Aug. 15, 1911 



509 



es. I had one watch that in those days was 

 considered a pretty fine timepiece. I think 

 the price was twenty or twenty-five dollars. 

 I finally snceeeded in selling it to an old 

 gentleman who seemed very cautious and 

 careful, and I spent considerable time with 

 him in making the trade. A few days aft- 

 erward he came back and laid the watch on 

 the showcase. I asked him if there was any 

 thing wrong with it. He said there was 

 nothing w^rong at all, for it was just on the 

 mark with my regulator, and he spoke 

 something as follows: 



"Mr. Root, the watch is all right, as you 

 say; but now if I tell you I have changed 

 my mind, and would rather not have the 

 watch, how much money can you afford to 

 give me for it and take it back? " 



It was a great disappointment to me, for 

 I was short of funds, being new in the busi- 

 ness, and I thought hard for a second or 

 two. Finally I made my decision, and 

 then looked up in his face and said, "Mr. 

 C, I sold the watch to you, as I said, at a 

 small profit compared with the usual profit 

 on watches; but under the circumstances I 

 will take it back and give you just what you 

 2oaid for iV." 



Said he, "My young friend, if you really 

 think you can afford to do that 1 should be 

 very glad to have the money in jolace of the 

 watch." 



With a rather disappointed feeling in my 

 heart I did the best 1 could to look cheerful 

 whjle I reached into my drawer and count- 



ed out the necessary sum he had i)aid me. 

 I was going to take the watch and put it 

 back in the showcase. Then came one of 

 my ' ' hai)py surprises. ' ' He began to laugh, 

 and i^ushed the money back toward me, 

 saying, "Here, my boy, jmt your money 

 back in the drawer. I was just testing you. 

 A friend of mine told me when I got home 

 that I had been swindled. He said the 

 watch was not worth half what I paid for it, 

 and declared yon would not give half price 

 for it back again. Now, I have lived long 

 enough to know something about human 

 nature, and 1 told this man that I felt sure 

 I could not be mistaken. I said that frank, 

 honest-looking boy would not take more 

 than a fair price for the watch; and now I 

 have proved you, and you have come out of 

 the ordeal just as I expected you would. I 

 will do what I can to help you build up a 

 business on that basis." 



From that time forward, as long as the 

 old gentleman lived he was a staunch friend 

 of mine; and as he was an old, well-known, 

 and prominent citizen, it was worth a lot to 

 me. I think I have mentioned before that 

 the two other jewelers, before many years, 

 dro})ped out and left the trade all in my 

 hands. Now, with the above in view you 

 can readily understand that it was no par- 

 ticular disappointment on any side when 

 something unexpected transpired so that 

 the dear old "cabin in the woods" in 

 Northern Michigan is back in my hands 

 again. 



JL 



m 



POSTUM CEREAL COFFEE, AND SOBIETIIING 



IN REGARD TO OTHER COFFEE 



SUBSTITUTES. 



Even if the Postum Cereal Co. has made 

 a million or more with Postum and grape- 

 nuts, I think the whole wide world can give 

 them a vote of thanks for having awakened 

 the whole nation to the damaging effect 

 of coffee and other unnatural stimulants; 

 and it is really almost laughable to think 

 that a man should get rich by showing up 

 the harmful effects of coffee that is put forth 

 by means of some of the most extravagant 

 advertising ever seen. While we have 

 used Postum cereal in our home, and like it 

 very much, Mrs. Root and I have often won- 

 dered why they should put the i)rice even 

 higher than that of real coffee, and why the 

 people should be willing io pcty an extrava- 

 gant price for something that could be 

 made at home for about one-tenth of what 

 the Postum cereal costs; and why do they 

 continue to keep up such extravagant i)rices 

 for something made of wheat, molasses, etc.? 



There has been a great deal said about 

 short cuts between the producer and con- 

 sumer. The farmer raises wheat, and gets 

 for it 80 or 90 cts. a bushel. He usually sells 

 the whole crop and then goes and buys a 

 sack of tlour, that has passed through half 



a dozen hands from the wheat he has just 

 sold, to the grocer's counter, giving each 

 middleman a good i^rofit. Perhaps at the 

 same time he buys the sack of flour he gets 

 a package of Postum cereal, paying 25 cts. 

 per lb. for the wheat he has just sold for a 

 little over 1 ct. per lb. Well, this matter 

 was just brought to mind by a little bag of 

 roasted wheat containing a postal card which 

 reads as follows: 



I mail you to-day a sample of our roasted wheat 

 —best made in percolator. Let it pump :M minutes 

 or more; teaspoon heaping full for 2 cups. I put in 

 some ground as we use it — enough for 8 cups; not 

 good unless ground. Keep it in a .sealed can. You 

 will grow to like it— entirely wholesome "wheat 

 soup," made of choice wheat, pure New Orleans 

 niolasses, and a little best butter, cost about 'i cents 

 a pound! T. B. Terry. 



Feb. 18. 



We clip also the following from a recent 

 number of the Practiced Farmer: 



TWENTY-.SIX CUPS OF CEREAL DRINK FOR ONE CENT. 



Some weeks ago I sent samples of our roasted 

 wheat " coffee " to officers of the largest manufac- 

 turing firm of its kind in the world. Three of them 

 have tested it and reported; The president says: 

 ■' Wife and I like it very much; in fact, better than 

 any other of the cereal drinks that we have tried." 

 Another officer says; " We tried your cereal drink 

 for several mornings, and enjoyed it greatly. We 

 have used other cereal drinks at our home, but like 

 yours better, even if it does not cost 25 cts. a pound. 

 We have your directions for making it, which were 

 in The Prarfical Farmer for Jan 28." These are the 



