Twenty Years of Hus'ling
three thousand dollars, if I needed it.
I congratulated myself, and no one else, for this much-needed and
desirable credit, realizing that had I let him have his way I would have
been ten years gaining his confidence to this extent.
I now began to "turn myself loose," and with my nice line of goods
there was no such thing as failure. I found it as easy to make a hundred
dollars now, as one dollar at any previous time in my life. I visited
Chicago often to buy new stock.
While speaking of Mr. Streicher (pronounced Striker), a little incident
connected with his name occurred about this time, which may prove
interesting to the reader.
He was about to make a trip to New York, and as Albert and myself were
contemplating a visit home we concluded to accompany him that far on his
journey. My folks had often heard us speak of the gentleman, so when we
arrived at Toledo, Albert said he would telegraph them to meet us at the
depot, as they would no doubt be glad to see him. He therefore sent a
message as follows: "Meet us at the noon train with Streicher."
The telegraph operator at Clyde "bulled" the message, and copied it,
"Meet us at the noon train with stretcher."
It so happened that I met some friends at Toledo who persuaded me to
remain there till the next day. Albert and Mr. Streicher went on, and
when they alighted from the train at Clyde the platform was packed with
people. It being Sunday, every one had turned out. The undertaker, Mr.
Terry, with his ambulance, and a stretcher placed on the platform near
where the express car usually stopped, Mr. Keefer and my half-sisters
greatly agitated, and my mother crying, as Albert and Mr. S. approached
them, both wondering at the unusual excitement.
"Where is Perry? What has happened to Perry? Is he dead, or only hurt?"
These inquiries were made hurriedly, and when informed that nothing had
happened they asked why he had telegraphed for a stretcher.
"Stretcher," said Albert, "you're crazy! I didn't telegraph for a
stretcher, but said meet Streicher and me at the noon train."
When the facts became known, the assemblage seemed to look upon the
matter as a good joke upon themselves, and wended their way homeward
looking disgusted and disappointed, plainly showing that their morbid
curiosity had not been quite satisfied.
The next day, when I arrived and had been told of the occurrence, I
asked Albert what my mother said.
"Well, she said she expected Perry would be killed sooner or later any
how."
"What did Mr. Keefer say?"
"Oh, he said, 'It beat the devil.'"
We spent a few days pleasantly at home, then returned to Chicago and to
business.
I continued to travel over the same territory, visiting my old
customers, whom I soon became better acquainted with, and secured as
regular patrons. I visited them about once every sixty days, and at the
same time worked up as much new trade as possible.
I will here tell how I made my first sale to a merchant who was
notorious for "firing agents out," and who has been my customer ever
since.
I was traveling through Minnesota, and when at the hotel in a small
town, became engaged In conversation with several drummers, who were all
loud in their condemnation of one of the leading merchants there, who
had never treated any one of them civilly. I remarked that I believed I
could sell him a bill of goods. One of them said if I could he would buy
me a new hat.
I went out on the street and stepped up to the first country fellow I
met, and handing him a two-dollar bill, said:
"I want you to go down to Mr. ----'s store and wait till I come in, and
as I am about to leave the store, you ask me to sell you a finger ring,
and when I offer to do so you select one and pay for it with this money,
and I will give you the ring for your trouble."
He agreed to my proposition and immediately went over to the store.
With my two cases I followed directly after him, and setting them down
stepped up to the proprietor and asked permission to show my goods. He
was very gruff, and refused to listen to me at all. I picked up my cases
saying, "Good-bye sir," when my country friend stepped up and said:
"Mister, you are selling jewelry, I see. Can't you sell me a ring?"
"Well, yes, I can if Mr. ---- is willing to let me show it to you in his
store."
The merchant said he had no objection, as he had no jewelry to sell and
never expected to have.
I then opened the case that contained all of my carded goods, and spread
all the trays out on his counter. Not finding any rings in that case, I
was obliged to open the other; and as the rings were at the very bottom
I was compelled to take out every tray before reaching them. These I
also spread out on his counter, and finally sold the young man a ring.
In the meantime nearly all of his customers--and the store was
crowded--were looking at my goods and handling them over. I stepped up
to the merchant, and thanking him for his kindness handed him one
dollar, merely mentioning the fact very quietly that I had only one
price, and that I had sold the ring at just twice the wholesale price,
and the dollar belonged to him. He cried out, as he took the money:
"Good gracious! I hope you didn't charge the man that much profit."
I assured him that such a thing was a very common occurrence; and to
further satisfy him I made several sales right then and there, and in
each instance gave him half the receipts.
Again thanking him for his kindness, I began packing up when he said:
"Just wait a moment," and stepping to the stair-way, opened the door and
called to his wife to come down. She did so, and in less than two hours
I had sold and delivered to them nearly three hundred dollars worth, and
had the cash in my pocket.
When I reported this sale to the traveling men at the hotel they could
hardly believe me, and were not wholly convinced till they called at the
store and saw the jewelry.
