A SHREWD Yankee, with about five hundred dollars in his pocket, came
along down South, a few years ago, seeking for some better
investment of his money than offered in the land of steady habits,
where he found people, as a general thing, quite as wide awake as
himself.
In Philadelphia, our adventurer did not stay long; but something in
the air of Baltimore pleased him, and he lingered about there for
several weeks, prying into every thing and getting acquainted with
everybody that was accessible. Among others for whom the Yankee
seemed to take a liking, was a Dutchman, who was engaged in
manufacturing an article for which there was a very good demand, and
on which there was a tempting profit. He used to drop in almost
every day and have a talk with the Dutchman, who seemed like a good,
easy kind of a man, and just the game for the Yankee, if he should
think it worth the candle.
"Why don't you enlarge your business?" asked Jonathan, one day. "You
can sell five times what you make."
"I knows dat," returned the Dutchman, "but I wants de monish. Wait a
while, den I enlarsh."
"Then you are laying by something?"
"Leetle mite."
In two or three days, Jonathan came round again. He had thought the
matter all over, and was prepared to invest his five hundred dollars
in the Dutchman's business, provided the latter had no objections.
"It's a pity to creep along in the way you are going," he said,
"when so much money might be made in your business by the investment
of more capital. Can't you borrow a few hundred dollars?"
"Me borrow? Oh, no; nobody lend me few hunnard dollar. I go on, save
up; bimeby I enlarsh."
"But somebody else, with plenty of money, might go into the business
and fill the market; then it would be no use to enlarge."
"Sorry, but can't help it. No monish, no enlarsh."
"I've got five hundred dollars."
The phlegmatic Dutchman brightened up.
"Fife hunnard dollar?"
"Yes."
"Much monish. Do great business on fife hunnard dollar."
"That you could."
"You lend me de monish?" asked the Dutchman.
Jonathan shook his head.
"Can't do that. I'm going into business myself."
"Ah! what business?"
"Don't know yet; haven't decided. Into your business, maybe."
"My business!" The Dutchman looked surprised.
"Yes; it appears to me like a very good business. Don't you think I
could start very fair on five hundred dollars?"
The Dutchman hesitated to answer that question; he didn't want to
say yes, and he was conscious that the Yankee knew too much of his
affairs to believe him if he said no. He, therefore, merely shrugged
his shoulders, looked stupid, and remained silent.
"You don't know of a large room that I could get anywhere, do you?"
The Dutchman shook his head, and gave a decided negative.
Jonathan said no more on that occasion. Two days afterwards, he
dropped in again. "Have you fount a room yet?" asked the Dutchman.
"I've seen two or three," replied Jonathan. "One of them will suit
me, I guess. But I'll tell you what I've been thinking about since I
saw you. If I open another establishment, the business will be
divided. Now, it has struck me, that, perhaps, it might be better,
all round, for me to put my five hundred dollars into your business
as a partner, and push the whole thing with might and main. How does
it strike you?"
"Vell, I can't say shust now; I'll dink of him. You put in fife
hunnard dollar, you say?"
"Yes; five hundred down, in hard cash--every dollar in gold."
"Fife hunnard. Let us see." And the Dutchman raised his chin and
dropped his eyes, and stood for some minutes in a deep study.
"Fife hunnard," he repeated several times.
"Come to-morrow," he at length said. "Den I tell you."
"Very well. I'll drop in to-morrow," replied the Yankee. "I'm not
very anxious about it, you see; but, as the thing occurred to me, I
thought I would mention it. Five hundred dollars will make a great
difference in your business."
On the next day, Jonathan appeared, looking quite indifferent about
the matter. The Dutchman had turned over the proposition, and
dreamed about it, both sleeping and waking. His final decision was
to take in the Yankee as a partner.
Now, a cool, thoughtful Dutchman, and a quick-witted Yankee, are not
a very bad match for each other, provided the former sees reason to
have his wits about him, which was the case in the present instance.
The Dutchman meant all fair; he had no thought of taking any
advantage: but he had suspicion enough of Jonathan to put him on his
guard, and look to see that no high-handed game was played off upon
him.
"You put in fife hunnard dollar?" he said, when the Yankee appeared.
"Yes."
"Hard cash?"
"Yes, in gold."
"Gold!"
"All in half-eagles like these." And he drew a handful of gold coins
from his pocket.
"Very well; I dake you. You put in fife hunnard dollar, I put in all
I got here; den we joint owner."
"Equal partners?"
"Yes."
"That is, I own half and you half."
"Yes."
"And we divide, equally, the profits?"
"Yes."
"Very well; that'll do, I guess. We'll have writings drawn to this
effect--articles of co-partnership, you know."
"Oh, yes."
This settled, nothing remained but to have the articles drawn, the
money paid in, and the agreement signed and witnessed; all of which
was done in the course of a few weeks. Then Jonathan went into the
business, and infused some Yankee spirit: into every part of it; he
made things move ahead fast. In less than a year, the business was
much more than doubled, and the profits in proportion; thut Jonathan
was not satisfied with his half of these--he wanted the whole; and,
hedge-hog-like, he did all he could, by merely bristling up, to make
things unpleasant for his partner. But the Dutchman was by no means
thin-skinned; the sharp spikes of the Yankee's character annoyed him
but little. As for himself, he felt very well satisfied with his
share of the profits, and willing to go on as they were going.
At the end of the second year, when the establishment had grown into
quite an important and profitable concern, the Yankee had a visit
from an Eastern friend, a man of some capital.
