ng me as he reached down into his
pocket and produced a roll of bills, "I am going to loan you one hundred
dollars, and I know you will pay it back before three months."

I thanked him, but told him fifty dollars would answer, as I could get
along nicely and would prefer to commence as low down as I dared. He
insisted that a hundred would be none too much, but I declined to accept
more than fifty, and immediately sent to Chicago for a stock of just
such goods as I felt certain would sell well and not be too bulky.

I assured the Doctor that if I were successful I would pay him back, and
if I was not I would never cross the street to shun him when I came to
Chicago, but would surely call on him and acknowledge the debt, anyhow.

I had heard and read of men like Doctor Ingraham, but he was the first
of his kind that I had ever met; and realizing that such friendship
could not be valued too highly, I determined to not only repay him, but
to let him have the satisfaction of knowing sooner or later that the
start he gave me had developed into something of consequence.

After he bade me farewell and started for home, I was at a loss to know
what to do while waiting for my goods, and had almost concluded to have
a few bottles of polish made up with which to make a few dollars, when a
young man appeared at the hotel with a very peculiar-looking cylindrical
instrument in a box. I was curious to know what it was, and as he looked
rather tired and sorry, I ventured to inquire what he had in there. He
answered:

"Oh, it's nothing but a 'talking machine.'"

I was fairly dumfounded, and thought perhaps he was casting a slur, as I
had been doing considerable talking. At any rate I felt that whether he
was telling the truth or not, I had a right to take exceptions.

[Illustration: EXHIBITING A PHONOGRAPH NEAR ELKHART, IND.--PAGE 505.]

If he had meant to slur me, I would be insulted.

If he had told the truth, I had a right to oppose unfair competition.

I then demanded an explanation, and assured him that I did nothing else
_but_ talk, and considered I had a perfect right to investigate any sort
of a machine that would be at all likely to monopolize the business.

He then took the cover off the box and showed me an Edison phonograph,
which he had gotten in exchange for a horse. He had come on there
expecting to meet his cousin, who was to furnish the money, and they
were going to travel and exhibit it.

I asked him to "set