Sign-painting had been his trade, so he said he would furnish the sign, and I could live with them until I got returns.
That afternoon I arranged to have the use of a vacant lot which was in a good locality, and as soon as possible erected a sign as large as the broad-side of a barn, which read as follows:
"J. P. JOHNSTON, DEALER IN ALL
KINDS OF AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
C. H. & L. J. McCORMICK'S
REAPERS AND MOWERS FOR SALE."
In less than two months I had several thousand dollars' worth of all kinds of implements, which had been consigned to me, freight prepaid.
I very soon made the acquaintance of a young man who owned a good horse, which he kindly offered to loan me to canvass the farmers with. I then began looking about to find some one who would loan me a harness and carriage, when my attention was called to the advertisement of a lot of carriages to be sold at auction that very day. I called on the owner and told him I needed a carriage, and asked what the terms of the sale would be.
He said a note payable in one year, would be acceptable from responsible parties, and then asked my name. I said: "I am J. P. Johnston, the agricultural man."
"What! the man with the big sign across the street?"
I replied: "The same."
"O, well," he said, "your note is good."