Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-06-18
The BOOK KEEPERS FRAUD.

| had been out of employment fol
over year, and now | had received
a position as collector for Dobson &
Co, wholesale grocers and commits
sion merchants, which wonld pay
me salary of fifty dollars month
As I had nobody but myself to look
after, I could manage to scrape
through the month and have a few
dollars for pocket money.
My desk stood in the front part Of
the store, and when my pen was not
galloping along the lines Of my pa
per, or flashing up formidable col
umns of figures, which told the story
of profit for DobsOn & Co, l had a
very fine view of that portion of the
street fronting the store. One rainy
-Gay,I l had nothing to do-eolleetOrs
never do on rainy idays-i scribbied
my name on scraps of paper lying
loosely, around and my desk CLEAN.
edwith sWiIliam Wilder w. EWil-
DER 'William Wilder ESQ., Mr..
'Wilder,' in every style of PenmaR-
ship. l had just plunged nay pen into
the ink to write William with sci
-entifc- flourish when | heard the
voice of my employer calling me
from his private Office. | was sur
prised at this, as he had never done
this before; could it be that was
about to be discharged? What he
had to say was said quickly. 1 was
elevated to a higher position and sal
airy. I could not find words TO ex-
press my gratitude, bnt I muttered
something, and went back to my
desk. 1 sat there for some time
building castles, and my mind was
confused.
Lannigan & Co.! Three cases
hams!' was suddenly baled remorse-
lessiv into my ears, and my brain
worked itself back to business.
At intervals, however, and through
the day, was conscious of a dis
turbed condition of my local atmos-
phere. / was thinking of the next
position to mine, book-keeper. |
certainly never would be elevated
10 that position, as / did not know
tbepfirst thing in that branch. Gould
Istndv itTa The Thought gave me
courage, and determined to enter
a business college and learn the art.
/ told my plans to the book-keeper;
he had retained the position for
years-had been with them from an
early day, and had charge of all the
Office business and finaheies of the
concern. Ihad never fancied him
much. There was a certain reserve
in his manner which had often
chilled me, and he was extremely
'puffed up with his lofty position,
rarely deigning to notice me or any
of the other clerks. Ioften, assisted
him in making calculations, Grad
ding up columns of figures which he
gave me, and for such service he
would reward me with a bunch, of
cigarettes; but even then he seldom
said a word to me.
: Through my occasional sojourns
in his office became somewhat ia
miliar with his studies, and learned
that he had full power of attorney
for the house signed the firms name
to bank checks and other important
documents. The two partners
.Messers. Dobson & Morrisey, were
men entirely unacquainted with the
mysteries of bookkeeping. They
had started in business ON a small
scale, with a small capital, keeping
no books. But their. business in a
few yeare, increased to such a great
extent that they found 1t imposssi-
BILE to dispense with a book-keeper,
so they secured the services of Mr..
Baker, who came to them well re-
commended, and, finding things
rather confused; he proceeded to
make thorough reconstruction. In
"a few months he presented to the
well-pleased eyes of DObson d Go.
a splendid set of books, kept IN the
most approved style of single entry,
and at the end of the year he drew
mp- a carefully arranged balance
sheet, which specified to- a cent the
profits they had made. = Baker had
more to say than either of the part
ners. GO to Baker and talk with
him. was an expression constantly
made by them sllIt was delightful
for them 10 llaxeza man upon whom
hhey could implicitly rely. 3-.-1-H 1.
/ i had often wished TO know to
what extent Baker was compensated
for his services / thought his sala-
nv must be large, from the manner
in which he dressed and lived. Ioften
have seen; him dine at Delmonieo'si
or drive up and down Fifth Avenue
with the finest span o. horses / ever
wished to see. ALI this sort of thing
consumed money! and no small
amount, either. Whenever l wnt
to the theatre Baker was there in a
private box with ladies, and he fire.
Naently came out of some large
store on Canal street with a large
psreel.
I One dav-it was the first of the
mOr4h-I went into his office to re-
,oeme my salary, and, while there,
4ame one called him; he stepped out
to see who it was, / glanced at an
.en6lw be had Just made; Thomas
Baker, enc months salary, $l25.
'He cant live on that, with the
way in which he spends his money,
/ said to myself. He must have
private ineeEne.'
l never gave this subject sPy fur
ftther thought after that day, but
invent to learn bookkeeping. ap'
Z Piled myself to it diligently, and at
s the end of six months could man-
.sage a set of books as readily as a
-Neompetent book-keeper. Ploddeu
faithfully along in my position mop,
ING that some day or other shoulu
hscome book-keePer. g.
, One day Mr.. Fxerett, OF the nrm
.lr Everett & Co., stood near my
,Ses'k talking to Mr.. Dobson.
o,voTbeard, unintentionaliy portion
of the conversation.
Mar. Dobsoh, what do you pay
wOnr .haOk.keepers' ''s ''
: iEiftaen hundred year. ''
d A.. L. H. -. r..e -, okfNp