HOW I GOT INTO GOOD

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 130, 4 August 1870, Page 7

HOW I GOT INTO GOOD

CEEDIT,

(From the " Australasian.")

It was a winter's night ; and such a night even in Australia is very pleasant to people indoors. As you listen to the rain pelting at the window, you have the satisfaction of reflecting that it is dropping gold and silver" upon arrable land and pasture. On such a night after dinner I sat in my easy chair thinking despondently of things in general — for the tide of my affairs was getting rather low. I had scraped a little money together, and had furnished my house in pretty good stile, but I found I could not long keep it so therefore I began cogitating. I looked round the room, the fire was burning brightly, causing the well-polished mahogany chairs to shine with a reflected lustre, and the fire, with the aid of the gas, made a cheery atmosphere; the gilded bindings of the books inside the case were seen to full advantage, and the pictures on the wall never wore a more agreeable aspect. On© old gentleman, whose portrait hung before me, seemed more than usually selfcomplacent, as though lie contemplated a safe and lucrative speculation whilst the horses in one of Herrings' sporting scenes looked glossier than ever, and appeared to prick up their ears ready for a start. After looking round, and thinking what would become of all my comfortable belongings, and how I should manage for the future, inasmuch as my debts would swallow up nearly all I possessed, a blight idea struck me, and I decided upon selling the whole, and giving up housekeeping.

I called on a well-known auctioneer and he advertised the " elegant furniture for sale at Take-cm-in Villa, owing to the owner giving up housekeeping." The sale went off well, and placed me in funds to meet pressing engagements and left me very little for future speculations. I attended the Verandah but did not do much good there, although I was said to be one of the lucky ones, and kept up the belief ; in fact it was said I made a pot of money out of the "Vanish all's." Whether I did or not is best known to myself. However, I cleared out of the share business with £100. Storeage room being abundant in Melbourne, all the merchants had been trying to fill it up by importing as largely as possible, no doubt thinking we should have a large immigration, and that the market would soon be cleared. Finding this not the case, they all wanted to sell. Now, here was a chance to become a trader, so I embarked in business with my £100, which is a good deal to risk in the Australian trade ; and of course with such* a captial I was bound to go infco the wholesale branch.

The tea trade seemed a good sort of thing, as many were suffering from the chest complaint. Owing to certain merchants knowing that others had been bitten by our importations the season before, and conjecturing that none of them would go into it again, they one and all ordered two or three cargoes each, and the auctioneers had fine times of it. It was a race between the importers who should be the first to dispose of his cargo, and my auctioneer — that is the one who sold off my furniture — had a cargo for sale, terms, over £100 three months' bill. Now, believing with the homoeopatbists that " like cures like," a three months' bill was just the thing to cure my complaint, so I attended the sale and became a large purchaser. My name went before the merchant. Auctioneer said I was a respectable man had heard I had made a deal of money under the Verandah, &c. Of course it is impolitic to question a man of capital in a full market, or he might throw up the sale. The merchant wanted a variety of names to " sort up" with the next batch for discount, so my name was duly accepted, and I was drawn- at once. I soon found out it wa3 easier to buy than, to sell, and that it was a tedious process to effect sales, so I lowered the price. Still my purchase did not go off to my satisfaction therefore I employed a smaller auctioneer to let it slide gently. But the time was passing quickly, and it only wanted a month to the date upon which the bill became due, when suddenly it struck me that my tea required sugar, so I attended the sale of a large cargo ex Slowcraft, from the Mauritius, which cargo had come rather late in the season, and the terms were to be four months' bills. This extra month was a sort of sweetener to induce people to buy largely and it suited my book. I was a large buyer, and referred to the tea importer. He said he had had one transaction with me, that my bill was due in a month for so and so, and that he considered me a good mark. Importer of sugar remarked to his partner, " he is sure to be in a position to meet his bill to tea merchant, therefore I should consider him safe," so the transaction was closed, and I found sugar the best stuff to deal in, as a shade under cost would soon move it ; therefore I soon had enough funds to meet the tea bill, and had obtained a good name in the market ; was courted by brokers, and had .the reputation of

being a decent fellow to deal with, and my business so increased that I found it necessary to appoint an agent in a neighbouring colony. Now, other merchants either owing to the Lind Bill not working well, or some other circumstance, thought tl.o country wanted stimulating, and therefore ordered large shipments of brandy, &c, an article which will revive the spirit of competition, even in the dullest times, at 25 per cent, under cost. I likewise yielded to the temptation, and became a trader in ardent spirits. Now what with the tea, sugar, and hard stuff, I began to get a little confused, and hearing that the soft goods men were offering, six and seven months' credit, I began to think these more business-like terms, so I wrote to my agent, and he replied that he could do a store in soft goods. I accordingly went into one of those palaces and purchased a small parcel for cash, which they did not seem to care about accepting, but offered me the best of terms ; however, on this occasion it suited me better to take all the discount they would allow me for prompt cash. It is strange how things get wind, but as soon as ifc was known that I was a buyer of soft goods, the representatives of other houses waited on me, and were so polite in their attentions as to he quite overpowering : in fact, I found I had only to walk down the lane of Flinders, and there was any amount of credit offered me. Who would go in for sugar and brandy at four months when they could buy soft goods at six months' and be treated with the utmost respect? There ia no doubt those soft goods men are very gentlemanly fellows, and it is considered something to be accosted by the head of one of those firms, One came up to me in his warehouse the oilier day, rubbing his hands, and said, "It is a fine day" (although it was blowing a fierce hot wind), and hoped I would g© in for a big parcel. I felt flattered > and did go in.

I paid all my tea, sugar, brandy, &c, bills, and held off buying this class of stuff for a time, and having shipped largely of soft goods to my agent, I found it necessary to go and look after him, and it being desirable at certain seasons to clear out stock, I did so ; and as my health requires a change, I am about having a trip in one of the new steamers to South America. I havo no b'lls coming due for three months, and should I not be back, perhaps my creditors will hold them over.