Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-09-12
GEORGE w. CHlLDS.

AL Ia SCtkNitiN GIC hioSl -cuClotS
and whole-souled editor and owuer of
a Newspaper in tho world. No worthy
journalist OF i%ourneyman printer when
in necd ever applied to him and was
refused. A year or two ago MI. Childs
saw that one OF his old editors was
Wort out, and that his work lacked the
polish that had always characterized it.
He called him into his sanctum one
morning and said:
"'Iou have worked for me forty
years. You have always done your
work honestly and acccptably. | am
now going to retire you on full salary.
Take your wife and children. go into
the country aud enjoy yourself. Come
or send to the Office every Saturday
and draw your salary. Hereafter your
time, as we'll as your salary, is your
own
1.-The old editor overwhelmed Mr..
Childs with thanks and departed. On
the succeeding Saturday he went to the
counting-room and the cashier refused
to pay him his salary.
"'Wait,' he said. and III go and
see MIR. Childs about it,
ale Went to Chiids, and Childs told
him to pay the man for aweek's SER
vices.
But he is no longer on the paper,'
the cashier suggested.
"'Ihat makes no difference Mr..
Childs remarked, pay him salary as
long us ne lives
"'But, Mr.. Childs,' broke in the
cashier, do You know this man is
worth over three hundred thousand
dollars?'
".i hope he is Mr.. Childs respond
ed. 1t speaks wei! for him. The fact
that he is worth that money is no rea-
son why 1 should not pay him his sal
airy after his forty years of faithful
service. Ii he had squandered his
money in rum or dissipation you would
have said that it would be ali right to
retire him on salary because he had no
money. His prudence and thrift de-
serve at least an equal reward. Pay
him salary rs long rs he lives. and say
no more about it,
The old editor died three months
aftcrward, leaving four hundred thou
sand dollars to his wife and children,
but his salary was paid up to the day
of his death.
"Another instance of Mr.. Childs'
kindness to his employees is shown in
the case of q man who was employed
on the Ledger when MIR. Childs first
bought 1t. He was Il good workman
but - noted drunkari. When Mr..
Childs assumed control he went to him
aud said: Mr.. Childs, are you going
TO keep me On the paper at my present
salary?
"'What are you getting" Mr.. Childs
asked.
Fifteen dollars a week. the man
replied.
81 will double it on one condition.
his employer said; that is. that you
shall never drink Il drop OF rum us long
as you are in my employment
1.-The man accepted the proposition.
lie afterward became Il well known
temperance lecturer iu Philadelphia,
although he complained bitterly when
advertised as Il reformed drunkard.
Childs kept an eye on him, and he also
has just been retired on a salary.
Whenever he desires to do any special
work Tor the LcdJcr, lie is at perfect
liberty 10 do SO. Meantime he draws
his saiary regularly and his bills OF cx-
penscs are never questioned. He, also,
is said to be worth three or our hun
dred thousand dollars.
"Another instance Of Mr.. Childs' be-
nevolence was shown in the case of
Colonel John W. Forncy. As the twi-
ligh, OF life approached Forncy became
very poor. His good heart had been
strained to the utmost tension by pre-
tended friends, and he was barely able
to make living. One day he met
Childs.
81 am getting old the colonel
said, 'and | W Il good deal Of money
to persons not able to lose it. II YOU
could aid NE III paying my dc,ts. il
would maze the latter part of life ON
paratively happy
$50 home and find out how much
you owe Cniiis replied, and let me
know in the morning.
''liie next day Forney reported that
he owed about twenty-five hundred
dollars. Chiils sat down to write a
check for the money, when Forney
said:
"'Chiids, . might as well make it
five Thousand while you are about it,
''Ihe gooN-naturrd editor filled ont
the check for $1,000 and passed it to
Forncy. Within a week the Colonel
wrote him a letter. saying that he had
no idea how happy the receipt of the
money had made him.
81 do not now he wrote, 'owc Q
!, cent to anybody in the world, and 1 an
twenty-five hundred dollars ahead
''Ihc colonel, with prchensilc friend
ship. had accepted the generous
mans check as a gift, and not rs :
loan.
Not long afterward the colonel died.
He left his family in comparative po".
erty. On learning Of this Mr.. Child
remembered that while Mr.. Forney
was clerk of the house OF representa-
tivcs at Washington, he had paid $50,
600 into the public treasury on accoun'
of the ~defalcaiion of one Of his suaor
dinatcs. MIR. Childs went TO Samne
j. Randall, told him of the situation Of
Colonel Forney's family, and a:ke'
, him to see whether the money that hat
been paid TO the government by Col
, onel Forney on cou Of the dcfalca
!. ton could not be returned. Mr.. Ran
da.l investigated the case. II appear
cd that Colonel Forncy, while t%eclnic
ally responsible for The defalcation
was not actually to blame. Ihrcurl
Randall influence congress passed
, bill returning the money TO Forney':
family. with interest. On looking owe
her husbands papers Mrs. Forncy dis
covered that Forney had borrowed thu
j, five thousand dollars from Mr.. Childs
On the next day she appeared at thu
+ Lcagcr office and returned the SUM