I had an old friend living there who was a painter by trade, besides numerous acquaintances. It will be remembered that it was at this same town I had resigned my position as Telegraph operator a few years before.
I very soon called on my old landlord, who gave me a hearty welcome. After putting my horse out, I settled down for the night.
The next morning I called on my friend, who had just finished a job of painting, but could not collect his bill at once, and being a little short himself, was unable to assist me.
I asked if he had a good credit there, and he replied that he could buy anything he wanted on time.
I then asked if he could hire a horse and buggy on those terms, and he said he could.
"Well then, you come to a drug store with me and we will buy some patent medicine, or something that we can sell to the farmers, and we will travel through the country with your hired rig, leading my horse behind, and peddle from house to house on our way to Adrian, Mich., where I can possibly sell my horse, and you can then return home."
He then suggested that it would be a good scheme to take a pot of copal varnish and brush along, and take jobs of the farmers to varnish pieces of furniture, charging a certain price for each piece.
"Well," said I, "why not sell them the varnish, and let them do the work themselves?"
"But they can buy all the varnish they want right here where we buy it."