anyhow."

I brought them in and began quoting prices. He began picking out and
laying to one side. I was worried to know whether he expected to buy on
credit or pay cash.

He kept picking out and I told another story. He laughed heartily and
said that was "the boss" and laid out more goods.

Finally he said: "What are your terms anyway or haven't you got any."

I answered: "No, I have no terms, everything net spot cash."

"What! Don't you give any cash discount?"

"I never have given any yet," was my reply.

"Well then, I suppose there is no use in my trying to get any."

In a few moments he directed me to make out my bill, which I did on a
piece of brown paper. It amounted to a little over eighty-two dollars.

I threw off the extra few cents and he paid me the cash, after which I
receipted the bill.

This particular sale was the ruination of my jewelry business for the
time being, but as will be seen, proved to be the key-note to a very
successful business in after years.

Having turned wholesaler, I was wholly and entirely unfitted for the
business of peddling. My thoughts were completely turned from the latter
and absorbed in the former.

Although I readily understood that it must necessarily take large
capital to conduct such a business, I yet determined to give it a trial
with my little stock.

I therefore telegraphed for more goods, and began driving from town to
town making a few sales to the merchants, but none equal to my first
one. I never found another merchant so anxious to look at my goods, nor
so ready to buy. However, I readily understood that I must be persistent
in showing to them the same as I had always been at private houses, and
in many cases more so. I came in contact with one merchant whom I failed
to understand perfectly well.

I called at his store and found him reading the paper. After
introducing myself and explaining my business, he simply said he didn't
want any jewelry.

"Well," said I, "I don't suppose you will object to looking at it, will
you?" He made no reply. I then began laying my trays out on his counter.

After displaying them nicely, I stepped back to where he was sitting and
still reading, and said to him: "I have them ready now, sir."

He stepped behind the counter, gathered up the trays, piled them in a
heap, stepped to the front door, pitched the entire outfit into the
middle of the street, and returned to his newspaper without a word.

My first impulse w