Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-05-21
WE eURsE 0E 4 KNoCKER
How : Nan Knocked Himself Ont Oi
Business, Then Out Of Town.
Lexington Dispatch.)


Lexington Dispatch.)
We knew merchant once who ae-
tualIy Knocked himself out Of good
town and out Of q good business. To.
day he is doing business in smaller
way. among strangers, and his posi-
ton Is none too secure The chances
are that he viii move on again in
year or so and every move that he has
made has been disastrous to him In
financial way.
He lived In hustling little town in
the western part of this state and he
struck it at exactly the right time. He
vas there almost with the coming OF
the railroad and he reaped q big har-
rest. He made money and made il
fast. He built fine store building
and big 12-room residence of impos-
ing proportions, and was considered
a "leading citizen. p
No one knows just when the knock
ing habit fixed it's hold upon him, bus
there came time when people began
to say: "old man B. never has a
good wor dto say about anybody.
What's the matter with himT'
And its was a fact. Should you say
anything good about a man in his
presence, he would scoWl and say:
Yes, that's all so, but" and the
anvil chorus began.
By and by people began to shy on
from him and that made him worse.
An enterprising young man, a native
OK the hills that surrounded the little
town, dared to break into the field in
which the old man had been supreme
for Is years and the old man spent all
of his spare time telling people how
Insignificant his opponent was and
what small chance of success he had.
Meanwhile, the country boy was saw
ing wood and saying nothing. = He
never koocked He never even replied.
to the old mans stinging remarks but
went about his business quietly, adj
ding customer here and another
there. Topping OF great chunks OF the
Knockers business and the end was
pitiful.
From knocking his rival and other
individuals, the old man came to
knocking the town, day after day,
without ceasing. and by and by the
cid mans business reached point
where he could easily see his fnisk
and nearly everybody in that good lit
tic town was g1ad when the announce
ncnt was made that he had sold HE
store and his big house and was going
to move out
He is on the hike now. His present
staying place viii not be his long, un-
less death claims him there, and the
cid is far from happy. As We see
IL, knocking, unreasonable and pernic-
ious knocking, is responsible for his
present state.
Moral: Don't knock. Knocking Will
reter get you anywhere except, per-.
haps, to the county home. Il viii GER
ta.nIy not boost your stock In the es-
timation of your neighbors and It win
never, never add q cen to your bank
account.
Criticise, where criticism is neces-
sary and it will do constructive good,
hut don't knock. If things go wrong
in town, If the city's affairs are nor
properly managed, if there are wrongs
that should be righted, it is your duty
es a good citizen to speak out. but for
heavens sake. don't knock.
Persistent knocking may not knock
you out of town but it will certainly
knock you out of business that other
wise would have been yours and out
of worlds of pleasure, too.
Nobody loves a knocker.