He simply heard what I had to say and he was a man of very few words.
"All right, J.D., I'll give you all I've got." This was all he said, but I went home that night relieved of anxiety.

As it turned out, we received the check of the Liverpool, London & Globe Insurance Company for the full amount before the builders required the payments; and while we didn't need his money, I never shall forget the whole-souled way in which he offered it.
And this sort of experience was not, I am grateful to say, rare with me.

I was always a great borrower in my early days; the business was active and growing fast, and the banks seemed very willing to loan me the money.

About this time, when our great fire had brought up some new conditions, I was studying the situation to see what our cash requirements would be.

We were accustomed to prepare for financial emergencies long before we needed the funds.
Another incident occurred at this time which showed again the kind of real friends we had in those days, but I did not hear the full story of it until long years after the event.
There was one bank where we had done a great deal of business, and a friend of mine, Mr.Stillman Witt, who was a rich man, was one of the directors.