Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1887 — Protected by High Prices. [ARTICLE]

Protected by High Prices.

Several years ago there was in the book and stationery business at Kalamazoo a gentleman named B- , who has since retired, and whose name is not infrequently seen attached to verycreditable pieces of verse and humorous anecdotes which appear in print and are usually widely copied. B had a local reputation for asking just a little more for his goods than any of his competitors. There came to the classic shades of Celeryville in those days an ambitious but impecunious youth to sit under the teachings of President Gregory and his band of professors in Kalamazoo College, .intense thirst for literature and an empty pocket were too much for the youth’s moral backbone. He was caught one day stealing a book from a Main street store. On account of the disgrace it would bring to the name of education the matter was hushed up, and the young man let off under promise of making full retftitution of the purloined volumes. He led the way to his room and pointed out a long) row of books which he had acquire ! through a systematic course of shoplifting. It was a < hoice < ollection; he had stolen with rare taste. The books were taken down, identified by the dealers’ marks, and sorted into piles. It was noticed that though every other store in town had been touched for one or more tomes, B ’s stock was not represented in the plunder. “Now,” said a grave professor, turning to the misguided student, “now that it is all over, tell us why you have never stolen any books from Brother B-—.* “Well, I’ll tell you. Whenever I took down one of Mr. B ’s books and looked at the price it scared me out; I didn’t dare to steal so muQh*”-** Detroit Free Preas^