out, and received some cash besides. They had moved in town about the
time I was ready to start for Chicago.

My mother said, that while I had so much money, it would be a good to
pay back some I had borrowed of them, before I lost it all.

Mr. Keefer said there was no hurry about that, he knew I would pay it
all back some day, because I had always told him I would, and he
believed now I was going to make lots of money.

I bade them good-bye, and left for Chicago, where I arrived the
following morning, when I immediately set out to investigate the jewelry
business. I very soon became satisfied that the few wholesalers I had
called upon were "wolves," and convinced that there was a wolf for every
lamb, I "hus'led" away "to try the jewelry another day."

I then began scanning the "wants" and "business chances" in the
different daily papers, when I noticed an advertisement from Colonel O.
Lippencott, who was the United States agent for the sale of government
goods, such as guns, saddles, harnesses, blankets, soldiers' clothing,
etc., which had been left over after the late war.

I called on him, and he convinced me that with a stock of twenty-five
hundred dollars, I could make money fast.

I asked how about one thousand dollars' worth. He said it wouldn't pay
with so small a stock, and said I could pay one thousand dollars down,
and give a bond for the other fifteen hundred dollars. I told him about
Mr. Keefer, and he very soon ascertained that his bond would be good. He
then filled one out and I sent it to him marked "confidential," along
with a letter explaining "just how it was."

It was promptly returned to me with his signature attached.

The goods were soon packed and shipped to a point in Michigan. I hired a
young man to go with me as clerk.

Our success was better than I anticipated.

I would rent a room in a fair-sized town and advertise extensively, and
remain three or four weeks.

The young man I had with me was about my own age, a jolly good fellow, a
sharp salesman and hard worker, but he had many extravagant habits which
I had never yet fallen into.

He was fond of billiards, and insisted that I should learn the game,
which I was foolish enough to do. In less than one week I was dreaming
every night of ivory balls of all sizes and colors, of billiard cues of
all weights and shapes, and tables of all styles. My clerk declared I
had gotten up in the night and walked round and round our bed, with a