Twenty Years of Hus'ling. J. P. Johnston
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