An interesting look at personal credit.

“Mr. Brown left in a hurry this morning and forgot to give me any money.”

“I haven’t the change, but I’ll drop in to-morrow and pay.”

A retail grocer of the upper west side of New York says that he and every other butcher, grocer, and small store-keeper in the fairly good residence sections of the city hears these phrases again and again. They are half glad and half sorry each time a woman leans over the counter and apologetically says one or the other of them. It means more business and a new, steady customer, it is true, but on the other hand one more account on the books and credit instead of cash.

[…]

Yet the retailer keeps on trusting.

See also J. Wellington Wimpy who will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

WHY DOES YOUR GROCER TRUST YOU? The Problem of Giving Credit Sometimes Hard to Solve. (PDF)

From July 30, 1911