"ÆGLES" ON SMARTNESS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 84, 8 April 1878, Page 4

"ÆGLES" ON SMARTNESS.

The following appears in the Australasian from the pen of the humorous 11 M les " :— He wns a smart man was Bennett, and he was American, Hia place of business whs in Melbourne more than twenty years ago. Having good credit he bad acquired a very large stock of goods, an<l (hen found that sales were not taking place so rapidly 88 he had anticipated. Now Bennett wbs b man of resource. Said he to a friend, Just you drop erouod amongst the business folks, and hint thnt things are looking queer with Bennotf. Jhe friend w s pnrtvised but fonriplied, and very eh-rily B, l**i i! h visit from bis largest creditor, who came in with a rather mechanical looking smile. How's bu^nesp, Mr Bennett?" ••Well, I con* brag very much, Sir, buyers seem very shy — in fact I was thinking I'd Bfek you to renew that big bill for me this we^k." Squareboot'a suspicion was now fairly aroußeil, and be remonstrated with bis debtor for taking such largicreiiit. "Well," said 8., "I'm very sorry ; you have been liberal with me. I can't pay money, but I'll s^nd you in a lot of goods — you mustn't let the other fellows know. Wouldn't like to Bee you short." Other creditors dropped in, Had each secured a special preference in having goods delivered on the condition of strict silence. Now B. put, from 20 to 3»> per cent, profit on the goods with which he squared his accounts, and before a month he bad a low stock and no liabilities. I don't know whether his friends up to this time are all aware of Bennett's acute diplomacy. We had in him the makings of an excellent Treasurer — but he was ! above politics. When be had straighterjeJ bis town affairs he went about the country col- 1 lecting debts due to him. Galling on a i firm of storekeepers, he said he'd like to get in at once the £300 they owed him. They said they would like a few days grace. "All right," said he " but I'm a stranger, and lonely — Buppose you aek me to stop with you for a bit. I've eonoe other accounts in the township to get in." There wag ready acquiescence, and being a genial man, and condescending withal, he played poker with bis hosts every evening. At the end of a week, said one partner to another, " We had better make an effort and pay Bennett off. He's too expensive an article for us to keep on hand. Their poker playing had cost them about £20 per evening. But I am not quite sure that Bennett's smartness was not surpassed by an intelligent promoter at Ballarat, who got into some temporary difficulty during the halcyon days of the Sir William Don Company. Tha difficulty landed him in a gaol, but although restrained he was not altogether cast down. His incarceration was but for a short period, and before he was released he had floated a bogus company amongst the wardere, and stepped out of gaol with £250 cleared by welldirected intelligence.