SMART MEN.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1892, 26 January 1875, Page 3

SMART MEN.

The author of " The Gentleman Immigrant '*■-■■ tolls two capital stories, illustrative of Yankee business virtue. The first of these is of a conductor on one of the lines of railway, who, " entered the service of the company without a 'red cent,"' had contrived on 60 dollars a month to purchase, in little over a year, " a house, a 2-40 nag, a gold chronometer and fixings, a diamond ring and pin, and other costly articles too numerous to mention." A director of the company moved this man's dismissal. A co-director moved that he be retained. The man, he urged, o^ad house, horse, watch, ring and pin f-*waS;r .completely set up, in fact; if a Tg&son&de man, he ought to be contented." A new hand, on the contrary, would have all these thing* t° buy. The jpan was retained accordingly. The other was of a man who purchased the goodwill of a bar in one of the leading thoroughfares. The man, on entering into possession, engaged at high wages a bar-keeper, renowned for his concoction of seductive drinks ■—■" eye openers,"_ gunvticklers, corpse-revivers, and the like. " Everything," the story goes, "went along swimmingly, until it came to taking stock, when it was found that the balance was on the wrong side of the ledger; and so considerable was the deficit, that nothing remained but to sell the business and compound with the creditors. The business was purchased by the accomplished bar-keeper, who out of pure compassion, consented to engage his late masters as assistant. In less than a twelvemonth the new proprietor was, in his turn insolvent; and, on the business being offered for sale, it was repurchased by its former owner. Once again the accomplished bar-keeper begged to be engaged, but a deaf ear was turned to his . petition. "Guess, friend, we're about square," was the response. "I've learnt how eyeopeners and gum-ticklers are concocted, and mean for the future to keep ba* myself." _ __^_——