Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 April 1897 — HE LEARNED A NEW TRICK. [ARTICLE]

HE LEARNED A NEW TRICK.

Man with Hayseed in His Hair Fools a Clever Landlord. “You can’t clerk in a big hotel without being something of a detective and keeping your eyes open all the time,” declared a widely known landlord to the rural caller with a cheap suit that didn’t (it and a slouch hat that looked as if It might have seen service in a lien's nest. “Don’t want to be put up too high, hey? I’ll just give you a nice warm room on the third floor. Ask the clerk for the key when you want to go to bed. He’s at supper now. As I was saying, you have to be a good judge of human nature and up to all the tricks of the crooks in order to be a first-class clerk. I was In the business fifteen years before I became a proprietor, and was never taken in once. I can tell a slick customer as fast as I can see him, and some of his kind are always around.” “That’s what I’ve alius heerd. Atw-eeu you an’ me here's S2OO in this envelope. I'm going to pay a feller most of It, but I guess I better leave it inter your safe till mornin’. Just count it, lau’lord.” “That’s correct; just $200.” An hour later while the landlord was counting his stack of cash the “farmer” came up breathlessly. “My man’s here now, an’ lie’s got ter ketch a train, .list ban’ me $175 an’ take It outeu th’ envelope.” This was promptly done. Next morning when the cash showed the above shortage the landlord grimly charged it to himself, filled his hip pockets with guns and went looking for his rural friend who had changed envelopes while the receipt was being written.— Detroit Free Press.

The Value of Credit. Is there anything under the sun that will fill the place of credit? I believe not. If there is I have never met with it. Cash is the only available substitute, and even that fails in many instances. There are firms in New York that will refuse to open an account for cash with a man who has no credit; they will have no business transactions with any one who has not a current credit rating in this market. Yet those same firms will not hesitate to open an account with a man whom they find relatively well rated. I have experienced that singular thing, a wholesale firm that refused to sell goods for cash to a merchant who had no credit rating. Reference showed that he always paid cash and neither sought nor received credit. The firm in question refused to sell him, they had no assurance of Ills soundness, no other testimony of his disposition to play fair other than that he paid as he went, so they positively refused to do business with him. He asked no accommodation at their hands; he wanted goods and would pay on the spot, yet they positively refused to place his name upon their books in any capacity whatever. This only goes to show that “no record” is a bad record. The man who is not rated good Is bad. Some men will persist in judging every man a rogue until lie is proven honest. Be careful of your credit; you can have no more precious possession than a good name, nor more valuable capital than a good credit rating. The practice of having your check received by your creditor the day it is due instead of sending it on that day is a trifling thing, yet It will net go unnoticed. Trifles like this supplement your rating in dollars and cents and help to stiffen it. Make no promises you cannot keep, and whether prompt or slow be as good . i your word.—Dry Goods Chronicle.

Compressed Air as Motive Power. The attention of inventors has been so concentrated on electricity and its possibilities that compressed air, which is almost as wonderful In Its capabilities, has been quit*e lost sight of. Just what it is capable of we cannot as yet understand, but we do know that it runs locomotives, transfers the United States mails, hurls the charge of an explosive a mile and a half, with a force sufficient to pulverize a regiment. It operates block-signals on railroads, loads guns, drives machinery, works pumps, and carves out all sorts of beautiful things from stone and marble. It is coming into use for thousands of minor purposes. As a cleaning and dusting agent, it is invaluable. It copies letters, shears sheep and Is utilized in the stock-yards to slaughter and dress-meat. As to its future, prediction is made that it will clean house, run dumb-waiters, take the piace of the horse a* & means of locomotion, will wash dishes and rock the baby. There are inventors who declare that compressed air is already quite as useful as electricity, and much safer and more manageable. To bring it into its best uses, large distributing stations must be built, from which compressed air will come as we now get gas and water. There will, no doubt, be a sharp rivalry between the two great powers, electricity and compressed air; and between the two we ought to bi aide to get most of our minor service well and cheaply performed. George Isaac, a Germau scientist, and three assistants were blown to atoms by an explosion of acetylene gas on Dec. 12. It is said that he believed he had discovered a non-explosive variety of acetylene, and that Emperor William had been attracted by his experiments with the manufacture of the gas, and was soon to visit his labora torjr.