The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-10-01
A CLERK IN DAKOTA.
M mas nan ENOUGH or THR WILD,
WILD WEST.
And Il Perfectly willing TO settle Down In
His ola F0alGioB-A Western Clerks
Distress.
Irron! Peck's SUM-

lTr0m Peck's sun.l
a beautiful young man OF twenty.
two, who had been clerk at the ribbon
counter in q Chicago store for several
yeaS, was offered the chief clerkship Of
a large store ia Dakota town. and he
took his departure for the Edorado,
and was lost sight If until recently,
when be appeared in Chicago, and was
50 changed from the effeminate dandy
tina; he formerly appeared to he that
hardly anybody knew him. He was
brOnzed and horny handed. aud wore a
checked shirt, and his clothes were old
and greasy, aud he was discouraged.
He asked for his old position, and while
the manager WAS talking to him, the
female clerks gathered around MS
though a taiiooci man had come into
the store TO trade. The manager asked
the clerk how lie liked il ont west, and
how he came to leave. He hid his
hands under his coat tails so the girls
could not see them and said:
"Oh, sir, | did not like il all, and l
came away just as soon as the proprietor
couid get somebody that could do the
milking
Milking said the manager, while
the girl clerks screamed at the idea,
what has milking TO do with clerking
IN q s.ore?'
why, clerk out there has TO do
everything" said tho ribbon clerk. II
used to milk cows when was a boy, and
ike q 700. let the boss know il, and be
made ne milk eight cows. But that
was bot tie worst Of 1t. had TO carry
mix cans around town on my shoulders
morning and evening and sell milk.
You see, o country store keeps every
thing, and n clerk has 10 do all the bust
ness, rs the proprietor is busy selling
hand, and he was constable, and insur.
ance agent, and surveyor, and kept q
lumber yard, and in fact run the town.
lad to keep the books, with a lead
pencil on sheets Of wrapping paper,
sweep ont, hitch up and haul goods
from the depot. unpack them and sell
them. | had to take in eggs and butter
and pay in trade, then work the butter
over and pack it in jars. grease the eggs
and pack them in oats, weigh ont nails
and bar iron, measure boards in the
lumber yard, buy wheat, draw sorghum
mOlasses, lease the hall over the store
for dances, be floor manager and play
a violin in the orchestra, pump kero-
scne, sell calico, and do everything. l
didn't see the proprietor once in two
weeks, and then / had to catch him on a
run. In addition TO all that had to do
week days, l had to sing in the choir
Sundays, teach class in Sunday-school,
act as Librarian for Sunday school books,
run the picnics and sociabes, and on
the ith Of July was chief marshal and
orator Of The day, read the Declaration
Of Independence and fired off the fire.
works ut night. Oh, sir, | have been
tie hardest.worked man in the world,
and | want rest, and want my old
position.
81 could have stood the work, but the
proprietor made me board at his honse
and do all the chores, aud | had to wiring
ont the clothes on washing day and help
hang them ont, and sleep in the house
nights aud watch for burglars. Then
the proprietor wanted me to go out ard
break II setter dog on chickens, and
marry lis hair-lippei daughter, who
has cataract on one eye and n wen on
her head, ard | kicked. was willing
to do anything in the line Of business,
and never shirked when he made me
brand lot Of cattle with red-hot irons,
or drive n reaper, or go and help him
arrest some horse thieves, and | helped
lynch man once, and considered 1t
part of the business, but l couldn't
marry that girl and protect her from
cyclones, and one night took passage
on stock train and worked my passage
TO st. Paul. Oh, l don't want any
more wild west in mine, and if I can
once more have my old position, will
live and die here"
He was given his old position, and is
the happiest man in Chicago.