The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-12-25
FAILURE BROUGHT
SUCCESS TO Him
Collapse of Early Business Ven'
ture Made ShuItz a Pickle
King.
MOTHER AND WIFE HELPED
Persistent Work, Honest Goods and
Old Woman's Cheerful Philosophy
Carried Him Through Adversely
to Great Prosperity.
Rv RICHARD SPILLANE.

Nv HlC1RhD OTiLLH'N['
Copyright, Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
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 nau
$4,000 in the concern, and that was a
lot of money to a youth who had been
working for small wages and had been
in America only a few years.
There are some sorrows that are
bearable if they stir sympathy or III
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 calous or scornful. He
had to ask some of them if they knew
about it. A few said they expected 1t.
When he told them the failure was
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 Incorporate
When they heard that the youth who
worked for them had come into an
inheritance of $4,000 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 if
Shultz glorying in the fact that he
had become a partner, had not mar
ried 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 tc
making preserves. His father had
been engaged in that line in the old
country. When Shultz came to Amer
Tea it was to go to work for Hoffman
& Gerhardt.
The meeting of the creditors was 9
lodge of sorrow" The men who hac
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 1t g
at that. Gerhardt was maudlin to thu
point Of tears. Shultz was the onl.
one who acted manfully. He assured
the creditors that he would pay ever,
dollar he owed, some day. Then h
went home.
Best Thing for Him.
That failure, which seemed so crush
ing at the time, was the best thin
that ever happened to Shultz. Hi
wife and his mother did much to n
assure him. His mother had lttl
more than one thousand dollars lai
by as the result of many years {
frugal living. She advised him to tax
this and 60 In business for himsel
She and his wife would make the pr
serves, and he could sell them. The
probably would have hard time, b,
somehow they would get along. St
had confidence in her boy and WI
more than willing to risk or sacrifit
In his behalf every penny of her sa
ings.
Shultz appreciated the fact TIL
$1,000 was very little to start on, ar
that with household expenses and OF
er incidentals every dollar won
count. He studied ways and meal
to meet the emergency. A brig
thought came to him He saw wi
in which he could live year on ere
it. He went out and saw his butcht
and explained the situation and b
plans in detail He had been tradil
with the man for nearly year.
asked the butcher to supply him wi
meat for year on Shultz' pied
that at the end of that time he wou
get his money with interest. T
butcher shook his head He did,
want to trade on that basis.
That was depressing as start'
but the groceryman was more SYM
thetic. He was willing to take
chance. So was the baker. TIL
Shultz went to another butcher TT
man was willing to give credit to h
for three months. Next Shultz went
a dry goods merchant This man he
tated, but finally consented. The m
who o~ned the house in which Shu
lived was kindly soul and promis
to be patient in the matter of re
With housing, food and raiment p
vided for. Shultz was buoyant
had genius for making preserv
His recipes we're the best results
centuries Of German housekeepi
He could put up catchup that wo
put an edge on the most faded ap
lite. Ills sweet pickles were a
light His preserved fruits NO
warm the cookies of the heart