On one occasion I was asked to go to a Connecticut town to adjust what a customer claimed was an overcharge of weight on a shipment of boxwood. I went into the matter thoroughly before going, and had a number of pieces weighed in order to work out the average weight per stick and then applied it to the shipment. I finally satisfied myself that our customer was correct, and I told him so, and promised that the credit would be made. The customer was very much pleased with the earnestness that I displayed and the fairness that seemed to actuate me, and he complimented me as I was leaving. One might say that he might well afford to do so. The firm accepted my report and sent the customer credit. They always made it a point to be back of their representatives.

It was one of my duties to draw the Saturday check for the payroll of the Saw Mill in East 10th Street, in which there were probably 40 men employed. On a certain Saturday Mr. Rodman went downtown quite early in the afternoon, and evidently expected that Mr. Hepburn would be at the office to sign the payroll check; but something occurred which required Mr. Hepburn's attention downtown, and he left the office hurriedly, assuming that Mr. Rodman would return in time to sign the check. The result was that neither of them arrived until after the bank had closed, and they reached the office at exactly the same moment, each being quite amazed, and entered the office with looks of anxious inquiry as to how matters stood about the payroll check. I gave them a wave of the hand, and said, "IT'S ALL RIGHT" before they had time to ask the question and they smilingly asked, "WHAT DID YOU DO?" I explained that I had gone to the inner compartment of our safe and had taken negotiable notes to the amount of about twice the payroll, and had gone to the Cashier of the bank and explained the situation, handed him the notes and asked for the amount of the payroll, promising to bring the check and take up the notes as soon as I could have the check signed. My employers were quite relived and pleased. So that was my first attempt at financing. I became more and more intimate with the firm, and Mr. Rodman would occasionally ask me to his house for dinner on Sunday, and I enjoyed not only his company and dinner but his good cigars. On such occasions we would generally go to Church in the evening together. When he was called out of town on business he would invite me to stay at his house with the family, which consisted of Mrs. Rodman and the two young children and the Mother of Mrs. Rodman. They made me very welcome, and at dinner would seat me at the head of the table to do the serving; and so many acquaintance with them broadened as well as my work.