Inquiries by mail came pouring in from all over the country. Most of the
correspondents enclosed postage stamps, and to those who did not we
wrote anyhow, enclosing the prescription. I wrote to each of them about
as follows:
“Dear Sir:—Your favor of recent date just received, and I take
great pleasure in sending you the prescription, as advertised. I
desire to particularly caution you that it must be used strictly
in accordance with directions. Have it put up at a place where
only first-class drugs are kept. The articles are so delicate
that they must be pure and fresh.
“You may find it difficult to procure a few of the ingredients
named in this prescription, especially if you reside in a small
town. I would inform you that in such case I have made
arrangements with a reliable pharmacist here, who will put up
the entire prescription and forward it by express, all charges
prepaid, for one dollar and thirty cents.
Yours truly,
“HOSPITAL NURSE.”
As the ingredients I had hinted at as hard to procure, though they had
nice sounding names, never were heard of by any country druggists; those
who decided to use the prescription according to the direction
invariably sent me their orders, and I returned them a number one,
tip-top pile remedy, which cost just thirty cents. My partner got
materials at wholesale prices, and now-a-days every one knows the
tremendous profits at which such things are sold at retail.
I did not live economically by any means, but after I got started this
thing more than paid my expenses, while my friend and partner, the drug
clerk, had enough laid up to insure his diploma as an M. D., and
probably this very day would as soon think of dying as running a
professional advertisement in a newspaper.
I worked this pile scheme until the novelty of it wore off, and then
began to think of hitting the road again. It was while making the rounds
in New York City, looking for something to handle, that I accidentally
strolled into a trade auction house.
I made a purchase there, which, for a time, I feared was going to turn
out a total loss. I bought three hundred and eighty pocket bibles. My
bid was made “for fun,” and when they were knocked down to me at a
ridiculously low price I had to take them, though I had no idea of how
they were going to be disposed of. I was not exactly the sort of
individual, either in manner or appearance, to travel around selling the
good book; and I had my doubts if I could get rid of them, even if I
tried.
They were beauties, though, bound in morocco, with gilt edges and tuck
covers; and the longer I had them the more I was convinced there were
plenty of people hungering and thirsting for the books, if I only knew
who they were, and how to reach them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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