Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-01-15
How We DIVIDED THE MONEY.
By Mr. M. O. x.


'aught the eye OF the people and che
lrders poured In with every mail. We
ound out that whenever a customer
lrdered one article there were always
number Of others included with the
irst And the orders were all cash.
course. ! don't remember in those
lays that we ever had an inquiry for
,redit. They seemed glad to get the
goods by paying the cash and they
seemed to get the money together in
tome manner.
We were busy. We moved away
rom the city where the business was
started and now had q big establish
nent In one OF the biggest OF the east
srn cities. Our tiny leafiet Of a cata-
ogue had Increased to over fifty pages
and there seemed to be no limit to our
prosperity.
My work was now almost entirely
connected with the catalogue. / wrote
the descriptions, ordered the illustra-
lions made by the wood engravers,
superintendent the printing and mail
Ing departments and was up to my
collar In work all OF the time. When
aver anything of importance arose In
connection with the business was al
ways called into a conference with Y
and and we settled any question
that arose.
One day l was called in and the
doors were shut and locked. There
was something Of importance to be
| discussed.
Look here, x, we are going to In
corporate this business" said Y with
a peculiar expression in his eyes
had seen this expression before and
held myself on guard, in readiness
to be very careful of my speech and
action as / knew had need Of eau
ton. 1t was like the hands up" OF
a highwayman, that look was.
Yes, we are going to incorporate
and We are going to take you in as
one of the incorporators,' supple
mented T.
held my peace. Here was some
thing worth listening to.
Seeing that / asked no questions
and was waiting for them to go ahead
they looked at each other until finally
Y said: I'VE are going to incorporate
for one hundred thousand dollars. "
He continued to explain, with inter
polations by 2 and an occasional ques.
ton by myself until 1t came about
that they had decided to make me a
present of one thousand dollars OF the
capital stock
Sounds generous, don't It? Well, IL
didn't to me. We had always dis
cussed the possibility some day OF
Incorporation and 1t had always been
held out TO me that / was to have a
good slice of the capital stock Sc
! took up the burden of the argument
explained my viewpoint, recited the
various services | had rendered, the
departments had introduced, the i'm
provement in the business, ETC., for
all of which ! claimed a good part Of
the credit. It was due me, too, be
cause had developed into the handy
man about the shop for doing all Of
the hard work.
We nearly had row over 1t.
was determined that IL they did no
treat me with fairness, that / would
withdraw and / knew where ! coult
interest capital II necessary to star
another mail order business. In fact
had the capital myself, for by THU
time / was drawing a salary OF threJ
thousand a year, about $50 per week
and l had saved a good share of m!
salary / told them so with all frank
ness.
Il resulted in their giving me $3.50
Of the capital stock and an increas
In salary to $1,000 a year. Y and .
took each $25, 900, which took out s66
900 Of the stock. It was decided Z
sell out the other $1,000 OF stock Q
par II they had buyer for cash an
of this sum was to have Is per cent
The deal was put through and
found myself a comparatively rio
was increased to millions, ! got m
share OF the increased valuation .
that / have made pretty we'll out Q
t. OF course In this matter am gfi
ing fictitious figures. will not Civ
amy more details now because ii woul
be too easy for you TO guess more, 70
It Ii no part of my plan TO tell 20
too much about the interior working
Of our organization.
We have figured 1t all out man
times Just what becomes OF your do
lar that you send in to rs with an o
der.
About one-haIf OF IT goes for pa!
ment for the goods ordered The res
IL divided into dimes and cents Il
the payment Of postage. printing
maintenance of plant. insurance. Of
nee help, etc, and last and best Of q
! into dividends for the stockholders.
The families OF Y and Y are mo-
looked upon as merchant prince
J They have their yachts. their autom
. ksIes, their racing stables. their val
Gus establishments. They take the
. annual tours In various parts of II
world and they live on the best q
! world can supply. And why?
: Because you have sent Jour dolIal
to the mail order house. establishs
. By their fathers many years as
Each year you send more dollars 81
the wealth piles up In the banks.
All because OF the clever wordiT
. Of our catalogue descriptions. AL
] cause you will have the unreal instes
! Of the genuine, because you viii |
/. pist on dealing with the unknown j
stead nf trading with your own hon