Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-16
THE TRUTH AT ALL HAZARDS.
The Boy Who Testified to the Truth in
Spite of His Seeming Self-Interest.

THE TRUTH AT ALL HAZARDS.
The Boy Who Testified to the Truth in
Spite of His Seeming self-Interest.
Some time after the beginning of the
present century there We're living in q
busy country town in the North a pious
couple who had an only son. For this
son they daily prayed to God. So the
foundations Of IN upright life were laid
in the boys heart, and among these
very especially a regard for uprightness
and truth.
In the course of years, the boys
school-days were ended, and also his
apprenticeship to a business life in the
country town; and, as there was no
prospect for him there, he came up to
England, to one of the great seaports,
and by-and-by he got a good position in
q merchants Office.
But he was not long in this excellent
place before he was put to the ties. in a
very painful way with respect to the
lessons he had received about truth. 1t
was part of the business of that Office
% have ships coming and going. And
it was the rule, when a ship came into
port, that its Captain sent word to the
office that he had arrived and was now
waiting instructions where to discharge
the cargo; and it was the duty of the
manager OF the office to send back in
structions to the Captain where and
when this was to be done. A few
months after this little lad from the
North came to the office, a ship laden
with coal came in, and the usual mes
sage from the Captain came; but, ONE
how or other, no answer was sent back
to him. The Captain waited a week,
but still no word came back. Now,
that was very hard on the Captain.
Until his ship got free of its cargo, it
had to lie idle in the dock; and all who
belonged to the ship We're kept idle, too.
So, at the end of a week, the Captain
| sent word to the office that his ship had
been kept SO long waiting for instruc-
tons where to discharge its cargo that
it had missed q good offer of a new car
go, and the office would have to pay
him for the loss. This payment is
called ''dcmtrrage."
When the manager of the office got
this message from the Captain, he was
very angry. He sent for the little lad
from the North and said to him: ''Did'n
l send you down to Captain Smith with
instructions to discharge his coals?"
The little lad said: mo, sir; I do not
remember being sent down.
sob, but did, answered the mana
ger. "You have forgotten And there
for a time, so far as the office was con-
But the Captain did not intend to let
it rest there. He applied for his de-
murrage. And when that was refused,
he took the master of the office to law.
And, by-and-by, his complaint came be-
fore the Judges in the court of law.
The day before the trial. the manager
| came to the little lad from the North
and said to him: Mind 1 sent you to
the dock with those instructions to dis
charge the coal"
But, I assure you, I can not remem-
Der your doing so,' said the lad.
Ion, yes, but l cid. You have for
gotten"
1t was a great trouble to the lad. He
had never been sent to the dock. He
could not Say he had been sent; and he
foresaw that he would have to say be-
fore the Judges what would certainly
offend the manager, and lead to the loss
of his excellent place.
On the morning of the trial, he went
to the court. The manager came up,
and the poor lad tried nee more to as
sure him that he was mistaken, but he
would not listen.
'It is all right, he said hastily. II
sent you on such a day, and you have
got to bear witness that l did-and see
you say it clearly!'
In u little whiie he was called into
the witness-box, and almost the first
question put to him was whether he re-
membered the day when Captain
Smiths ship came in. And then this:
'"You remember during that day being
sent by the manager of the office to the
dock with q letter to the C%aptain?"
ono, sir"
"Don't YOU remember taking mstruc-
tons to Captain Smith to discharge his
coals?:"
mo, sir"
"Were you not sent by the manager
Of your office to the coal ship on that
dayP"
II was rot. sir"
'sNor next day?"
.'No."
Nor any other day?"
"'No."
The gentleman who put the questions
was q barrister. He had been engaged
by the manager to win the case for
thnrn Rpf Whom la hnorl' thn G{f3,