CHAPTER XXX.
BUYING OUT A LARGE STOCK OF MERCHANDISE—ON THE ROAD AGAIN—SIX WEEKS IN EACH TOWN—MUDDY ROADS AND POOR TRADE—CLOSING OUT AT AUCTION—SAVED MY CREDIT BUT COLLAPSED—PEDDLING POLISH AND JEWELRY—WHOLESALING JEWELRY—FIFTY DOLLARS AND LOTS OF EXPERIENCE MY STOCK IN TRADE—TALL "HUS'LING" AND GREAT SUCCESS—AN OFFER FROM A WHOLESALE JEWELRY FIRM—DECLINED WITH THANKS—HUS'LING AGAIN—GREAT SUCCESS.
Now that I had made considerable money and had it in cash I determined on doing two things.
The first, was to arrange with some wholesale jewelry house to furnish me with what stock I needed, at a small advance above the manufacturers' price, to travel on the road and supply the retail trade—as I had never given up the idea of some day becoming a wholesale jeweler.
The second, was to return immediately to Bronson, Michigan, and Clyde, Ohio, and pay all of my debts, which had been running a long time. With the first object in view I set out to find headquarters for purchasing my jewelry, and succeeded in finding a dealer who offered me satisfactory prices. After looking his goods over and coming to an understanding with him, I informed him that I was going east for a few days, and on my return would select a stock of goods and start out.
My wife and I then packed our trunks, and had bought our tickets ready for a start, when I happened to pick up a paper and read an advertisement offering four thousand dollars' worth of goods for two thousand dollars. I thought it a good idea to make a couple of thousand more before starting east, if I could just as well as not, and called on the advertiser.
I first demanded to know if the stock was clear of incumbrance; and when convinced that it was, I looked it over, and although it looked to me like ten thousand dollars' worth, I laughed at the fellow for having cheek enough to ask two thousand dollars for it.