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Title: Twenty Years of Hus'ling
Author: J. P. Johnston
Illustrator: Denslow
Release Date: April 18, 2008 [EBook
#25087]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
TWENTY YEARS OF HUS'LING ***
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Twenty Years of
Hus'ling

BY
J. P. JOHNSTON,
AUTHOR OF
"THE AUCTIONEER'S

GUIDE."

PORTRAYING THE
PECULIAR INCIDENTS,
COMIC SITUATIONS,
FAILURES
AND SUCCESSES OF A
MAN WHO TRIES ALMOST
EVERY
KIND OF BUSINESS AND
FINALLY WINS.

FORTY-EIGHT
ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
DENSLOW
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
Independence
and Secure Success by
Energy, Persistency,
and Honesty of Purpose, I
Respectfully
Dedicate this Volume.

MY APOLOGY.
After finishing all that I had intended for
publication in my book entitled "The
Auctioneer's Guide," I was advised by a
few of my most intimate friends to add a
sketch of my own life to illustrate what
had been set forth in its pages.
This for the sole purpose of stimulating
those who may have been for years
"pulling hard against the stream," unable,
perhaps, to ascertain where they properly
belong, and possibly on the verge of
giving up all hope, because of failure,
after making repeated honest efforts to
succeed.
The sketch when prepared proved of such
magnitude that it was deemed advisable to
make it a separate volume. Hence, the
"Twenty Years of Hus'ling."
J. P. Johnston.
CONTENTS.

MY APOLOGY.
CHAPTER I.
Date and place of birth—My
Mother's second marriage—A kind
step-father—Raising a flock of sheep
from a pet lamb—An established
reputation—Anxious to speculate—
Frequent combats at home—How I
conquered a foe—What a
phrenologist said—A reconciliation
—Breaking steers—Mysterious
disappearance of a new fence—My
confession—My trip to New York—
The transformation scene—My return
home with my fiddle.
CHAPTER II.
My mother wishes me to learn a
trade—My burning desire to be a
live-stock dealer—Employed by a
deaf drover to do his hearing—How
I amused myself at his expense and
misfortune.
CHAPTER III.
Selling and trading off my flock of
sheep—Co-partnership formed with
a neighbor boy—Our dissolution—
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—Buying
out my partner—Collapsed—More
help from Mr. Keefer—Horses and
Patent rights.
CHAPTER V.
Swindled out of a horse and watch—
More help from Mr. Keefer—How I
got even in the watch trade—My
patent right trip to Michigan and
Indiana—Its results—How a would-
be sharper got come up with.
CHAPTER VI.
My new acquaintance and our co-
partnership—Three weeks'
experience manufacturing soap—The
collapse—How it happened—Broke
again—More help from Mr. Keefer
—A trip to Indiana—Selling prize
soap with a circus—Arrested and
fined for conducting a gift enterprise
—Broke again.
CHAPTER VII.
Eleven days on a farm—How I
fooled the farmer—Arrived at
Chicago—Running a fruit stand—

Collapsed—My return home—Broke
again—A lucky trade.
CHAPTER VIII.
Three dollars well invested—
Learning telegraphy—Getting in debt
—A full-fledged operator—My first
telegraph office—Buying and selling
ducks and frogs while employed as
operator—My resignation—Co-
partnership in the jewelry and
spectacle business—How we
succeeded—Our dissolution.
CHAPTER IX.
Continuing the jewelry and spectacle
business alone—Trading a watch
chain for a horse—Peddling on
horseback—Trading jewelry for a
harness and buggy—Selling at
wholesale—Retiring from the
jewelry business.
CHAPTER X.
Great success as an insurance agent
—Sold out—Arrived at Chicago—
Selling government goods—
Acquiring dissipated habits—
Engaged to be married—Broke
among strangers—How I made a
raise—My arrival home.
CHAPTER XI.
More help from Mr. Keefer—Off to

see my girl—Embarked in the
Agricultural-implement business
without capital—Married—Sold out
—In the grocery business—
Collapsed—Running a billiard hall
—Collapsed again—Newspaper
reporter for a mysterious murder.
CHAPTER XII.
More help from Mr. Keefer—Six
weeks as a horse-trainer—A
mysterious 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—The
compromise—My second trade with
a deacon—His Sunday honesty and
week-day economy—A new partner
—The landlord and his cream
biscuits—How we headed him off—
A trade for a balky horse—How we
persuaded him to go—Our final
settlement with the landlord.
CHAPTER XIV.
Our trip through Indiana—How I
fooled a telegraph operator—The old
landlord sends recipe for cream
biscuit—Our return to Ohio—
Becoming agents for a new patent—

Our valise stolen—Return to Ft.
Wayne—Waiting six weeks for
Patent-right papers—Busted—
Staving off the washerwoman for
five weeks—"The Kid" and 'de
exchange act'—How the laundry
woman got even with us—The
landlord on the borrow—How we
borrowed of him—Replenishing our
wardrobe—Paying up the hotel bill.
CHAPTER XV.
Our visit to La Grange, Ind.—Traded
for a horse—Followed by an officer,
with a writ of replevin—Putting him
on the wrong scent—His return to the
hotel—The horse captured—Broke
again—How I made a raise.
CHAPTER XVI.
Arriving at Elmore, Ohio, stranded—
Receiving eight dollars on a Patent
right sale—Dunned in advance by the
landlord—Changing hotels—My
visit to Fremont—Meeting Mr.
Keefer and borrowing money—Our
visit to Findlay—A big deal—Losing
money in wheat—Followed by
officers 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 in
need—Arriving at Swanton, Ohio,
broke—How I made a raise—
Disguising my horse with a coat of
paint—Captured at Toledo—Selling
my horse—Arrived home broke.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Mr. Keefer called from home—My
mother refuses me a loan—Peddling
furniture polish on foot—Having my
fortune told—My trip through
Michigan—Arrested for selling
without license—"It never rains but
it pours"—Collapsed—A good
moral—Making a raise.
CHAPTER XIX.
My co-partnership with a
Clairvoyant doctor—Our lively trip
from Ypsilanti to Pontiac, Michigan
—Poor success—The doctor and his
Irish patient—My prescription for
the deaf woman—Collapsed, and in
debt for board.
CHAPTER XX.
Engaged to manage the hotel—The
doctor my star boarder—Discharging
all the help—Hiring them over again
—The doctor as table waiter—The
landlady and the doctor collide—The

arrival of two hus'lers—How I
managed them—The landlady goes
visiting—I re-modeled the house—
My chambermaid elopes—Hiring a
Dutchman to take her place—Dutchy
in disguise—I fooled the doctor—
Dutchy and the Irish shoemaker.
CHAPTER XXI.
The doctor swindled—How we got