THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 491 



(I even now withhold names for fear of the wrath of 

 retail traders) and learnt that by buying half a chest at 

 a time, and paying for it in ready money, we should 

 save from 6d. to 9d. a pound. We therefore invited a 

 few other office friends to join us. Each wrote down 

 on a list the quantity he would take, at the same time 

 handing in the money to pay for it. Some of the most 

 cautious limited themselves to a single pound : others 

 boldly cooperated to the extent of two pounds, a few 

 rash men pledged themselves to three pounds, and we 

 promoters had to take enough to make up the full 

 order. The tea was bought, and after office hours we 

 weighed and divided it among the purchasers. It pro- 

 ved to be excellent, and soon a demand arose for more. 

 Other men in the office, who had heard of our success- 

 ful venture, wished to join, and this time there was no 

 need for us promoters to take more than we wanted. 

 Some one now luckily discovered an empty cupboard 

 in the office, and here we locked up our second half 

 chest of tea till we could divide it among ourselves. 



" This cupboard was the original store of the Civil 

 Service Supply Association. 



" More tea being very shortly needed, we prepared 

 for a third purchase, and now so many joined us that 

 we had to buy a whole chest. It was no joke to make 

 up 100 pounds of tea into parcels of two or three 

 pounds apiece, but we were lucky enough to find one 

 who, like old Trapbois, was willing, nay eager, to un- 

 dertake the task for a consideration. This was a funny 

 little fellow, since dead, whose duties were very humble, 

 and salary yet more so. Though nominally a clerk, he 

 was regarded as a kind of cross between a clerk and a 

 messenger. Poor fellow ! while his small salary had no 



