only on the pluck and energy I had persistently
shown, but also for being able to stand prosperity.

Mr. Keefer repeated what I had often heard him say years before, that
"he knew I'd make it win some day." He said he had always contended that
as long as I kept from spending money foolishly, and only lost it in
trying to make money, that I must certainly some day profit by my
experience, and come out ahead.

He evinced great interest in my affairs by wanting to talk continually
with reference to my business, and would converse about nothing else the
whole evening.

My mother didn't know what to say.

On my arrival home I wrote to the Salina, Kansas, man, telling him that
I had a lot of goods in my possession turned over to me by his
ex-manager; and unless he came on to Chicago within five days, and gave
me a bill of sale for them, I would have him brought back by officers.
He came, and did as I requested.

This late experience, in connection with several other large losses I
had sustained through the sales of traveling agents, convinced me more
than ever that my business was being constantly jeopardized by their
carelessness in conducting sales.

I had for some time been figuring on an original plan of advertising, by
which I felt certain of success. So I decided to call my agents in and
discharge them. Then I began at once to spend time and money liberally
in advertising. The result was that my business grew rapidly, and to
such an extent that I was compelled to increase my force of clerks, and
to keep renting and adding on more room every few months, till at
present I employ a very large force of help, and occupy ten times as
much room as when I first commenced at my present location, and am
supplying jewelry to the leading merchants in all parts of the United
States.

When I called my agents in to discharge them, with a view to
experimenting with my advertising scheme, Bert, (who by this time had
become thoroughly sophisticated, and had proved himself a competent and
trustworthy young man,) said that, as he had laid up a few hundred
dollars, he would like to buy goods from me and sell for himself, the
same as I had done, and the same as Albert was then doing. I agreed to
sell to him on similar terms.

He began at once, and was very successful--so much so that on the first
of January of the present year he also opened an office of his own in
the same building where I am located; he buys direct from the
manu