THE EGG DISASTER.—PAGE 50.
There we unloaded the boxes and barrels and began sorting out the whole eggs and cracked ones. After washing them we invoiced about twenty-six dozen whole, and four dozen cracked. The latter we sold to a boarding house near by, and the former we peddled out from house to house. We counted our money, which amounted to five dollars and seventy-two cents. We then held another consultation, and decided that "luck had been against us." We also decided that we had better start at once for home, if we expected to reach there before our last dollar was lost. In our confusion and excitement we prepared to do so, but happened to think we ought to feed our team before making so long a journey.
We returned to a grocery store, and after buying fifteen cents' worth of oats, drove to a side street, unhitched our horses, and turned their heads to the wagon to feed, after which we went to a bakery and ate bologna sausage and crackers for dinner.
On returning to the wagon we found a large fleshy gentleman awaiting us. He wore a long ulster coat and a broad-brimmed hat, and carried a large cane. After making several inquiries as to the ownership of the team, where we hailed from, and what our business was, he politely informed us that he was an officer of the law, and would be obliged to take us before the Mayor of the city. We asked what we had done that we should be arrested.
He simply informed us that we would find out when we got there.
We protested against any such proceedings, when he threw back his coat-collar, exposing his "star" to full view, and sternly commanded us to follow him. On our way to the Mayor's office I urged him to tell us the trouble, but in vain. I thought of every thing I had ever done, and wondered if there were any law against accidentally breaking eggs or having chickens die on our hands. We arrived there only to find that the Mayor was at dinner.
The suspense was terrible!
The more I thought about it, the more guilty I thought I was.
In a few moments he returned, and I am certain I looked and acted as though I had been carrying off a bank.
When his Majesty took his seat, the officer informed him that we had been violating the city ordinance by feeding our horses on the streets. The Executive asked what we had to say for ourselves.
We acknowledged the truth of the statement, but undertook to explain our ignorance of the law.
He reminded us that ignorance of law excused no one, and our fine would be five dollars and costs, the whole amount of which would be seven dollars and fifty cents.
At this juncture we saw the necessity for immediate action towards our defense, as the jail was staring us in the face.
Rollin, who was older and more experienced than myself, and withal a brilliant sort of lad, took our case in hand and made a plea that would have done credit to a country lawyer.
It resulted in a partial verdict in our favor, for after explaining our misfortunes and that all the money we had left was five dollars and thirty-seven cents, and as proof of our statement counted it out on his desk, he remitted what we lacked, but said as he raked in the pile, "Well, boys, I am very sorry for your misfortunes and will let you down easy this time, but you must be more careful hereafter."
I replied that he needn't have any fears of our ever violating their city ordinance again, as it was my impression that would be our last visit there.
We left for home without any further ceremony, neither seeming to have anything particular to say. I don't believe half a dozen words passed between us during the whole twenty miles ride.
On arriving home my mother anxiously inquired how I came out with my chicken deal.
"Well, I came out alive," I replied.
"How much money did you make?" she asked.
"How much money did I make? Well, when I got to Sandusky I discovered all my chickens were dead but ten," and explained the cause.
"Where have you been that you did not return home sooner?" she asked next.
I explained my egg contract and my trip in the country to procure them.
"Well, how was that speculation?" she asked.
"About the same as with the chickens," was my answer. When I entered into particulars concerning the wreck she became greatly disgusted, and sarcastically remarked:
"I am really surprised that you had sense enough to come home before losing your last dollar."
"Well," I replied, "I am gratified to know that such a condition of affairs would be no surprise to you, as it is an absolute fact that I have been cleaned out of not only my last dollar but my last penny."
I then rehearsed the visit to the Mayor and its results.
She gave me an informal notice that my services were required in the potato patch, and to fill the position creditably I should rise at five o'clock on the following morning.
CHAPTER IV.
BORROWING MONEY FROM MR. KEEFER—BUYING AND SELLING SHEEP PELTS—HOW I SUCCEEDED—A CO-PARTNERSHIP IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS—BUYING OUT MY PARTNER—COLLAPSED—MORE HELP FROM MR. KEEFER—HORSES AND PATENT RIGHTS.
I hardly complied with my mother's five o'clock order. When I did arise I sought Mr. Keefer, to whom I told the story of my misfortunes. He listened attentively and said he could easily see that it was bad luck, and he believed I would yet be successful. I explained to him that if he would lend me fifteen dollars, I could engage in buying sheep pelts, which could neither drown, suffocate nor break.
He complied with my request, and I started out that morning with only my own horse hitched to a light wagon.
Rollin, having finished his visit, left for home the same day.
I bought several pelts during the day, and sold them to a dealer before returning home, making a profit of three dollars.
This was the first success I had met with during my three weeks' experience, and was certainly very encouraging. I continued in the business until cold weather, when I had cleared one hundred dollars.
