New Britain herald., 1927-05-06
PAYS UP OLD BILL
 CONTRACTED IN 'O4
Cosscba0 lmpds Former RSi. dent to Wipe Slate Clean

An uOueU I1AN u&0 pccu IUuuu'
 So Manager M. J. Monroe of the
 local store of Brennan. Inc, be-
 lieves after receiving a check within
 the past few days for 310 in pay
 ment of . balance on . bill con-
 tracted in 1so4 by . former resi- dent of this city who now resides
 in Oklahoma.
 Tho account had been placed in the profit and loss column in 1906
 when all efforts to locate the man
 who owed it were fruitless and it took several days before 1t could be
 located and the amount checked up.
 A letter was delivered at the store cn Main street some time ago post
 marked from the west and dated
 April 13. 1927. It stated that as the writer had been more or less finan- cially embarrassed for the past IS or 20 years he was sorry to say that he had been unable to pay
 little bill which he contracted somewhere around the year 1924 or 1925" and now that he had the funds he would be pleased to have tho amount looked up and bill sent him 50 he could pay it.
 Mfr. Monroe investigated the files for the two years mentioned but could not locate tho account and he answered the letter stating that the man must be mistaken because there was no record in the com- pany's files of any amount owed by him.
 This would most certainly have satisfied anyone but not the "man with 8 conscience" Another letter came back dated April c2. and in it, tho man gave his entire history while living in this city. He told of tho various occupations he held while here and told of the tram saction he carried on at the store. He stated If I recollect. 1t was a two-piece suit a pair of gray pants and black worsted coat and I am indeed sorry and ashamed of my self for not having paid the bill"
 Mir. Monroe divined that the man evidently meant 1904 instead of the recent date and he asked the central office to investigate. This was done and among the musty files of 1904 was found the account. The man had purchased suit Of clothes as he described for the sum of }1:. He had made one payment on t, 3c and a balance of s10 re- nnained unpaid. The investigators card was marked mo trace" and the account had been closed as one that was impossible to have settled.
 Mfr. Monroe communicated with tho man in the west telling him of the balance and few days later there arrived a check for $1o with an accompanying letter stating that Tt Is the happiest moment of my life when I send this check in pay ment of this bill.'
 Mr. Monroe stated today that he has been in the weekly payment clothing business for 40 years but never before in hts experience has he been party to or heard of an occurrence SucH aS that.
 The account was settled more than g years after 1t was opened. The man in question had been en- tirely forgotten and the account had been wiped off the books. Without any other prompting than his own conscience. he thought of the bill he owed and despite the length of time since he bought the $1c suit of clothes, he wrote asking to have . bill sent him. When his first letter brought the reply that he must be mistaken, he wrote back again and insisted that he owed money to the company and tho relief that he felt in being able to pay up. Is expressed clearly in his final letter.
 The three missives from the man are to be kept in the head offices of the Brennan Company and as the president stated to Mr. Monroe. Many of our managers who have had their faith in human nature rudely shaken at times, will have that faith revived In the simple honesty of that man in Oklahoma" The company manager was instruc- tod to write an appreciation of the mans act and the final chapter was written by Mr. Monroe in using the mans own wish to him May God Bless You"