Not long ago our house told me to stop at a town to see one Berry &
Co., who had let two drafts come back, and then had written an
impudent letter. They had given us an order for about $700 worth of
goods, but they are quoted light, and the old man concluded he'd send
on a part of it, and when that was paid send another part, and so on.
They refused to pay because they did not get all the goods ordered,
and when asked for a report of their condition refused to give one,
saying parties could find out about them from Dun or Bradstreet. I
presented the account and was told they wouldn't pay until they had
to. I reasoned with them, but the fellow was a big-head, and the more
I talked the worse he acted. I finally told him I was sent there to
get the money or put the account in the hands of an attorney, and went
out saying I would be back again at a given hour and I hoped they
would be ready to settle up. I went to the other dealers there whom I
knew and they all said the fellow hadn't a leg to stand on in court. I
went back in the afternoon, and after getting another tongue lashing,
he gave me a check, but told me I had lied, as he handed it to me. I
haven't wanted to punch any one in years as I did him, but I gave him
my opinion of him in a few words, and he won't soon forget it, either.
Now, you Western men don't have that kind of trouble in your
collecting."

"No," said a grocer, "our men never say they will not pay; it's the
other way; they say they will and then don't. Seems to me I could get
along with a man who said he wouldn't but could be made to. I could do
something there; but the fellow who solemnly assures you he will send
in a large remittance next week, and then doesn't, is a hard one to
manage."

"Do you want to know who, in my opinion, is the smallest man on