Twenty Years of Hus'lingJohnston, J. P. (James Perry)
General
Twenty Years of Hus'ling
Johnston, J. P. (James Perry)
Business; Johnston, J. P. (James Perry), 1852-
When I returned to the hotel and informed the gentleman whom I had
gotten my information from that I had taken such an order, he was much
surprised. Of course I was not so indiscreet as to relate how I had
accomplished it. After I had become better acquainted with this firm,
and they had become regular customers, I related the facts to them, much
to their amusement.
I continued to hus'le, as before. My health was not first-class, but I
improved rapidly, and was very soon in a better condition physically
than I had been for years. My success was fair during the summer. I
visited Chicago frequently, and succeeded in establishing a limited
credit of two hundred dollars with my new firm, but found it a hard
matter to accomplish that much. I made good use of it, however, and when
the busy season was approaching for the fall and holiday trade I
determined to strike for a larger credit. This was not only with a view
to extending my business, but I realized that at the rate I was
progressing, I would soon want to establish a business of my own, and
unless there was some wholesale jeweler to whom I could refer the
Eastern manufacturers, I would have a hard time to get a start.
When I asked the manager of the concern for an extension of credit he
said I could extend it a little. I therefore began selecting a stock of
goods, which I insisted on having billed as fast as I picked them out.
That night, when I had finished and had the goods in my cases (I now
carried two), and had them charged on the books and the bills for them
in my pocket, and was about ready to start for the train, the proprietor
chanced to discover that I had bought nearly one thousand dollars worth.
He threw up both hands in holy horror and declared I should never leave
the store with all those goods.
I informed him that the goods had been properly billed and charged to
me, and I had legal possession of them; and as my train was to leave
soon it was my intention to take my departure.
I pointed to the front windows and reminded him and about twenty clerks
who stood looking on, that we were about three stories up, and the first
man who laid a hand on me or my goods would land through one of those
windows on the sidewalk below, if I had to go down with him.
Saying which, I grabbed my cases, and with the further remark:
"Gentlemen, make room for me now; I am ready to start," passed out with
not a word spoken, and everything as quiet as death.
Two or three of the clerks were good friends of mine, and were only too
glad to see me force a credit for myself; and I doubt if they could have
been induced to interfere had Mr. Streicher demanded it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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