sion men--this house, or,
rather, its customers, for it had nothing, endured severe losses. A man
would ship a tow-boat or a car-load of fruit or vegetables against a
supposedly rising or stable market; but if ten other men did the same
thing at the same time, or other commission men were flooded with
fruit or vegetables, and there was no way of disposing of them within
a reasonable time, the price had to fall. Every day was bringing its
special consignments. It instantly occurred to him that he would be
of much more use to the house as an outside man disposing of heavy
shipments, but he hesitated to say anything so soon. More than likely,
things would adjust themselves shortly.

The Watermans, Henry and George, were greatly pleased with the way
he handled their accounts. There was a sense of security in his very
presence. He soon began to call Brother George's attention to the
condition of certain accounts, making suggestions as to their possible
liquidation or discontinuance, which pleased that individual greatly. He
saw a way of lightening his own labors through the intelligence of
this youth; while at the same time developing a sense of pleasant
companionship with him.

Brother Henry was for trying him on the outside. It was not always
possible to fill the orders with the stock on hand, and somebody had to
go into the street or the Exchange to buy and usually he did this.
One morning, when way-bills indicated a probable glut of flour and a
shortage of grain--Frank saw it first--the elder Waterman called him
into his office and said:

"Frank, I wish you would see what you can do with this condition that
confronts us on the street. By to-morrow we're going to be overcrowded
with flour. We can't be paying storage charges, and our orders won't eat
it up. We're short on grain. Maybe you could trade out the flour to some
of those brokers and get me enough grain to fill these orders."

"I'd like to try," said his employee.

He knew from his books where the various commission-houses were. He knew
what the local merchants' exchange, and the various commission-merchants
who dealt in these things, had to offer. This was the thing he liked to
do--adjust a trade difficulty of this nature. It was pleasant to be out
in the air again, to be going from door to door. He objected to desk
work and pen work and poring over books. As he said in later years, his
brain was his office. He hurried to the principal commission-merchants,