ARTICLES BY "SNYDER.”

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 65, 10 November 1887, Page 2

ARTICLES BY "SNYDER.”

THE END OF A JOURNALIST’S CAREER. HIS LAST RESOURCE.

(Continued.) I called three of my friende together to unbosom myoelf, and aik advice as to my future course in life. We assembled over the festive board in a private room of the leading hotel, I shall designate my friends names by their initial letter. 1 don't think they would care to have their namei pub. lished so widely as would be the case if they appeared in your intelligently written and admirably conducted journal, I suffered once from the same sort of thing myself. My name ■—< and whereabouts,. became known through a flattering notice respecting me which was followed by several summonses for unpaid accounts, and subsequently by the appearance of a bailiff with peremptory instructions to sell me off upon an unsatisfied judgment. I will call my friends Mr L , Mr P , and Mr W———. The question I wished to be enlightened upon was, what pursuit could I follow in which newspaper work war to be altogether excluded? There must be I thought people who got a living in other ways. Why could I not be one of them ? Three meals fl day, as many glasses of light English beer, a whiskey or two before turning ' in, a Sunday’s invitation to some ones house to dinner, with an occasional small loan of ready money upon my i personal security would be the ut- : most extent of my requirements. It was after this simple and unvarnished ; statement that my oldest and best of i friends L passed his hand across ■ the table and grasped mine, He said > Snyder, my dear fellow, Iv'e got an 1 idea—turn Commission Agent. I > said the proposal had a nice sound about it. It looked in fact first rate, ■ but if it was not exposing my ignor* ance too much would he kinc’ly tell i me what was a commission agent; I .. > didn’t quite know myself. Well, ; said L , reflecting and hesitating a little, a commission agent is a man i whp—who, well he is a man who does i business for some other man on commission. Very often it happens that when he can’t do the man's business • he does the man. You see, a fellow . in that particular line has got to live, just much about the same as if he is : in any other particular line. My next ■ friend Mr P thought the comi mission business would not be a bad • move in itself, but he did not see why ; I should not extend operations. Why i not, sa'd P , announce that you are willing to arbitrate in disputes by , which the evil machinations of the , law may be defeated. P con- } sidered the causing of disputes had . been a good deal in my line as a news- , paper writer. There could be Ko difficulty for me to go on the other 9 tack and undertake the settelment of them. W thought I might still ( very much further extend the field of action. Money lending was a goo I line. Why shouldn’t I go in for ,

money lending. I said that I had often been told that loaning money was a good speculation. I had no doubt myself but what a larger trade might be done in that way. Unfortunately in my case there appeared to be a drawback, in as much that my balance in the bank just then- was somewhere between twelve pounds five and twelve fifteen. While even this was the remnant of an accomodation bill discounted in my favor and which the friendly and obliging acs ceptor would look to me to retire at maturity. W smiled at my objection, He said any addled-headed 1 fellow could lend money if he had got it to lend. If I had got no money of my own I could lend other people's, which on-the whole was a great deal safer. Instead of advertising myself as a money lender I could notify that I Negotiated loans upon approved securities. That would leave two escapes for me. In the first place I could always plead That the persons for whom I did business had unfortunately at the time all their money invested. In the second I could get out of' a difficulty by saying the security offered was not of the kind my client approved of. Then I wanted to xnow what benefit would reach me by such an arrangement, I had no money to lend of my own and I didn't suppose other men would be so simple as to trust me with theirs to do that which they could do for them selves, There, said W , you are all wrong and show great ignorance of a knowledge of the human heart. There are always a lot of fellows who have funds at command for which they want a stiff rate of interest, but who do not care to have their names known in the

transaction. Beside*, see what a prestige you v ill obtain. Only think of people going up and down the streets and by-ways pointing you out, saying Snyder has turned to money lending. What a sly dog he mu»t have been all these years to be sure. Mr P was in accord with W——. And, look here, Snyder, he said, in your notification about the money lending business you intimate that to persons in difficulties you will be prepared to make satisfactory arrangements with creditors by composition or otherwise. You have had so much experience in dealing with your own creditors that your assistance would be sought for as invaluable and not to be sufficiently estimated. It must long have been a source of wonderment and admiration to your friends how you have managed to conciliate those to whom you have been so indebted. Any man who has obtained the credit you have in your time deserves all the credit he can get. I would give a good deal to know how you have done it. P further suggested that I should include a labour agency office in my business. Itwould enable me to find servants for employers and employers for servants. The occupation would give me frequent opportunities of observing new phases of life and human nature. During the sitting, at which a considerable quantity of overproof whisky and many cigars were consumed, the following advertisement was drafted, which appeared in the next issue ox the paper I had edited, and from the duties of which I had been relieved.

I thought the wording was a little too florid and somewhat over-sketched, but my friends having composed it between them, would not allow a sentence of it to be modified or toned down:— ITT- WHOM IT MAY COSCBBN, STR SSTDZB, having taken i>l> Snal » wubll* Journalist Use, st the entreaty of hie friewle, Commcne d the profession of a Coinmiwion Agent, a profeMfcn Which Um of late yean teen o*rrtal cn by persona of low birth and mean extraction, rendering them quite onequal to the eerioua responsibilities de-Dtanth.-1 of so important a podrion. Mr S, wi’lurrtertakn the Negotiations of loans upon Apprirad Security. He will give bis eerviees to persons in Pecuniary Difficulties by arranging with creditors, haring bad long Personal Experience ou such uelicate Vwfifalso act as Arbitrator for the avoidance of personal conflicts and for depriving the harpies of vhe law of their unrighteous gains. To persons, eapoctelly young females, whose cuaca*h« has been neglected, Mr S. will be happy tn aot as Amanuensis He will undertake to write letters of affection (requited or unrequited, or of o indolence or reeriminatorv, aoeorling to rircumstonoea. N.B.—Tte strictest secrecy observed. Advice given in all cases of delicacy or difficulty, oa the shortest has also opened up an Engagement Emporium, Where servants, upon application, can be provided with good places and employers with good servants. In the case of a lady employer wishing to eng ge a iemaie domestic it is recommended that her application be mcoompanied by a written charaoter or testimonial given to her by the servant who was last in her employment. TERMS STRICTLY GASH. (TO BI CONTINUED.)