Show confessions Confession sef f a mail order man by mr M 0 X revelations by One experience in the covers a range hance prom from office boy to lo general Ida nager HOW WE DIVIDED THE MONEY tho the furniture department in our catalogue sata nta logue was a great and dimmed immediate late success the fake illustrations baught tho the eye of the people and the poured in with every mall mail wo we found out that whenever a customer ordered one article there were always i number of others included with the arst and the orders were all cash f course I 1 dont remember in those lays that wo we ever had an inquiry for molit they seemed glad to get the goods by paying the cash arid and they seemed scorned to get the money together in some ionic manner we were busy we moved away train rom the city where the business was started at and id now had a big establishment in ono one of the biggest of tho the east arn am cities our tiny leaflet of a catalogue had increased to ta over fifty pages and there seemed to be no limit to our prosperity my afy work was now almost entirely connected with the catalogue I 1 wrote the descriptions ordered the illustrations made by the wood engravers superintended super intended the printing and mailing departments and was up to my I 1 collar in work all of th the e time whenever anything of importance arose in connection with the business I 1 was always called into a conference with Y and Z and we settled any question that arose one day I 1 was called in and the doors were shut and locked there was something of importance to be discussed look here X we are going to incorporate this business said Y with a peculiar expression in his eyes I 1 had seen this expression before and I 1 held myself on guard in readiness ess to be very careful of my speech and action as I 1 knew I 1 had need of caution it was like the hands up of a highwayman that look was yes we WB are going to incorporate and wo we are going to take you in as aa one of the incorporators supplemented 2 I 1 held my peace hero here was something worth listening to seeing that I 1 asked no questions and was waiting for them to go ahead they looked at each other u until adl finally Y said we are going to incorporate for one hundred thousand dollars he continued to explain with interpolations po lations by Z and an occasional question by myself until it came about that they had bad decided to make me a present of one thousand dollars of the capital stock sounds generous dont it if well it to me we had always discussed the possibility somo some day of incorporation and it had always been held out to me that I 1 was to have a good slice of the capital stock so I 1 took up the burden of the argument I 1 explained my viewpoint recited tile the various services I 1 had rendered the departments I 1 had introduced the improvement pro in the business etc for all of which I 1 claimed A good part of the credit it was due mo me too because I 1 had bad developed into the handy man mail about tho shop for doing all of the hard work we nearly had a row over it I 1 was determined that it if they did not treat me with fairness that I 1 would withdraw and I 1 knew where I 1 could interest capital it if necessary to start another mall mail order business in fact I 1 had the capital myself for by this time I 1 was drawing a salary of 0 three thousand a year about 60 per week anti I 1 had saved a good share of my salary I 1 told them so BO with all frankness it resulted in their giving me of tile the capital stock and an increase in salary to a year Y and Z took e each ach which took out 66 of the stock it was decided to sell out the other of stock at par if they had a buyer for cash and of this sum I 1 was to have 15 per cent the deal was put through and I 1 found myself a comparatively rich man later when the capitalization was increased to millions I 1 got my share of the tha increased valuation BO 60 that I 1 have made pretty well out of it of course in this matter I 1 am giving fictitious figures I 1 will not give any more details now because it would be too easy for you to guess more for it is no part of my plan to tell you too much about the interior workings of our organization we have figured it all out many times just what becomes of your dollar that you send in to us with an order about one halt half of it goes for payment for the goods ordered the rest Is divided into dimes and cents for the payment of postage printing maintenance of plant insurance office help hell etc and last and best of all into dividends for the stockholders the families of Y and Z are now looked upon as merchant princes they have their yachts their automobiles their racing stables their various establishments they take their annual tours in various parts of the tha world and they live off the best the world can supply and why because you have sent your dollars to the mall mail order house established by their fathers many years ago each year you send more dollars and he bo wealth piles up in the banks all because of tile the clover clever wording f our catalogue descriptions all be cause you will have the unreal unreal instead of at the genuine because you will insist it on oa dealing with th the a unknown instead of trading with your oven homo home merchants it 1 la burn huma human n nature for you to do this because the rul rule of life Is to follow the willo will o th blindly everybody does this every everybody ever boly boby tries to grasp the indefinite instead lot grab bing bine the things ut at our ery homo home door oar really 14 ally it la Is laughable wan alen you come to think of it you sent your dollars to us because you iou fancied and hoped that the distance whick shiell given enchantment to the view would send you something in tile the way of a groat great prize of course we did not we spend our dollars like water in foreign lands while at home we do not find so BO much to interest us rattler rather we think that we do not year after year I 1 have made the pilgrim age into practically all of the foreign lands it has cost roe me I 1 do not care to say how many thousands of dol lars yet all this time I 1 know and realize that wo we havo have better things to see bet gw ter things to ride in better things to eat cat than any other land to the crooked and thieving valdes guides in parts and london and ber berlin lin we are th easy marks we are the simple minded we are the deluded tha th easily decoyed decayed the glided palaces ol 01 revelry in paris find and vienna the un wholesome cabaret of at st Peters petersburg burp and brussels nr the gambling hell ot at monaco I 1 the glittering vice halh 0 ol 01 cairo are all maintained by amert can dollars we support them wc malca make them rich we have made champagne a necessity we e have mad truffles fles and mushrooms both expensive and desirable its tho the history of life every crea ture shall prey upon the weaker and we are the weaker who lavish out oui money on this sort of foolishness it II is really true that it is you the peo pie of the soil the dwellers in the country who are the wiser after all we seek dissipation and spend out oui energy and health as well as our dol lars lara in looking for excitement it Is to you in the country thal thai the nation looks in time of war wha not in peace also the strength lift ilet with you the power is within houi EAU grasp all you must do Is to your rights of franchise and your good goo sense and judgment try it get together among your 5 our selves in your scattered communities hold meetings discuss among your our selves what you ought to do to im prove conditions talk it over lioni ho to keep the money at home feather your own nests all make your efforts count to your ewt advantage Is it possible that the dissension and petty jealousies that are popular ly supposed to exist in all small corn com cannot be done away witt so that you can all combine for tho thi good of the whole what it an armet arme power were on the way down th county road to burn arid and sack houi town and cut the throats of your worn en and children what would yoi yet do would you sidestep a masi meeting called to create a defense because bill jones or hank buncome was going to be there therea would yoi yet sulk and refuse to havea thing t tc do litif the defense plan just becaas you vou had somo grievance real or other wise vise against somebody who would bt b there not on your our life it would be i grand rally it would be hello bill and hello hank gilme a alifi with this pesky peaky cannon cut a bucklo hole in this strap for a belt to hold ua u my sword hand over oer the bowdel there I 1 want to fire anro a few bullets a the enemy the spirit unite for the corn com mon man interest with trade at homo home at sour your slogan |