PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 26, 1 April 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH.

The truth of the old saying "Penny wise, pound foolish,'' was. well exem-. plified in the case of the business dealings of r. Scottish blacksmith some time ago. The blacksmith in question runs a considerable business in horseshoeing, and in the course of a year collects a, good many tons of old shoes. These lie used to sell to one or other of the local .scrap iron merchant-. But a year or two ago he took it into his head that he wasn't getting a high enough rate for his goods, and that caused him to inform the local dealers that he would not sell another ton to them under £3 per ton As this was rather more than any of them were prepared to give, lie had to keep his old shoes, which, in time, began to accumulate ill such quantities as to become quite a large stack, which he had constructed in his back yard. Various tempting offers, both iiD so much per ton, and far the whole quantity, were made to the s-mitb, but he was obdurate, and bis only answer was always the same, ".£3 per ton, nothing less." At last, a lew months ago, be got what he had so long waited for—his own demand. Carters, with their horses and carts arrived to take away the precious m-'-ial, and then the smith got the suiprise of his' life. The air and rain had eaten into the very heart of the stack rf shoes, and when nhout halt of them had been removed, down went the rest, into a heap of little else than dust' Wasn't the smith wild 9 tie was' , It, was reckoned that to make an exIra £,- he had W, nearly £3O- but then, of course, experience is often dearly bought.

To pray, but nof to recruit, is to commit suicide.— Archbishop of Melbourne.