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*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWENTY YEARS OF HUS'LING ***

Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Charles Aldarondo, Martin

Pettit and the Online Distributed

Proofreading Team at

http://www.pgdp.net

Twenty Years of

Hus'ling

BY

FAILURES

AND SUCCESSES OF A MAN WHO TRIES ALMOST

EVERY KIND OF BUSINESS AND

FINALLY WINS.

FORTY-EIGHT

ILLUSTRATIONS

BY

THOMPSON & THOMAS

Chicago 1902

cover

Copyright, 1887,

by J P Johnston.All Rights Reserved

——

Copyright, 1900,

by Thompson & Thomas

To the "Hus'lers" of America,

or those who are Determined

in their Efforts to strike for

MY APOLOGY.

After finishing all that I had intended forpublication in my book entitled "TheAuctioneer's Guide," I was advised by afew of my most intimate friends to add asketch of my own life to illustrate whathad been set forth in its pages

This for the sole purpose of stimulatingthose who may have been for years

"pulling hard against the stream," unable,perhaps, to ascertain where they properlybelong, and possibly on the verge ofgiving up all hope, because of failure,after making repeated honest efforts tosucceed

The sketch when prepared proved of suchmagnitude that it was deemed advisable tomake it a separate volume Hence, the

"Twenty Years of Hus'ling."

J P Johnston

—Breaking steers—Mysteriousdisappearance of a new fence—My

confession—My trip to New York—The transformation scene—My returnhome with my fiddle.

CHAPTER II.

My mother wishes me to learn atrade—My burning desire to be alive-stock dealer—Employed by adeaf drover to do his hearing—How

I amused myself at his expense andmisfortune

My continuance in business—Collapse of a chicken deal—Destruction of a wagon load of eggs

—Arrested and fined my last dollar

—Arrived home "broke."

CHAPTER IV.

Borrowing money from Mr Keefer

—Buying and selling sheep pelts—How I succeeded—A co-partnership

in the restaurant business—Buyingout my partner—Collapsed—Morehelp from Mr Keefer—Horses andPatent rights

CHAPTER V.

Swindled out of a horse and watch—More help from Mr Keefer—How Igot even in the watch trade—Mypatent right trip to Michigan andIndiana—Its results—How a would-

be sharper got come up with

CHAPTER VI.

My new acquaintance and our partnership—Three weeks'experience manufacturing soap—Thecollapse—How it happened—Brokeagain—More help from Mr Keefer

co-—A trip to Indiana—Selling prizesoap with a circus—Arrested andfined for conducting a gift enterprise

—Broke again

CHAPTER VII.

Eleven days on a farm—How Ifooled the farmer—Arrived atChicago—Running a fruit stand—Collapsed—My return home—Brokeagain—A lucky trade

succeeded—Our dissolution.

CHAPTER IX.

Continuing the jewelry and spectaclebusiness alone—Trading a watchchain for a horse—Peddling onhorseback—Trading jewelry for aharness and buggy—Selling atwholesale—Retiring from thejewelry business

CHAPTER X.

Great success as an insurance agent

—Sold out—Arrived at Chicago—Selling government goods—Acquiring dissipated habits—

Engaged to be married—Brokeamong strangers—How I made araise—My arrival home.

CHAPTER XI.

More help from Mr Keefer—Off tosee my girl—Embarked in theAgricultural-implement businesswithout capital—Married—Sold out

—In the grocery business—Collapsed—Running a billiard hall

—Collapsed again—Newspaperreporter for a mysterious murder

CHAPTER XII.

More help from Mr Keefer—Six

weeks as a horse-trainer—Amysterious partner—Collapsed—How I made a raise—Home again—Father to a bouncing boy.

CHAPTER XIII.

Engaged in the Patent-right business

—My trade with Brother Long—Thecompromise—My second trade with

a deacon—His Sunday honesty andweek-day economy—A new partner

—The landlord and his creambiscuits—How we headed him off—

A trade for a balky horse—How wepersuaded him to go—Our finalsettlement with the landlord

CHAPTER XIV.

Our trip through Indiana—How Ifooled a telegraph operator—The oldlandlord sends recipe for creambiscuit—Our return to Ohio—Becoming agents for a new patent—Our valise stolen—Return to Ft.Wayne—Waiting six weeks forPatent-right papers—Busted—Staving off the washerwoman forfive weeks—"The Kid" and 'deexchange act'—How the laundrywoman got even with us—Thelandlord on the borrow—How weborrowed of him—Replenishing ourwardrobe—Paying up the hotel bill

CHAPTER XV.

Our visit to La Grange, Ind.—Tradedfor a horse—Followed by an officer,with a writ of replevin—Putting him

on the wrong scent—His return to thehotel—The horse captured—Brokeagain—How I made a raise

CHAPTER XVI.

