The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-01-21
THE RED STRIPE.
BY FRANCIS BROWN.

About twenty years ago [ entered
the employment of Messrs. Cooper x
Coyerdale, silk merchants and habcr-
dashers, Oxford street, London, as
Junior shopman, just out of my ap-
premiership, and on the lowest scale
of salary. The 6rm was an old es.
tablished one, rich and highly re-
spectacle, All their young people
were boarded on the premises they
kept capital house keeper, and the
supplies were better than common
The proprietors lived at Blackheath,
and drove into town by turns 10 see
to their concern, which was said to be
less carefully looked after since Mr..
McAdam, the new manager, came in
to the Office.
AS his name imports, he was a
Scotchman, tall, spare and prominent
Of cheekbones, yet remarkably gen
teel in both appearance and manner.
His habits were those of thorough
man of business, punctual, regular
and steady. Messrs. Cooper & Co
verdale might we'll leave their inter
ests in his hands, for a more skillful
or conscientious manager could scarce
ly be fou nd.
While never forgetting, nor allow
ing them to forget that he was the
superior, Mr.. McAdam was considers
ate and kind to the shopmen, took Il
friendly interest in our welfare be-
yond the requisitions of business, ,and
was, consequently, much liked and
more respected. His age was about
forty, but he looked older. His dark
brown hair had got thickly sprink
led with gray, aud his look, though
not sour, wa always grave, for he
was of a sc rious turn, a deacon il
the Scotch Church at London Wall,
and a great prompter of church-go-
ing and good books among the young
men.
With all these qualifications fol-
we'll doing, We thought it rather
strange to hear from commercial
travellers, and other men of gossip,
that Mr.. McAdam had been estab
lished in some half dozen towns, large
aud small, twice on his own account
aud four times in the management Of
peoples business yet how nobody
could tell, but he didn't keep MS
ground anywhere more than twelve
month. AS the newspapers say, nc
cause could be assigned. In all his
scenes of action he had left the same
character for steadiness aud sobrio
ty.
Employers and subordinates to O
man spoke we'll of him. One travel
er, indeed, who had been as far
north as Inverness, our managers ma
tive town, brought back a whisper
that Mr.. MeAdam's youth had moi
been quite so exemplary; but how
many mems youth will stand exam
iuation ? We could not make it out,
and at length gave up the inquiry
agreeing that Mr.. McAdam was a
pa attern to US all.
Diapers and ladies who acknowl
edge to having been so long on thi;
earthly stage, may remember that al
the time Of my story, muslin de
LANES were set up in high places of
fashion; that they came in great
.oree over from France, and out ol
the Manchester looms, and were
printed in all manner Of patterns. AS
usual, the French were the most ele-
CANT and the most expensive F; but q
Manchester house, l think it was
Gray & GarrerOn, had got hold Of
some French designs and worked
them like natives. Our house had
opened an early contract with them,
it was said, by the managers advice,
In consequence we had their goods
at comparatively low prices, and did