RIENCE MY STOCK IN TRADE--TALL
"HUS'LING" AND GREAT SUCCESS--AN OFFER FROM A WHOLESALE JEWELRY
FIRM--DECLINED WITH THANKS--HUS'LING AGAIN--GREAT SUCCESS.

Now that I had made considerable money and had it in cash I determined
on doing two things.

The first, was to arrange with some wholesale jewelry house to furnish
me with what stock I needed, at a small advance above the manufacturers'
price, to travel on the road and supply the retail trade--as I had never
given up the idea of some day becoming a wholesale jeweler.

The second, was to return immediately to Bronson, Michigan, and Clyde,
Ohio, and pay all of my debts, which had been running a long time. With
the first object in view I set out to find headquarters for purchasing
my jewelry, and succeeded in finding a dealer who offered me
satisfactory prices. After looking his goods over and coming to an
understanding with him, I informed him that I was going east for a few
days, and on my return would select a stock of goods and start out.

My wife and I then packed our trunks, and had bought our tickets ready
for a start, when I happened to pick up a paper and read an
advertisement offering four thousand dollars' worth of goods for two
thousand dollars. I thought it a good idea to make a couple of thousand
more before starting east, if I could just as well as not, and called on
the advertiser.

I first demanded to know if the stock was clear of incumbrance; and when
convinced that it was, I looked it over, and although it looked to me
like ten thousand dollars' worth, I laughed at the fellow for having
cheek enough to ask two thousand dollars for it.

He asked how much I thought it was worth.

I offered five hundred dollars.

He offered to take eighteen hundred.

"Well, sir, we are only thirteen hundred dollars apart, and I'll split
the difference with you and pay the cash."

So saying, I "flashed" my roll of money, when he agreed to my
proposition.

After I had made the purchase I asked the gentleman (who was a German)
why he had sold so cheap. He informed me that his uncle had recently
died in Germany, and left him a large fortune; and he was anxious to go
there and spend the balance of his life.

His explanation satisfied me, and I began packing up the goods ready for
shipment.

We gave up our trip east, and after buying nearly two thousand dollars'
worth of almost all kinds of goods, such as tin-ware, glass-ware,
crockery, woolen goods, etc., t