CHAPTER IX.
CONTINUING THE JEWELRY AND SPECTACLE BUSINESS ALONE--TRADING A WATCH CHAIN FOR A HORSE--PEDDLING ON HORSEBACK--TRADING JEWELRY FOR A HARNESS AND BUGGY--SELLING AT WHOLESALE--RETIRING FROM THE JEWELRY BUSINESS.
After dissolving partnership I returned to Columbus, replenished my stock, and started out alone. I took the first train out from the city and stopped about ten miles distant, at a small country village, and commenced operations. My success was gratifying. I walked through the country, peddling from house to house.
After my third day out, I came to a s.p.a.cious looking farm house just at nightfall, and asked the lady if she would keep me over night. She said she had no objections, but her husband was prejudiced against keeping peddlers or agents, and she was sure he would object. I asked where he was, and she said he was away on a horse trade.
While we were talking he drove up with a handsome bay mare, and called his wife out to show her what a "_bang up_" trade he had made, adding with much ardor and excitement that if the fellow he had traded with was horseman enough to get the other horse to pull a pound he would do more than any one else had ever done.
I asked him to keep me over night, when he turned on me with a volley of oaths sufficient to color the atmosphere blue for some distance around.
I a.s.sured him, in the blandest manner possible, that I was no horse thief nor burglar, and that I had plenty of money and expected to pay my bills.
His wife reminded him that they had plenty of room, and as it was late he had better let me stay.
He then consented, asking at the same time if I was a good "story teller." This of course gave me an "inkling" as to the best means of getting in his good graces. During the evening I lost no time in arriving at a point in our conversation where I could relate a few of my latest stories, which pleased him greatly. He became so much interested in me and my business as to propose to go into partnership with me, he to furnish the traveling conveyance and half the money, and I to do the selling.
His wife ridiculed the idea and laughed at his foolishness.
He then leaned forward in a very familiar, friendly manner, and took hold of a long neck chain I was wearing, and asked what I would take for that chain.
"Oh," I answered, "I don"t want to sell it."
"Well, but you _would_ sell it, wouldn"t you?" he asked.
"A man would be a fool to refuse to sell anything he owned, if he got enough for it," I replied, "but I have no desire to sell this particular chain."
The next morning, while I was trading with his wife, he again mentioned the chain, and remarked that he would rather have that than all the jewelry in the box.
I said: "I should think you would."
He then said: "Look here, young feller, I"ll tell you what I"ll do. I"ll give you that bay mare I traded for last night, even up, for that chain."
I asked if she was sound. He a.s.sured me that she was.
"Well, then," said I, "oughtn"t she to fetch two hundred and fifty dollars?"
"Yes sir, you can bet on that," he answered, excitedly.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THOSE KIND COST ME $10.00 PER DOZ.--PAGE 111.]
"Well then," said I, "if you will throw in a saddle and bridle I"ll trade."
"I have no saddle," said he, "but I will give you a blanket and bridle."
"All right, it"s a trade."
We bridled and blanketed the mare, I delivered the chain to him and mounted, ready for a start.
"Now, young feller," said he, "the trade is made and there must be no "kicking" on either side. You agree to that do you?"
"Yes sir," I answered, "I"ll never kick if the old mare dies in five minutes from now."
"That"s right," said he, "you"re a dandy, and just the sort of feller I like to deal with."
"Well, I"ll bid you good day"--tipping my hat.
"See here, one moment," he yelled, as I had gotten well on my way. "Say!
the trade is made and no squealing on either side. How much is this chain actually worth?"
"Well," I answered, in a loud tone, "those kind cost me ten dollars per dozen, or eighty-odd cents each."
He staggered and fell back against the fence. His wife yelled in a high pitched voice:
"Well there, John, _you_ have been taken in for once in your life." I raised my hat and cantered away.
I traveled on horse-back all day, and found it up-hill business, as it was difficult to mount and dismount, and very hard to carry my sample case and valise on horse-back.
That evening I arrived in a small burg where I put up, and determined to turn my horse out to pasture, until I could deal for a buggy and harness.
That night while in conversation with some men at the hotel, I learned that one of them was a carriage and wagon maker. I asked if he had anything in the way of a light second-handed buggy, which he could sell at a low price.
He said that he had one that he had just been repairing and it was all ready to run out. I prevailed upon him to take me to his shop and show it by the light of a lantern.
I asked his price which was forty-five dollars.
On re-entering the hotel, I took him into the sitting room and showed him my jewelry. He was pleased with it, and I asked him how he would like to trade his buggy for some of it. He said he wouldn"t care to take it all in jewelry, but if I had any good watches he would take one, and some jewelry on a trade.
I then showed him the watch I was carrying, and was not long in making a trade. I gave him a bill of sale for the watch and jewelry, and took one from him for the buggy.
I retired that night feeling that I had made fair progress towards procuring a traveling conveyance of my own. When morning came, my only desire was to deal for a harness. As soon as breakfast was over, I took my jewelry case and "hus"led" around among the business men, as well as at different residences in the town. I gave but little thought to selling goods, but inquired, wherever I called, if they knew of any one who had a harness for sale.
At last I called upon an old couple who were in need of spectacles. I succeeded in fitting both of them, when I suggested the idea of taking their old gla.s.ses in exchange for mine, and letting them pay the difference. The old gentleman said I would have to trust them for the difference, as they had just paid out the last money they had.
Almost the last thing I thought of, was to ask them if they knew of any who had a harness for sale, as I had become so interested in the spectacle deal.
"Why bless you," the old man replied, "I have got a nice single harness up stairs that I will sell cheap." He brought it down, and I traded the spectacles, a very nice pair of sleeve-b.u.t.tons, and a handsome set of jewelry for it.
I was now ready to start with my newly completed torn-out, which I lost no time in doing.
I traveled in the direction of Kirkersville, where I arrived a few days later and promptly exhibited my horse, harness and buggy to my late partner and his acquaintances.
After a careful scrutiny of the turn-out, and a look at the goods I had left in stock, he remarked that "some one must have been taken in."
I continued peddling for some time, meeting with splendid success on the average, with occasionally a poor day.
I never lost an opportunity of trading horses, and as a rule, preferred to keep trading for a better one each time where I would be obliged to pay boot, which I invariably manipulated so as to pay the difference in jewelry, instead of the cash. I also traded buggies frequently in this way, and in a very short time I was driving a first-cla.s.s turn-out.