I then began looking about for a chance to invest what I had made, as the weather was too cold to continue traveling in the country.
I was not long in finding an opportunity to invest with an old school mate in a restaurant.
It took about sixty days to learn that the business would not support two persons. As he was unable to buy me out, I made him an offer of my horse for his share, I to assume all liabilities of the firm, which amounted to about one hundred dollars.
He accepted my proposition. I sold the remainder of my flock of sheep, and paid the debts. I kept on with the business, meeting with splendid success in selling cigars and confectionery and feeding any number of my acquaintances, for which I received promises to pay, and which up to the present writing have never been collected.
When spring came, my liabilities were two hundred and fifty dollars, and no stock in trade. My available assets were a lot of marred and broken furniture which I peddled out in pieces, receiving in cash about one hundred dollars which I applied on my debts.
I called on Mr. Keefer with a full explanation of "just how it all happened," and he said he could see how it occurred, and without hesitation endorsed a note with me to raise the balance of my indebtedness.
Now I began looking for something else to engage in.
It was the wrong time of year for buying sheep pelts. My funds exhausted and in debt besides, I felt anxious to strike something very soon.
My mother still insisted that I should learn a trade or get steady employment somewhere. I told her there was nothing in it. She claimed there was a living in it, which I admitted, but declared if I kept "hustling" I would accomplish that much anyhow.
She gave me to distinctly understand that Mr. Keefer would sign no more notes nor loan me a dollar in money thereafter. Mr. Keefer held a note of fifty dollars against a man, not yet due, which he handed to me that same morning, saying if I could use it I could have it.
A young in our village had just patented an invention for closing gates and doors. He offered me the right for the State of Illinois for this note, which I readily accepted.
In a few days I traded my right in this patent for six counties in Michigan and Indiana in a patent pruning shears, an old buck sheep, a knitting machine, an old dulcimer, a shot-gun and a watch.
I traded all of the truck except the watch, for an old gray mare. Then commenced a business of trading horses and watches.
In this I was quite successful during the summer and fall. I had paid my board and clothed myself comfortably, and was the owner of a horse which I had refused a large sum for, besides an elegant watch which I valued highly.
My mother said it was a regular starved-to-death business.
Mr. Keefer said he knew I would make it win.
CHAPTER V.
SWINDLED OUT OF A HORSE AND WATCH—MORE HELP FROM MR. KEEFER—HOW I GOT EVEN IN THE WATCH TRADE—MY PATENT RIGHT TRIP TO MICHIGAN AND INDIANA—ITS RESULTS—HOW A WOULD-BE SHARPER GOT COME UP WITH.
One day as I was passing the house of a neighboring farmer he came out and hailed me.
"How's business?" he asked.
"O, first-class," I answered.
"Don't you want to trade your horse and watch for a very fine gold watch?" he asked, confidentially.
"Why, I don't know."
"Well," he remarked, "I have owned such a watch for three years, and have no use for one of so much value. A cheaper one will do me just as well, and I am ready to give you a good trade."
I entered the house with him, and he said: "Wife, bring me that gold watch from the other room."
"All right," she said, and brought the watch and handed it to me, saying as she did so, "I have been in constant fear for three years of having that watch stolen from us, and I hope my husband will trade it off, and relieve me of so much anxiety."
I took it, examined it and discovered a small rusty spot in the inside of one of the cases. I called their attention to it and said, "I don't really like the looks of that spot."
"Well, sir," said he, "if you don't like the looks of that rusty spot, just leave it right where it is. But if you like it well enough to give me your horse and watch and chain for it, all right. If not, there will be no harm done."
His independence caught me, I traded at once.
I walked back home with much pride, and showed my new watch to the folks.
My mother looked at it suspiciously and said, in rather a sneering tone, "Why, it looks like a cheap brass watch, and I believe it is."
"O, I think that watch is all right," said Mr. Keefer, in an assuring manner, "and I believe he has made a good trade. We'll hitch up the team and go down to Geo. Ramsey (the jeweler) and see what he has to say about it."
So we started off and handed the watch to Mr. Ramsey. He looked it over carefully and said:
"Well, Perry, it is so badly out of repair that it would not pay you to have it fixed."
"What would be the expense?"
"About five dollars."
"After being put in good order what would it be worth?" I confidently asked again.
"Well, Mr. Close, the auctioneer down street, has been selling them for three dollars and a half apiece."
I put the watch in my pocket, and thanking him, left the store, and explained to Mr. Keefer "just how it all happened."
He said he thought "it was enough to fool any one."
I then borrowed fifteen dollars of him, to "sort of bridge me over," until I could get on my feet again.
I kept quiet about my trade. In fact, I had nothing to say. I simply told two or three of my acquaintances who I thought might help me out.
