PLAN No. 525. GEESE ON THE FARM
If farmers more generally realized the profits to be derived from the raising of geese, there would be many more in the country, and thousands of dollars more in the farmers’ pockets.
The wife of an Illinois farmer, who did realize how easy and economical it is to raise geese, and the profits they pay, in both flesh and feathers, made a specialty of them, and as a result of her foresight and enterprise always had money, while the other farmers’ wives were continually complaining of the lack of pin-money. At last a number of them followed her example, and raised geese in great numbers. The care and cost of geese are small, compared with the expense of raising other fowls. They rustle their own living off of land that is good for nothing else, though in the breeding and laying season this lady gave them shorts and Indian meal twice a day.
From 100 geese, this woman generally realized from $250 to $300 a year, which was nearly all profit. She made the profits increase her flocks, until she had several hundred, which brought her an excellent income every year.
PLAN No. 526. CONDUCTOR—ELEVATOR FOR U. S. PLAN No. 217
PLAN No. 527. CASH REBATE CARDS
A young man in Oakland, California, who was a good salesman worked out a little plan that brought him a good income.
He secured a first-class printer to make him up 1,000 very rich looking cards in colors. Then he called upon five prominent merchants, in different lines, showing them the cards, stated he was about to place these in the hands of the ladies at the heads of families in the city; that these cards entitled the holders to trade at any one of the five different stores named, and receive a discount of 10 per cent in cash at the time of the purchase; that he would call at these stores every month and collect a commission on all business each merchant had received through the cards, and that the use of these cards would greatly increase the merchant’s trade. Most of those approached agreed to the plan.
Having secured the five merchants, our young man called at the residences, presented the card to the lady of the house, and assured her she incurred no expense or obligation in accepting it. In this way he distributed 200 of the cards.
Now, as it turned out that each holder of these cards spent at least $10 a week with each of these five merchants, his commission on the sales thus made amounted to $200 a month.
PLAN No. 528. CONSTRUCTION SUPT. FOR U. S. SEE [PLAN No. 217]
PLAN No. 529. LOOKING UP OLD JUDGMENTS
Here is a plan that was very successfully operated by a young lawyer in a western city, and can be worked out just as well in every county-seat town in the United States:
He employed a young lady to go carefully over the dockets of both the superior and justice courts, and make a complete list of all unsatisfied judgments rendered during the six years preceding, so that they were not barred by the statute of limitations.
She made a careful note on a blank prepared for that purpose, of the number of the book in which the judgment was recorded; the case number; the name of the court; names of plaintiff and attorney; of defendant and attorney; of garnishee defendant, if any; amount of judgment; amount of costs; amount of attorney’s fees, if stated; time judgment was taken, etc.
When she brought these reports to the lawyer’s office he would consult a city directory or state gazeteer, to learn the present address of both plaintiff and defendant, then obtain from a reporting company the financial standing of the defendant.
He would then write the plaintiff, asking him to call in reference to the judgment, but not stating his knowledge as to the defendant’s condition. When the plaintiff came in he would state he had a report on the defendant, which he could have upon the payment of $2, the cost of obtaining this data, but if the defendant was in such shape that the judgment could be collected, he would offer to collect it for 50 per cent, and have it assigned to him for that purpose. Then he would see the judgment debtor, and in many cases he was able to secure the entire amount. He would then enter satisfaction of the judgment on the court records, remit one-half to the plaintiff, and the balance was his. This plan made him $5,000 the first year.