Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-11-26
Confessions ST a
Mail Order Man
By> MFR. M. o. K.
Revelations by One Whose Experience in
the Business Covers q Range From
Office Boy to General Manager
ENTER THE MAIL ORDER BUSI.
NESS.

With $50 in real money in my
pocket made my way to another city,
conserving all of this great wealth, for
to me it was such, by saving railroad
fare. l rode in a box car all the way
and had $29 left when 1 decided that
l had travelled far enough.
l didn't know the name of the city
where l disembarked, nor did l care
to know. 1t was all sufficient that l
had escaped from the man who had
abused and overworked me. He had
charged me for the oil 1 used in the
lamp at nights when lay hidden be-
hind the grocery counter and studied
my books, for that was my one pas
sion-to learn something. And l had
learned, both from him and from the
books.
1t was early on Monday morning
when l walked up the street leading
from the freight yards into the busi-
ness part of the city. My $29 lay
snug in my pocket. Out in front of a
dingy little store stood son of Abra-
ham, stretching his arms and blink
ing. He had just set out for display a
variety of clothing, more or less worn,
and this set me to thinking.
My clothes, of the cheapest, had
been sadly mussed and torn during
the railroad journey 1 intended to
look for job, not in a small place,
but in big one, if 1 could get it,
and my boyish mind conceived the
thought that job could be more
easily obtained If l we're we'll dressed.
| sauntered up to the display and
looked at a suit that seemed just
about my size.
Good mornick," said the clothier,
can sell you somedink?"
Anything to fit me?" l asked
"Shurely," he replied, and seizing
me by the arm he led me into his
shop. The goods were secondhand
but this made no difference to me
He fitted me with suit, shoes, hat
socks, handkerchiefs, shirts and un
derwear, all of which I tried on, even
to the shirts, to see if they fitted
me perfectly. The suit was well made
Of good cloth and had stylish look
He even took down from a shelf fair
appearing valise, imitation leather, o1
course, but did not know the differ
ence."
"De whole outfit for vifteen dollars,
he said, as he beamed broad smile
How startled l was! What lumI
of money it seemed! l began to take
off the suit in a hurry. This would
never do, to spend SO much money
But the look on his face was one O
despair He saw that 1 was deter
mined and as I took off one carmen
after another he began to take tn,
dollars off his price. Before man.
minutes he was down to 81, while
was down to-well, never mind
was satisfied with the price and pai'
It,
Dressed in taste and good clothing
! started on my quest after a job
Many rebuffs did receive. / realize
that there were other boys from tn
country in the city after jobs. Goo
gracious, how they have increases
since that time, too!
1t was four days before I landed
place. And it was not in a big store
either. l was directed to a plac
where young man" was wanted
through the kindness of a hardwar
dealer.
Yes, was hired at SIS week I wen
to work in a small room on the SCI
ond floor of big building. l packe
100 watches in wooden cases and tn
new boss took these cases and paste
labels on them. He had an expires
guide at his elbow and conferred a
frequent intervals with an associat
as to the addresses which he shoul
write on the labels. Then he took
rubber stamp, something l had neve
seen before, and stamped the letter
&c. o. D." on each package.
l observed that there were no O
ders for these watches. We sent OF
hundreds of them, day after day,
careful record being kept of them, th
name and address. No letters cam
to the Office and no money came
except as the mysterious associat
turned over money for my salar,
This went on for weeks, and had M
supposed that there were so man
watches in the whole world.
Finally we finished this part of til
work. Then we commenced again ;
the beginning with the list of tt
lanes and addresses to which tt
!, watches had been sent. A letter we
) prepared carefully and with great sci
uusaess. It was rewritten dozen timt
, before being acceptable to the bosse
and also to myself. for 1 had taken
, hand in its preparation and had su
!, gested one or two phrases, which the
= seemed to think added to it's fore
The letter read something like this:
To The Express Agent,
3 GAINESVILLE, MINI.
= Dear Sir
Some time ago we shipped a watch
John Smith of your town, express charg
c. o. D. The value of the watch is
and John Smith paid us a deposit of ST.:
agreeing 20 remit the balance as per b
of ladiGg, c. o. D.
1nssmuch IS we have not received a r
ply to our letters to the said party al
to avoid having the watch returned wi
e additional charges to US. we will give "
. the privilege of examining the same and
You will remit to us the amount of the
/ 0. D.. which is $50 you may keep t
l. watch your property.
l. PLEASE advise Us at once.
Signed BLANK & RTl'>---
a-~N~-~~-~~~~-~.~~.>-o-o
Eyeglasses.
8 The suggestion for the use of lens'
i sor the cure of eye defects was mat
by Roger Bacon. the great scienti
i of the thirteenth century. DR.. Ian
. don Down, speaking at meeting
> the Psychological society. made tn
+ interesting statement, but added tn
l. Pho making of the SpectacleS was ca