# What Kind of Business Did Scrooge&Marley Indulge In? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735 "2011-12-10T14:49:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/1 "2011-12-10T14:49:53Z")
OK, at the time of the story, Marley was long dead (but Scrooge was too cheap to buy a new sign). At any rate, Scrooge had been apprenticed to “Old” Fezziwig-whom (I gather) was some kind of drygoods? wholesaler? Was Scrooge a broker or trader? He seems not to have had anything but an office and one poor (overworked) clerk-one Bob Cratchit. The story mentions that Scrooge lent to the “corn factors”-were these guys traders in receivables? At any rate, Scrooge was very advanced in years, and was tremendously wealthy- was his nephew Fred in line for a big inheritance (when Scrooge kicked the bucket)? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/2 "2011-12-10T15:04:01Z")
Jammin’. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/3 "2011-12-10T15:11:50Z")
It’s never explained in any detail what their business is, but at one point Marley describes their office as “our money-changing hole” and Scrooge appears to have a usurious relationship to the lesser folk around town. There is an [old thread about this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=50133) and the consensus seems to be they were lenders, but you can read for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/4 "2011-12-11T02:33:49Z")
If you read [George Orwell’s famous essay on Charles Dickens](http://www.george-orwell.org/Charles_Dickens/0.html), he points out that Dickens is often vague on what rich people do for a living, other than being “merchants”. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/5 "2011-12-11T03:15:29Z")
Loan office, I thought, just as others have mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/6 "2011-12-11T05:38:49Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > At any rate, Scrooge had been apprenticed to “Old” Fezziwig-whom (I gather) was some kind of drygoods? wholesaler? The story only says that the young Scrooge was apprenticed in a warehouse which Fezziwig ran and presumably owned. I’ve checked my copy of “The Annotated Christmas Carol” and no other information is given. > [@](#): > > The story mentions that Scrooge lent to the “corn factors”-were these guys traders in receivables? The original story does NOT mention “corn factors”. That was inserted in the GCS version, I think. And “corn” in British usage = “wheat” in the USA. Brits currently use the terms “maize” and “Indian corn” where we use “corn”. But I’m not sure if that was intended in the GCS version. > [@](#): > > At any rate, Scrooge was very advanced in years, and was tremendously wealthy- was his nephew Fred in line for a big inheritance (when Scrooge kicked the bucket)? No. First of all, the story does not say he was tremendously wealthy or anything like that. Fred only says that Scrooge is “rich enough”, i.e., to be a lot happier than he is. The end shows he had enough money of his own to start donating to charity and help his nephew and probably a substantial amount left over, but beyond that we don’t know. Second, Scrooge obviously objected to Fred marrying against his wishes, so he surely cut Fred out of his will and made other uncontestable arrangements. As speculated in the scene with the bankers, he may have left his own personal assets to his company. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/7 "2011-12-11T05:41:27Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > If you read [George Orwell’s famous essay on Charles Dickens](http://www.george-orwell.org/Charles_Dickens/0.html), he points out that Dickens is often vague on what rich people do for a living, other than being “merchants”. Hmm, much like “some” currently rail against vague “fat cats.” ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/8 "2011-12-11T06:11:37Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > The original story does NOT mention “corn factors”. That was inserted in the GCS version, I think. And “corn” in British usage = “wheat” in the USA. Brits currently use the terms “maize” and “Indian corn” where we use “corn”. But I’m not sure if that was intended in the GCS version. WTF is GCS? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/9 "2011-12-11T06:20:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Loan office, I thought, just as others have mentioned. That’s the impression I got too. Proto-PayDay loan office. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/10 "2011-12-11T06:48:38Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > WTF is GCS? George C. Scott ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/11 "2011-12-11T07:31:33Z")
In a story so abundant with them, surely no mention _need_ be made of “corn factors.”… ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/12 "2011-12-11T07:36:16Z")
engage, indulge, what’s the fuckin’ difference, you know what i’m trying to say here… ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/13 "2011-12-11T07:47:44Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > George C. Scott Thank you! I’ve never actually seen that one as far as I recall. Personally, I prefer to stick with the actual text or the Rich Little version. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/14 "2011-12-11T08:18:59Z")
Corn= wheat. Factor, in this context, means “merchant.” Scrooge clearly is portrayed as a moneylender. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/15 "2011-12-11T13:54:03Z")
Ships chandlers? ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/16 "2011-12-11T15:43:28Z")
Wasn’t it a counting house? So I assumed some sort of accounting firm. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/17 "2011-12-11T15:53:42Z")
There is a scene in the Patrick Stewart (book on tape) version about the “people affected by this death” and it is a couple who are late with the rent but since their landlord is dead, they will have a little time to get the money together before it is sorted out who they owe it to now. No, wait, I’m not sure if they mention that he is the landlord or just a loan. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/18 "2011-12-11T16:00:56Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > There is a scene in the Patrick Stewart (book on tape) version about the “people affected by this death” and it is a couple who are late with the rent but since their landlord is dead, they will have a little time to get the money together before it is sorted out who they owe it to now. > > No, wait, I’m not sure if they mention that he is the landlord or just a loan. I think it’s the Albert Finney version(musical) where he’s collecting payments/making loan extensions from various street merchants. ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/19 "2011-12-12T10:09:06Z")
Doesn’t he drive around on a bulldozer pushing all his money, gold and jewels around? Oh wait that’s Scrooge McDuck 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735/20 "2011-12-12T10:20:23Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Brits currently use the terms “maize” and “Indian corn” where we use “corn”. We definitely say “maize” but I’ve never even heard the term “Indian corn”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-business-did-scrooge-marley-indulge-in/605735.md?page=2)