A few days after this a gentleman from Kentucky made his appearance on the streets with a patent rat trap.
One of the men to whom I had shown the watch, happened to be talking to him as I passed by, and remarked:
"That red-headed fellow owns a watch which he traded a horse and nice watch for a few days ago, and I believe you can trade him territory in your patent for it."
"I'll give you ten dollars if you will help me put it through," said the rat trap man.
"All right, I'll help you," said my friend.
It was not long before I was found and induced to look at the rat trap.
I was immensely pleased with it, and felt certain I could sell a rat trap to every farmer in the country, if I had the right to do so.
"What is the price of Sandusky County?"
"One hundred dollars."
"Well, I guess the price is reasonable enough," I said, "but I haven't got the money."
"What have you got to 'swap'?"
"I don't think I have anything," I answered.
"Haven't you got a horse, town lot or watch? I am in need of a good watch and I would give some one an extra good trade for one."
I replied: "I have a watch, but I don't care to trade it off."
"Let me see it," said he. After looking it over, he said:
"It suits me first-rate. How will you trade?"
"I'll trade for one hundred dollars and Sandusky County."
"No," he said, "I'll give you fifty dollars in cash, and the County."
"I won't take that," I said, "but I'll tell you what I will do. I'll take seventy-five dollars."
"I'll split the difference with you."
"All right, make out the papers."
He did so, and handed me over sixty-two dollars and fifty cents and the patent, (which I still own), for my watch.
An hour afterwards I met the Kentuckian who excitedly informed me that the watch was not gold. I frankly admitted that I knew it was not, and that I didn't remember of ever saying it was. He had paid my friend five dollars of the ten he had promised, and his reason for not paying the balance was because he had been obliged to pay cash difference to make the trade.
He looked crest-fallen and discouraged and took the first train out of town, "a sadder and a wiser man."
With my sixty odd dollars and a sample pair of pruning shears, I left for Michigan, to take orders, and if possible, to sell some portion or all of my six counties. In that invention I owned Branch, Hillsdale and Leneway Counties in Michigan, and Steuben, La Grange and St. Joseph in Indiana.
I arrived at Bronson, Michigan, from which point I started out taking orders. My success was immense, but I was somewhat handicapped for the reason that none of the farmers wanted the shears delivered to them before the coming spring.
At last I found a customer for the Michigan counties, and traded them for a handsome bay horse which I bought a saddle for, and rode through to Ohio. On arriving home I explained my success in taking orders.
My mother said I was a goose for not staying there and working up a nice business, instead of fooling away the territory for a horse.
Mr. Keefer said he would rather have the horse than all the territory in the United States.
I traded the horse to one of our neighbors for a flock of sheep and sold them for one hundred and twenty-five dollars. I then started for La Grange, Indiana, to dispose of my other three counties. I took several orders on the following Saturday, as many farmers were in town that day.
The next Monday I received word from one of the wealthiest men of the town that he would buy some territory in my patent if satisfactory terms could be made. I called upon him and we were not long in striking a bargain.
He agreed to give his note payable in one year for three hundred dollars, for my three counties.
We made out the papers, and as he was about to sign the note he demanded that I write on the face of it the following: "This note was given for a patent right." I refused at first, but when informed it was according to law I complied.
When I called upon a money loaner he laughed and said he wouldn't give me one dollar for such a note, as he wouldn't care to buy a lawsuit. He said when the note came due it would be easier for the maker of it to prove the worthlessness of the patent than it would for him to prove it was valuable.
I saw the point, and realized that I had been duped.
I made preparations to leave for home on the morning train. During the night I conceived an idea which I thought if properly manipulated would bring me out victorious.
The next morning I called on my customer at his office, and in the presence of his clerks said:
"Mr. ——, I have been thinking over my affairs, and find I will be very much in need of money six months from now, and if you will draw up a new note, making it come due at that time, I will throw off twenty-five dollars, and give you back this note."
He agreed, and after I drew up the note for two hundred and seventy-five dollars I handed it to him to sign, and then stepped back out of reasonable reach of him, when he looked up and said:
"Well, here, you want to add that clause."
"That's all right," said I, "go on and sign it. It can be added just as well afterwards."
He did so and I picked it up, folded it and put it into my pocket, as I passed the old note to him.
"BUT YOU MUST ADD THAT CLAUSE."
"OH, NO, I GUESS I MUST NOT."—PAGE 68.
"But you must add that clause," he remarked.
"O, no," said I, "I guess I must not. This last note was not given for a patent right. It was given for the old note, the same as if you had discounted it."
Then he saw the point, and I had the pleasure of receiving two hundred and sixty-five dollars cash from him for his paper. With this I started for home, highly elated with my success.
CHAPTER VI.