Arriving at Elmore, Ohio, stranded—Receiving eight dollars on a Patentright sale—Dunned in advance by thelandlord—Changing hotels—Myvisit to Fremont—Meeting Mr.Keefer and borrowing money—Ourvisit to Findlay—A big deal—Losing

money in wheat—Followed byofficers with a writ of replevin—Outwitting them—A four-mile chase

—Hiding our rig in a cellar

CHAPTER XVII.

Visiting my family at Elmore—How

we fooled a detective—A friend inneed—Arriving at Swanton, Ohio,broke—How I made a raise—Disguising my horse with a coat ofpaint—Captured at Toledo—Selling

my horse—Arrived home broke

CHAPTER XVIII.

Mr Keefer called from home—My

mother refuses me a loan—Peddlingfurniture polish on foot—Having myfortune told—My trip throughMichigan—Arrested for sellingwithout license—"It never rains but

it pours"—Collapsed—A goodmoral—Making a raise

CHAPTER XIX.

My co-partnership with aClairvoyant doctor—Our lively tripfrom Ypsilanti to Pontiac, Michigan

—Poor success—The doctor and hisIrish patient—My prescription forthe deaf woman—Collapsed, and indebt for board

CHAPTER XX.

Engaged to manage the hotel—Thedoctor my star boarder—Dischargingall the help—Hiring them over again

—The doctor as table waiter—Thelandlady and the doctor collide—Thearrival of two hus'lers—How Imanaged them—The landlady goesvisiting—I re-modeled the house—

My chambermaid elopes—Hiring aDutchman to take her place—Dutchy

in disguise—I fooled the doctor—Dutchy and the Irish shoemaker

CHAPTER XXI.

The doctor swindled—How we got

even—Diamond cut diamond—Thedoctor peddling stove-pipe brackets

—His first customer—His mishapand demoralized condition—Thedoctor and myself invited to acountry dance—He the center ofattraction—The doctor in love with across-eyed girl—Engaged to take herhome—His plan frustrated—He getseven with me—We conclude to diethim—The landlady returns—Doesnot know the house

CHAPTER XXII.

Out of a position—Moved to AnnArbor—How I made a raise—Areturn to furniture polish—Selling

experience—Hauling coke—Mysummer clothes in a snow-storm—Agloomy Christmas—An attack ofbilious fever—Establishing anenforced credit—The photograph Isent my mother—Engaged as anauctioneer at Toledo, Ohio—My firstsale.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A successful auctioneer—Playing adouble role—Illustrating an auctionsale

CHAPTER XXIV.

My employer called home—I

continue to hus'le—An auctioneeringco-partnership—Still in a doublerole—A neat, tidy, quiet boarding-house—We move to a hotel—Apractical joke—Auctioneering formerchants—Making a politicalspeech—Getting mixed.

CHAPTER XXV.

I continue to sell for merchants—Well prepared for winter—Trading ashot-gun for a horse and wagon—Auctioneering for myself—Mr.Keefer needing help—How Iresponded—Turning my horse out topasture—Engaged to sell oncommission—How I succeeded—

Out of a job—Busted—How I made

a raise—A return to theIncomprehensible—Peddling with ahorse and wagon—Meeting an oldfriend—Misery likes company—Wehus'le together—Performing asurgical operation—A pugilisticencounter—Our Wild-west stories—Broke again—A hard customer—Another raise

CHAPTER XXVI.

Helping a tramp—We dissolvepartnership—My auction sale for thefarmer—How I settled with him—Iresume the auction business formyself—My horse trade—I start for

CHAPTER XXVII.

Auctioneering at the Michigan StateFair—Three days' co-partnershipwith a showman—My partner'sfamily on exhibition—Our success—Traveling northward—Businessincreases—Frequent trades in horsesand wagons—The possessor of a fineturn-out—Mr Keefer again asksassistance—How I responded—Traveling with an ox-team and cart—

A great attraction—Sold out—Traveling by rail—My return to Ohio

—Meeting the clairvoyant doctor—How I fooled him—Quail, twelve

dollars a dozen—The doctor loseshis appetite.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

A co-partnership formed in theauction business—How it ended—Anew friend—His generosity—Exhibiting a talking machine—Itfailed to talk—How I entertained theaudience—In the role of aPhrenologist

CHAPTER XXIX.

In the auction business again—A newconveyance for street sales—My tripthrough the lumber regions—A

successful summer campaign—Awinter's trip through the south—Myreturn to Grand Rapids, Mich.—Atrip to Lake Superior—Sellingneedles as a side issue—How I did it

—State license demanded by anofficer—How I turned the tables onhim—Buying out a country store—Agreat sale of paper-cambric dresspatterns—A compromise with thebuyers—My return to Chicago—Flush and flying high

CHAPTER XXX.

