French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-10-25
4 FIRST ADVENTURE,
Wherein Dr.. n A. Allen Took the
Chance.
CBy Thos. ]. Rickman.)

(By Thos. j.. Rickman.)
On a spring day. as the leaves and
blossoms were putting out in all their
glory-on Saturday, after the five
schoo1-days, in high school hall halt
ed, in order to skip over till Monday
following a young man from the cOun-
try, on horseback, appeared in the
village of Hen~dersonville. The exact
Ammo Domini year is not now remem-
bered. except that it vas in the early
seventies, less than ten years after
the close of the civil war.
The number of inhabitants within
the town limits was not overtone dozen
families and the, highways consisted
Of one long main street and some
roads leading into it, from the coun-
try, while about four store houses
graced the edges of this main street.
The young man in question, knew a
family or two in the town, who We're
his relatives, but to visit them, was
not the object Of his horseback trip.
He came on business of a commercial
nature and after hitching his steed in
a back-lot. he walked up and down
main street, closely observing he
s~tore-house on the East side and on
the West side, about equally divided,
two and two.
On the East side he read assign
over the door, 'T. A. Allen, General
Merchandise, Produce taken in Elk
change for Goods He ventured in
side and found the doctor and some of
his clerks busy counting up eggs
! weighing hams, measuring corn and
some rye and a few bags of wool and
some country knit-socks, Saturday
being a busy day for exchanging pro-
dee for dry goods. etc. In process OF
time the doctor was over with the
rush of trade and in keeping with his
natural step, he walked briskly up to
the young man, inquiring OF his
wants, in the line of merchandise.
The doctor was informed that his
! would be customer had neither money
NOR produce, out that he desired to
buy a suit of clothes, a pair OF shoes,
a hat, some shirts, some other small
things and a cheap trunk in which the
outfit might be placed. The doctor
was informed by the young man, that
he was then attending school, but that
he had been employed to teach a
school in the fall, and that he would
then have money and would pay Tor
the goods if the credit should be K
tended
Looking the young man almost u
of c~ountenance as the doctor could do.
he said, why you are a stranger to
me. a boy with no money! DOM
know you,-never saw you before,
heard of O before, where do you live
and who is your father?"
The young man answered all the
Questions OF this store-keeper as best
he could and was told that his store
did not sell goods on a credit to a
strange boy with no money, but he
continued to say that ne knew the
yonug mans father and he sold him
goods and he always paid for them,
and also that he himself was once a
young man, with no money and a few
people trusted him, when he neeQed
credit, and that the young ma seern4
ed to have a good face and so finally
said young man, whether you ever.
pay for them or not, you shall have a
chance-you can get anything you
want, that is in this house"
And so the young man selected the
goods he wanted and needed from the
DOCTORS store, placed themt in the
trunk. went back to school, taught
his school in the fall and needless to
say. DR.. Allen received pay for his
goods-and while the wheels of time
have carried him to his long home, al
ter a long and useful life that than
young man still listens to the c1atter
of iron hoofs. echoing from a-down the
busy corridors Of time, but will never
forget this one great favor bestowed,
without being, under obligation. to a
strange youth, in. the first business
adventure of his life.
It would hardly be worth while to
say this writer is the young man, but
DR.. Thomas A. Allen. at a ripe old
age was recently among the ones
taken from the, ranks in Hen
dersonvilIe, it is the writer's pleasure
to speak not only of his first friend ID
time of need, but to further a that
a neighborly acquaintance Of thirty
years. never lessened the high esteem
first formed on account Of SO kind an
act.
let others have whatever opinion
they may. to this writer, when DIR.
Allen passed away, an unselhsh
friend was taken, a man useful in
health and in sickness among his
-Tneighbors, whether to the home of the
pauper, or the w~elt-tO-do, DR.. Allen,
when sent for was there-a kinder
father. or husband would have been
hard to find, but the last scene with
him has passed and it is a real pleas
ure to speak. of his busy, kindly career
The is deserving of the last words to
be said of any one-"rest in peace"
RICE AND COOLERS.