DEBTS OF THE POOR

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 10194, 5 January 1926, Page 5

DEBTS OF THE POOR

MAN WHO FORGAVE THEM

A STOREKEEPER’S GENEROSITY

Treasured in many a humble abode house in the mountains of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, is a little soiled and wrinkled slip of paper. On it appears in Spanish: “Juan Sanchez (or 'whatever the name may be), to Felix Garcia, Dr.” Then an itemised list of purchases of chili, coffee, sugar flour, beans, and at the bottom the indorsement “Paid in full by God”. It is the tale of the country merchant, who died a rich man despite the fact that he never pressed a debtor for payment, crossed the obligations of poor people off his books, and left among his papers bills receivable and promissory notes amount ing to more than £20,000. Garcia, once a nominee of the Democratic Party for Governor of New Mexico, died from a bullent- accidentally discharged. Few men in Now Mexico, died from a bullet accidentmourned. The esteem in which he was held was based entirely on his honesty and humanity. He was not a brilliant mail, but was gifted with sound business judgment. A typical small Spanish-American merchandise store was established by Garcia. He made a little money and acquired a number of small ranch properties. But the poor people did not contribute to his increasing fortune. If a customer fell sick or had had luck on his litle mountain farm, or was out of work, Garcia promptly hunted up his account and sent him the hill marked “paid in full by God.” Garcia ran two stores in the little village of Lumberton: one a cash store, the other a “credit store”, where he let his needy patrons run accounts as long as they wished. Tt is not on record that his generosity was often taken advantage of by those able to pay, and the hulk of the £20,000 left unpaid mi lire books really represented charity to the poor.