them."

Acting on this hint, I advertised for men to solicit subscribers.
Five of those who applied were chosen and distributed through five
different sections of the city. I agreed to pay fifty cents for
every good subscriber obtained. This was, of course, a pretty heavy
drawback upon my expected income, but then it was admitted on all
hands that a subscriber was worth fifty cents, as after he was once
obtained he would doubtless remain a subscriber for years.

At the close of the first day my men brought in an average of ten
subscribers each. The agreement was, that I was to pay them
twenty-five cents on the name of a new subscriber being handed in,
and the remaining twenty-five cents when the subscription due at the
expiration of the first three months was collected. So I had twelve
dollars and a half cash, to pay down. But then my list was increased
to the extent of fifty names. The average of new subscribers from my
agents continued for a couple of weeks, and then fell off sensibly.
By the end of two months, my canvassers left the field, some of them
sick of the business, and others tempted by more promising
inducements.

Many of the country papers noticed my "Gazette and Reflex" in the
most flattering manner, and not a few of them copied my prospectus.
This had the effect to bring me in a few hundred subscribers by
mail, with the cash, in a large number of cases in advance. About
one-third, however, promised to remit early.

At the end of three months, according to promise, I was to pay my
printer and paper maker. Up to that time my cash receipts had been