"That's a stupid-looking fellow, that partner of yours," said this
person.
"And he is as stupid as a mule. I have to carry him on my back, and
the business, too."
"Why don't you get rid of him?"
"I've been wanting to do so for some time, but haven't seen my way
clear yet."
"Does your partnership expire at any time, by limitation?"
"No. It can only be dissolved by mutual consent."
"Won't he sell out his interest?"
"I don't know; but I've always intended to make him an offer to give
or take, as soon as I could see my way clear to do it."
"Don't you see your way clear now?"
"No. When such an offer is made, it must be of a sum that it is
impossible for him to raise; otherwise, he might agree to give the
amount proposed, and I don't want that. I wish to stick to the
business, for it's going to be a fortune. At present, I am not able
to raise what I think should be offered."
"How much is that?"
"About three thousand dollars. I only put in five hundred, two years
ago. You can see how the business has increased. The half is worth
five thousand in reality, and I would give, rather than take that
sum."
"You think your partner can't raise three thousand dollars?"
"Oh, no; he's got no friends, and he hasn't three hundred out of the
business."
"How long would you want the sum mentioned?"
"A year or eighteen months."
"I reckon I can supply it," said the friend. "It's a pity for you to
be tied to this old Dutchman, when you can conduct the business just
as well yourself."
"A great deal better; he is only in my way."
"Very well. You make him the offer to give or take three thousand
dollars, and I will supply the money. But you ought, by all means,
to add a stipulation, that whoever goes out shall sign a written
agreement not to go into the same business for at least ten years to
come. If you don't do this, he can take his three thousand dollars
and start another establishment upon as large a scale as the one you
have, and seriously affect your operations."
"Such a stipulation must be signed, of course," remarked Jonathan.
"I've always had that in my mind; let me once get this business into
my hands, and I'll make it pay better than it ever has yet. Before
ten years roll over my head, if I a'n't worth forty or fifty
thousand dollars, then I don't know any thing."
"You think it will pay like that?"
"Yes, I know it. I haven't put out half my strength yet, for I
didn't want to let this Dutchman see what could be made of the
business. He'll catch at three thousand dollars like a trout at a
fly; it's more money than he ever saw in his life."
On the next day, Jonathan told his partner that he wanted to have
some talk with him; so they retired into their little private
office, to be alone.
"Vat you want?" said the Dutchman, when they were by themselves; for
he saw that his partner had something on his mind of graver import
than usual.
"I'm tired of a co-partnership business," said the Yankee, coming
straight to the main point.
"Vell?" And the Dutchman looked at him without betraying the least
surprise.
"Either of us could conduct this business as well as both together."
"Vell?"
"Now, I propose to buy you out or sell you my interest, as you
please."
"Vell?"
"What will you give me for my half of the business, and let me go at
something else?" The Dutchman shook his head.
"At a word, then, to make the matter as simple as possible, and as
fair as possible, I'll tell you what I'll give or take."
"Vell?"
"Of course, it would not be fair for the one who goes out to
commence the same business. I would not do it. There should be a
written agreement to this effect."
"Yes. Vell, vat vill you give or dake?"
"I'll give or take three thousand dollars; I don't care which."
"Dree dousand dollar! You give dat?"
"Yes."
"Or take dat?"
"Either."
"You pay down de monish?"
"Cash down."
"Humph! Dree dousand dollar! Me tink about him."
"How long do you want to think?"
"Undil de mornin."
"Very well; we'll settle the matter to-morrow morning."
In the morning, Jonathan's friend came with three thousand dollars,
in order to pay the Dutchman right down, and have the whole business
concluded while the matter was warm.
Meantime, the Dutchman, who was not quite so friendless nor so
stupid as the Yankee supposed, turned the matter over in his mind
very coolly. He understood Jonathan's drift as clearly as he
understood it himself, and was fully as well satisfied as he was in
regard to the future value of the business which he had founded. Two
of their largest customers were Germans, and to them he went and
made a full statement of his position, and gave them evidence that
entirely satisfied them as to the business. Without hesitation, they
agreed to advance him the money he wanted, and to enable him to
strike while the iron was hot, checked him out the money on the next
morning. One of them accompanied him to his manufactory, to be a
witness in the transaction.
Jonathan and his friend were first on the spot.
In about ten minutes, the Dutchman and his friend arrived.
"Well, have you made up your mind yet?" asked the Yankee.
"De one who goes out ish not to begin de same business?"
"No, certainly not; it wouldn't be fair."
"No, I 'spose not."
"Suppose we draw up a paper, and sign it to that effect, before we
go any farther."
"Vell."
The paper was drawn, signed, and witnessed by the friends of both
parties.
"You are prepared to give or take?" said Jonathan, with same
eagerness in his manner.
"Yes."
"Well, which will you do?"
"I vill give," coolly replied the Dutchman.
"Give!" echoed the Yankee, taken entirely by surprise at so
unexpected a reply. "Give! You mean, take."
"I no means dake, I means give. Here ish de monish;" and he drew
forth a large roll of bank-bills. "You say give or dake--I say
give."
With the best face it was possible to put upon the matter, Jonathan,
who could not back out, took the three thousand dollars, and, for
that sum, signed away, on the spot, all right, title, and claim to
benefit in the business, from that day henceforth and for ever.
With his three thousand dollars in his pocket, the Yankee started
off farther South, vowing that, if he lived to be as old as
Methuselah, he'd never have any thing to do with a Dutchman again.