My trade continued to be first-class during the holidays, clearing me
considerable money.
I lost no time after the holidays, but kept on traveling while other
drummers were laying off for the dull season, and succeeded well.
When the following spring trade opened, my business increased, and
continued to be good till late in the summer, when I began to think some
of opening an office in Chicago, and buying direct from the
manufacturers, who are almost exclusively located at Providence, Rhode
Island, and Attleboro, Massachusetts.
In July I was at Escanaba, Michigan, and happened to meet Mr. Weil, of
Henry Weil & Co., wholesale jewelers of Chicago; and after half an
hour's conversation with him he showed me a line of gold rings, and sold
and delivered to me right on the spot, nearly five hundred dollars'
worth on four months' time.
I then made known to him my anxiety to open an office in Chicago, and
buy direct. He said he could and would help me to do so, and offered me
desk room in his office till I could afford to rent a room of my own.
The following month I visited the city and called on him, and he gave me
a letter of recommendation to the eastern manufacturers. I also procured
letters from several others, with whom I had had either a business or
social acquaintance, and started for New York, where the manufacturers
all had representatives.
On my way there I stopped at Bronson, Michigan, and at Clyde, Ohio, and
paid all of my old debts, with eight per cent. per annum interest for
the whole time I had owed them. I paid one man two hundred and nine
dollars for a note of one hundred and forty dollars, and another man one
hundred and seventy-five dollars for a note of one hundred and
twenty-two; and still another ninety dollars for a note of fifty,
besides various open accounts for merchandise bought, and for borrowed
money; in all amounting to nearly one thousand dollars.
One gentleman I called on had almost forgotten me as well as the debt I
owed him, and when I said:
"I believe you have an account against me," he looked up over his
spectacles and remarked, as though he considered me foolish to refer to
it:
"Yes, but it has been outlawed for some time."
"Did the law balance your books?" I asked.
"No sir, but it canceled the debt."
"Indeed it did not, so far as I am concerned; and for once I'll prove
myself more powerful than the law by balancing up your books, which is
something it can't or at least won't do."
So saying I produced a roll of bills, and after figuring up and adding
eight per cent. per annum for the entire time the account had been
running, paid the amount over to him.
He said he had often censured himself for having trusted me to so much;
but he was now only too sorry that it hadn't been a great deal more, as
it was the first and only money he had ever drawn interest on, and in
consequence had never realized how fast it accumulated.
After settling everything up in full, I let Mr. Keefer have, at his
request, one hundred and fifty dollars, and proceeded on to New York. I
called at my uncle's store immediately, for the first time since my
three weeks' stay with him when a boy. He was away on a business trip,
but "the old stand," with all its fixtures, looked exactly as they did
the day I left, seventeen years before.
There seemed to be no necessity, however, for any change, as trade
appeared to be more brisk than ever. I was anxious to meet my uncle and
have him go with me to the manufacturers' offices and introduce me, but
as he would not be home for a couple of days I considered life too short
to wait, and concluded to introduce myself.
I went down town, and the first man I met in Maiden Lane was a traveling
agent, a Mr. Medbury, who visited Chicago regularly, and who recognized
me while I was standing on the corner, reading signs and looking for
numbers. He came up and asked if I wasn't the fellow who carried off the
bulk of Mr. Streicher's store in my endeavor to establish a credit. I
told him I was. He then took me into the office of his firm, S. & B.
Lederer, and after introducing me, went on to recount what Mr. Streicher
used to say whenever I visited his store.
This man, Streicher, was a little sharp Hebrew, who was always looking
for the best end of the bargain, but would sell goods cheaper than any
other wholesaler in the country. I saw his nature at once, and
immediately became as aggressive as possible, and always ready to take
my own part. The result was, it seems, that I succeeded in making it
very unpleasant for him. The boys used to relate that whenever my name
was mentioned, he would throw up both hands and say:
"Oh, mine Gott! Every time dot fellow come in mine store he drive me
crazy. I lose my head. He carry off all my nice goods and tell me to
charge; and when I say I don't do it, he say, 'I trow you out dot
tree-story window;' and if my clerks don't suit him he discharge them
and hire new ones; if I don't buy to suit him when agents call, then he
buy to suit himself and charge to me. To the devil with such a man!"
After receiving an introduction to this firm, I presented my letters,
and explained what I wanted.
They assured me that my reference was perfectly satisfactory, and they
would be glad to sell me all the goods I needed in their line, and
thereupon sold me the first bill of goods I purchased from the
manufacturers.
During the interview I mentioned that Johnston the jeweler, on the
Bowery, was an uncle of mine. One of the firm replied that that was in
my favor. Thereafter I did not forget to mention him to every
manufacturer I called upon; and soon learned that his original scheme
of buying "Duplicate Wedding Presents" had made him widely known. I was
then ready to forgive him for not having made any changes in his store
during my seventeen years' absence.