Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-26
BUSINESS CAREER
OF PETER FLINT
A Story of Sa!esmdnship by
Harold Whitehead
fCoppri0htJ


car he resumed: When got to the
door of my shop l saw two of the
minor officials of the company strolling
from the big team shed to the work.
mems entrance OF the plant. As took
out my key to open the door they called
to me.
Il didn't want to open the door until
they had left for In such an event |
wouldn't know whether the horsehair
had been broken by some one entering
before me, and ! didn't want to turn
my hashlight on the floor and make
them suspicious"
What did you do?' | asked breath
lessly.
i dropped the key and. as II was
dark, l had to use my f1ashlight to ffnd
IT, sure enough the hair was broken
some one had entered my workroom.
| DO you wonder that was worried.
"hen my invention meant so much to
| me! | knew that its use would mean
at least quarter of n million year in
extra profits to the Consolidated MY
| nfst idea was to go to Pillsbury and
| ASK MIN to put a guard outside the shop
| Tor | thought that perhaps some outside
! innuence was at work trying to steal
tne invention from me and the Consol-
| idated.
fortunately, changed my mind and
determined to play my own game
Night after night I worked on my In.
Venuon, and every night took with
me TWO small vital parts of the machine
without which it would be as intelligible
10 any one else as Chinese puzzle
so as to add a little 10 the game / made
| three or four new parts which, while
ntting on the machine, would not do the
| work that the original parts would do
These l left around the shop. and I was
much amused one day to find tiny lit
tie bit of wax sticking to one of them"
| Wax" ] asked, puzzled.
Yes. They had taken wax impress
SION Of 1t. Then I went over my tool.
very carefully with magnifying glas.
to see If | could trace any finger prints
Finally ! did find several.
Il had been a comparatively poor mar
all my life, but the Consolidated pait
me very handsome salary and | hat
saved my money and invested it until
had quite nice little bank balance
This. on the advice of Question. in
vested in the common stock of the Con
solidated, which he said would surel,
pay big dividend very soon. 1t hasn'
paid 1t yet, by the way" he said with 9
shrug of his shoulders.
1T wasn't until after Pllsbury hat
induced me to part with my saving
that his attitude toward me changed
and he became brusque and domineer
ing. In fact, he told me plainly one da,
that unless my invention was fnishe,
promptly they would have no furthe
use for my services. This remark mad
me suspicious, and as he and Questo
were the master minds of the Consoli
dated, ! wondered if they could be tn
ones. who were tampcring with m
workroom. Both had thoroughly traine
mechanical minds
] gave a report to Question one ho
day, and my report was unfortunatel
very sticky so much so, in fact, that h
left a splendid imprint of his fnge
tips thereon. Just as easily l secured
finger print impression from Pillsbur,
Sure enough Upon comparison wit
those In my workroom. I found that
was none other than Pillsbury an
Question who had been trying to stes
my invention
What did you do about it," l asked
II resigned"
But what did you say"
II said that didn't think I coul
possibly perfect my invention for tt
Consolidated so | had decided to resign
And them
Then / cabled to the Swedish col
Germ that ] had improved their machir
and was open to sell to the best bidde
They Immediately cabled their answ
back to me care of the Consolidated,
which they said that their agent wou
be over here in about three month
time"
"They sent it to the Consolidate
Whew," | whistled That gave 4
game away. didn't it,
well, not exactly" said Francis, Il
that Is the address l gave them
| looked puzzled. This kind of bus
ness was beyond me.
What did, you do that for?' / aske
II knew that any cablegram whiC
Fcame addressed to me would not rea,
me until 1t had been read by Quest'
and Pillsbury."
oh" Still I'did not see just VIII
he was after.
We'll. that's the story
Thanks" I said with a feeling
disappointment, for It seemed TO me
story without any end. I told him SC
perhaps you will have a chance
seeing the finish for yourself
What do you mean?'
Don't you remember telling me til
when Question and P!llsbury were tai
ing outside the boarding house the fl
time they called that they said I
agent was leaving Sweden next week
YES" / admitted. still puzzled.
That agent will come to me al
make a big bid for my patent, becau
l know 1t will do the work. ! ha
been in the business too long not to
sure of my ground. also. having ira
eled in all the leading manufacture
countries Of the world, | know whe
markets are and their possibilities.
you see, / am playing what you mig
call sure thing