An inn, to be
a good consarn, must be built a purpose, you can no more make a good
tavern out of a common dwelling house, I expect, than a good coat
out of an old pair of trousers. They are etarnal lazy, you may
depend--now there might be a grand spec made there, in building a
good inn and a good church."
"What a sacrilegious and unnatural union," said I, with most
unaffected surprise.
"Not at all," said Mr. Slick; "we build both on speculation in the
States, and make a good deal of profit out of 'em too, I tell you. We
look out a good sightly place, in a town like Halifax, that is pretty
considerably well peopled, with folks that are good marks; and if
there is no real right down good preacher among them, we build a
handsome Church, touched off like a New York liner, a real taking
looking thing--and then we look out for a preacher, a crack man, a
regular ten horse power chap--well, we hire him, and we have to give
pretty high wages too, say twelve hundred or sixteen hundred dollars
a year. We take him at first on trial for a Sabbath or two, to try
his paces, and if he takes with the folks, if he goes down well, we
clinch the bargain, and let and sell the pews; and, I tell you it
pays well and makes a real good investment. There were few better
specs among us than inns and churches, until the railroads came on
the carpet; as soon as the novelty of the new preacher wears off, we
hire another, and that keeps up the steam.
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