar
rfed and had not brought his mother
over from Germany. To furnish his
new home had taken every dollar he
possessed. Now he was broke. What
to turn to he didn't know. The only
business he knew was in relation to
making preserves. His father had
been engaged in that line in the old
country. When Shultz came to Amer
fca it was to go to work for Hoffman
& Gerhardt.
The meeting OF the creditors was a
lodge OF sorrow" The men who had
trusted the firm couldn't see where
they could get ten cents on the dol
lar out of what was left. Hoffman
shrugged his shoulders and let it go
at that. Gerhardt was maudlin to the
point OF tears. Shultz was the only
xxrtN< 80
the creditors that he would pay every
dollar he owed. some day. Then he
went home
Best Thing for Him.
That failure. which seemed SO crush
ing at the time. wds the best thing
that ever happened to Shultz. His
wife and his mother did much to re-
assure him. His mother had little
more than one thousand dollars laid
by as the fesult OF many years of
frugal living. She advised him to take
this and go in business for himself
She and his wife would make the pre-
serves. and he could sell them. They
probably would have hard time. but
somehow they would get along. She
had confidence in her boy and was
more than willing to risk or sacrifice
in his behalf every penny Of her saw
ings
Shultz appreciated the fact that
$1,000 was very little TO start on, and
that with household expenses and 9TH
er incidentals every dollar would
count. He studied ways and means
to meet the emergency A bright
thought came to him. He saw a way
in which he could live year on cred
It. He went out and saw his butcher,
and explained the situation and his
plans In detail. He had been trading
with the man for nearly year. He
asked the butcher to supply him with
meat for n year on Shultz' pledge
that at the end OF that time he would
get his money with interest. The
butcher shook his head He didn't
want to trade on that basis.
That was depressing as a starter.
but the groceryman was more sympa-
tbetic. He was willing to take a
chance So was the baker. Then
Shultz went to another butcher. This
man was willing to give credit to him
for three months. Next Shultz went to
a dry goods merchant. This man hesi-
tated. but finally consented. The man
who owned the house in which Shultz
lived was n kindly soul and promised
to be patient in the matter of rent.
With housing, food and raiment pro.
vided for. Shultz was buoyant He
had genius for making preserves
His recipes were the best results of
centuries of German housekeeping.
He could put up catchup that would
put an edge on the most jaded appe-
tite. j His sweet pickles we're de-
light. His preserved fruits would
warm the cookies Of the heart
Old Mrs. Shultz and young Mrs.
ghiltz conkad thu fr.iI4 and aonirad