MY NEW ACQUAINTANCE AND OUR CO-PARTNERSHIP—THREE WEEKS' EXPERIENCE MANUFACTURING SOAP—THE COLLAPSE—HOW IT HAPPENED—BROKE AGAIN—MORE HELP FROM MR. KEEFER—A TRIP TO INDIANA—SELLING PRIZE SOAP WITH A CIRCUS—ARRESTED AND FINED FOR CONDUCTING A GIFT ENTERPRISE—BROKE AGAIN.
On my way home, I formed the acquaintance of a young man, Fleming by name, who had been employed in a soap factory in Chicago, and was on his way to Toledo, where his parents resided. He said he had a new recipe for making a splendid toilet soap, which could be put on the market for less money and with a larger profit than any other ever manufactured.
With a little capital and an enterprising salesman on the road, a fortune could be made very soon.
I stated the amount of my cash capital, and assured him of my ability as a salesman, and my desire to engage in a good paying business.
When we arrived at Toledo, and before we separated, we had nearly completed arrangements for forming a co-partnership, I agreeing to return in a few days for that purpose. I hastened home and notified my folks of my success.
My mother said "it was merely a streak of good luck." Mr. Keefer said "he didn't know about that."
She said I had better leave enough with them to pay that note of one hundred and fifty dollars, which would soon come due, but Mr. Keefer said it wasn't due yet and there was no hurry about it anyhow, and that I had better invest it in that soap business.
I returned to Toledo, where I met Mr. Fleming, who had rented a building and contracted for materials and utensils. We started our business under the firm name of "Johnston & Fleming, Manufacturers of Fine Toilet Soap."
I advanced the necessary money to meet our obligations, after which we made up a sample lot, and I started on the road.
My orders were taken on condition that the goods were to be paid for promptly in ten days.
I sold to druggists and grocers, and made enough sales in one week to keep our factory running to its "fullest capacity" for at least four weeks. I then returned to Toledo and began filling orders.
As soon as ten days had expired, after having sent out our first orders, we began sending out statements, asking for remittances.
We received but two small payments, when letters began pouring in from our customers condemning us and our soap.
The general complaint was that it had all dried or shriveled up, and as some claimed, evaporated.
One druggist wrote in, saying the soap was there, or what there was left of it, subject to our orders. He was thankful he had not sold any of it, and was glad he had discovered the fraud before it had entirely disappeared and before he had paid his bill!
Another druggist stated that he had analyzed it and would swear that it was made of "wind and water;" while still another declared that his wife had attempted to wash with a cake of it, and was obliged to send down town for some "soap" to remove the grease from her hands.
After reading a few of these letters, I opened my traveling case, took out my original sample box, and discovered at once that in shaking it, it rattled like a rattle-box. I raised the cover and found my twelve sweet-scented, pretty cakes of soap had almost entirely withered away, and the odor was more like a glue factory than a crack toilet soap. We made strenuous efforts to satisfy them, by making all manner of excuses and apologies but to no purpose. In every instance "the soap was there subject to our orders."
My partner was much chagrined at the outcome and sudden collapse of our firm, and no doubt felt the situation more deeply than myself, although I was the loser financially.
After borrowing money enough from an old school-mate, I paid my board bill and bought a ticket for home. I had been away less than four weeks.
I first met Mr. Keefer at the barn and explained to him "just how it all happened," and how the soap dried up, and how I had become stranded at Toledo and borrowed money to get home with.
He said he guessed he would have to let me have the money to pay the fellow back, as I had promised, which he did, and a few dollars besides.
I then went to the house and explained matters to my mother.
She said I might have known just how that soap business would end, and reminded me of the request she made about leaving money enough to pay the note and informed me that I needn't expect any help from Mr. Keefer, for he should not give me a penny.
The next day while in town, I met and got into conversation with a friend who was on his way to Huntington, Ind., to take a position as an agent for selling fruit trees. He showed me a letter from the General agent of an Eastern nursery, who stated that there were vacancies at Huntington for half a dozen live, enterprising young men. I had just about cash enough to pay my fare there, and decided to go.
We arrived there the next day, only to find that the fruit tree men had gone to the southern part of the State.
I explained to Charlie that I was rather low financially, when he informed me that he was a little short himself, but that I could rest assured that so long as he had any money he would divide.
Forepaugh's Menagerie was advertised to be at Huntington two days later, and we decided to await its arrival and see what might turn up in our favor.
The menagerie arrived and drew an immense crowd of people.
I had frequently seen men sell prize packages at fairs, and conducting almost all kinds of schemes to make money, and it occurred to me that with such a large crowd, and so few street salesmen, there was a good opportunity for making money, if one could strike the right thing.
I consulted with Charlie, who said he would be able to raise about two dollars after paying our board.
I suggested my plan, which he considered favorably.
We purchased a tin box and three large cakes of James S. Kirk's laundry soap, and some tinfoil.
