St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-04-05
a Proper Young Man.


HOW AN ENTERPRIsING AND SENSIBLE
YOUNG MAN MADE HIS WAY IN NEW
YORK, AND, DESPITE HIS HUMBLE EN-
PLoYMENT, ATTAINED POSITION.
New York Evening MALL
Two years ago, John l.. Garthman of
Lewiston, Me-, graduated with honOrs
at Yale. AS during his years in college
he had, in addition to his regular studies,
read law with an attorney of New
Haven, it only required year in a law
Office in KokOmo, Ind, to fit him for
admission to the bar, after which he
Immediately came to New York, and
tried very hard to get into practice.
Unfortunately for MIR. Garthman, he
discovered that there were already
5000 lawyers i'll this city, all trying 10
get into practice, and there was about
us much chance fol him us for being
elected to the presidency. Office rent
and board bills soon consumed the little
means he had, and he was ut the end
of his string. AS he was month in
arrears his landlady commenced to re-
gard him with looks not altogether
pleasant, and the brutal bondhOlder
who owned the Office he occupied nOti
| fed him to pay or get out. MI. Garth
man discovered that while there was
plenty of room on the upper shelves it
would require Il great many years of
climbing, and that he would probably
starve to death great many times be-
fore he could reach even the lowest OF
the said upper shelves. So he deter
mined to quit law aud try something
else. He WAS sensible young man,
and so he did not
Write fol the newspapers.
Ask for the management of IL manu-
featuring corporation.
Apply tor position of actuary in Il life
insurance company.
Ask for the presidency of the board
of education.
Ask for the managing editorship of IL
daily paper.
Apply for a cashiership of bank, or
anything Of the kind. But he did find
something he was fit for. Down in one
of the streets close by Wall, i'll under
the sidewalk of popular restaurant,
he noticed a light, clean open space
that was unOccupied. He went to the
proprietor of the restaurant and took
that space at nominal rent, and
promptly pawning his ulster to procure
stock. opened business there as boot
black
AS matter of course he did not de-
sire to be known as Il pOlisher of boots
up town, for he was living in rather
exclusive boarding house, to which only
/ the most respectable were admitted. 1t
, was no trouble to conceal his identity.
Some old clothes, Il smuch of black
artistically placed on his face, his panta-
: looms in his boots, and no human being
o could recognize in Garthman, boot
black, the fashionable and elegant Mr.
Garthman of Twenty first street.
His venture was entirely successful
. He was something of wit in his way
|, and entel tained his patrons judiciously
t while he polished their boots. And
! then there was something about him
u which attracted the young brokers who
q freguented the restaurant, aud he en-
tered upon Il career of prosperity tina
l. was delightful. His earnings frequent
ly ran as high as So day, and hi
/. business in two weeks increased so tina
$ he had to employ an assistant.
y His changed condition attracted at
/ tention at his boarding house. 1t hat
n become well known that he had beel
impecunious, and now the fact that b,
D, had better clothes and was again carry
e ing his watch, and paid all his bill
promptly led to much comment.
Had he abandoned law9 Yes, ant
gone into business. What business
4. Polishing calf skin. And he was con
= graduated at his success, and became
very popular young man, and was re
D. ceived into the very best boarding
a. house society.
I n m
John L. Garthman should go throug
y y life without love? Never In the sam
II house resided an old gentleman, mel
= chant who knew just when to quit, VIII
with his daughter occupied the bes
apartments in the house. Lille Pick
II ham, the daughter, was a delightful
,. girl, and Garthman and she became yer
s much attached to each other, and ther
J; J; was decent prospect that in time the
u would make up their minds to G
II through life together. But Garthma
! had, as who has not, hated rival. !
'e broker named, Bathurst, who lived d
; the same house, had cast his eyes upO
T. the girl, and infiamed by her excelle1
+ cies as we'll as the comfortable forum
II she was sure to possess, determined t
y possess her. Lille favored Garthmal
e and the father favored Bathurst, and S
Is it was about an even race betwee
IL them.
7r Bathurst did not believe in Mr.. Gartl
= mans business, for there was somethin
Is queer about it. GaTthman, when aske
ie where his place of business was, ha
y always replied vaguely, 'down town
D. with "a sweep of the hand that took
y all the lower part of the city. Bathur
Us had searched all the directories for il
is formation, in vain. No such name al
al peared, and no such business eithe
+ And so he piled the old gentleman vii
r suspicious, intimating that probably I'll
young man was dealer in faro ban
"A smuggler, policy dealer and all tina
he till both he and Lille were nearly Graz
NJ. Finally the following conversation e
ID. sued: ----- - 80 i' ~- '---