Twenty Years of Hus'ling
"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