his wife returned at once, and though far
from well, he threw himself into the work of restoration, in which no
one was more helpful. The dreadful event, however, revealed much good in
human nature. Helpfulness in the presence of such devastation and
suffering might be expected, but honor and integrity after the sharp
call of sympathy was over have a deeper meaning. One of my best
customers, the Bancroft-Whitney Company, law publishers, having accounts
with lawyers and law-booksellers all over the country, lost not only all
their stock and plates but all their books of accounts, and were left
without any evidence of what was owing them. They knew that exclusive of
accounts considered doubtful there was due them by customers other than
those in San Francisco $175,000. Their only means of ascertaining the
particulars was through those who owed it. They decided to make it
wholly a matter of honor, and sent to the thirty-five thousand lawyers
in the United States the following printed circular, which I printed at
a hastily assembled temporary printing office across the bay:

_To Our Friends and Patrons_:

_a_--We have lost all our records of accounts.

_b_--Our net loss will exceed $400,000.

SIMPLY A QUESTION OF HONOR.

_First_--Will each lawyer in the country send us a statement of
what he owes us, whether due or not due, and names of books covered
by said statement on enclosed blank (blue blank).

_Second_--Information for our records (yellow blank).

_Third_--Send us a postal money order for all the money you can now
spare.

PLEASE FILL OUT AND SEND US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THE FORMS ENCLOSED.

May 15, 1906.

Returns of money and of acknowledgment were prompt and encouraging. Some
of those considered doubtful were the first to acknowledge their
indebtedness. Before long they were able to reproduce their books and
the acknowledged balances nearly equaled their estimated total of good
accounts. Remittances were made until over $170,000 was paid. Of this
amount about $25,000 covered accounts not included in their estimate of
collectible indebtedness. This brought their estimated total to
$200,000, and established the fact that over eighty-five per cent of all
that was owed them was acknowledged promptly under this call on honor.

Four years later they were surprised by the receipt of a check for $250
from a lawyer in Florida for a bill incurred long befo