Buying out a large stock ofmerchandise—On the road again—Six weeks in each town—Muddy

roads and poor trade—Closing out atauction—Saved my credit butcollapsed—Peddling polish andjewelry—Wholesaling jewelry—Fifty dollars and lots of experience

my stock in trade—Tall "hus'ling"and great success—An offer from awholesale jewelry firm—Declinedwith thanks—Hus'ling again—Greatsuccess

CHAPTER XXXI.

Robbed of a trunk of jewelry—Only

a small stock left—A terriblecalamity—Collapsed—An emptysample-case my sole possession—Peddling polish again—Making a

raise—Unintentional generositybreaks me up—Meeting an oldpartner—The wholesaler supplies

me with jewelry—Hus'ling againwith great success—Making sixhundred dollars in one day—Myhealth fails me—I return to Ohio—Aphysician gives me but two years tolive—How I fooled him

CHAPTER XXXII.

A friend loans me twenty-fivedollars—My arrival in Chicago—Forty dollars' worth of goods oncredit—I leave for Michigan—Effecting a sale by stratagem—Greatsuccess during the summer—

Enforcing a credit—Continuedsuccess—Opening an office in thecity—Paying my old debts, withinterest—My trip to New York—Buying goods from the manufacturers

—My return to Chicago—Now I dohus'le—Immense success

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Employing traveling salesmen—Depression in trade—Heavily indebt—How I preserved my credit—Itake to the road again—Traveling byteam—Deciding a horse-trade—Mybook-keeper proposes an assignment

—I reject the proposition—Collecting old debts by stratagem

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Another horse trade—A heavy loss

—Playing detective—My visit home

—A retrospect—Calling in myagents—A new scheme—It's awinner—Mr Keefer and my mothervisit Chicago—His verdict, "It doesbeat the devil."

OFF FOR NEW YORK.—PAGE 31

ARRIVING AT NEW YORK.—PAGE

"BUT YOU MUST ADD THAT

CLAUSE." "OH, NO, I GUESS I MUST

NOT."—PAGE 68

WILL REMOVE TAR, PITCH, PAINT,OIL OR VARNISH FROM YOURCLOTHING—PAGE 76

ELEVEN DAYS FOR ELEVENDOLLARS.—PAGE 81

THIS, MADAM, IS THE

STEREOSCOPIC LENS.—PAGE 101

THOSE KIND COST ME $10.00 PER

DOZ.—PAGE 111

A DUSTY JOB A SURE SALE

"AS YE SOW SO SHALL YE REAP."—

PAGE 140

DEVOE, JOHNSTON & CO., HORSE

A "KICKER AND SQUEALER."

A FOUR MILE CHASE.—PAGE 234

"STOP THAT MAN! STOP THAT

OHIO.—PAGE 445.

A SUCCESSFUL SURGICALOPERATION.—PAGE 454

A PROFITABLE HORSE TRADE—

A COLLAPSE NEAR BRAINERD,

CHAPTER I.

I was born near Ottawa, Illinois, January6th, 1852, of Scotch-Irish descent Mygreat-great-grandfather Johnston was aPresbyterian clergyman, who graduatedfrom the University of Edinburg, Scotland

My mother's name was Finch The familyoriginally came from New England andwere typical Yankees as far as I havebeen able to trace them My father, whosefull name I bear, died six months previous

to my birth When two years of age mymother was married to a Mr Keefer, of

Ohio, a miller by trade and farmer byoccupation Had my own father lived hecould not possibly have been moregenerous, affectionate, kind-hearted andindulgent than this step-father.

And until the day of his death, whichoccurred on the 10th of July, 1887, he wasalways the same This tribute is due himfrom one who reveres his memory

He had a family of children by his formerwife, the youngest being a year or twoolder than myself Two daughters wereborn of this marriage

A mixed family like the Keefer householdnaturally occasioned more or lesscontention More especially as theneighborhood contained those who took it

upon themselves to regulate theirneighbors' domestic affairs in preference

The farm life was distasteful to me from

my earliest recollection I cannotremember ever having done an hour'swork in this capacity except under protest

From this fact I naturally gained thereputation for miles around, of being thelaziest boy in the country, with nopossible or probable prospect of everamounting to anything.

But they failed to give me credit for theenergy required to walk three miles nightand morning to attend the village school,which afforded better advantages than thedistrict school

When but a small lad my step-father gave

me a cosset lamb which I raised with apromise from him to give me half the wooland all of the increase

This, in a few years, amounted to a flock

of over one hundred sheep The sale of myshare of the wool, together with the yield

from a potato patch, which was a yearlygift from Mr Keefer, was almostsufficient to clothe me and pay my schoolexpenses.

I should here add, that the potatoes abovementioned were the product of the oldgentleman's labor in plowing, planting,cultivating, digging and marketing

While I was expected to do this work, Iwas seldom on hand except on the day ofplanting to superintend the job and see thatthe potatoes were actually put into theground, and again on market day toreceive the proceeds During all my life

on the farm, one great source of annoyanceand trouble to my step-father was myconstant desire to have him purchaseeverything that was brought along for sale,