The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-05-28
A CENT A MONTH
Smart John Smiths MagnificaaA o9sx.
{. For Three Years. Work.

r For Three Years. Work.
At the Pacific Club few evenings
ago the talk turned on the curiosities OF |
mathematics, and one of the group said: |
Year before last bright-looking young
man entered our counting-room in re-
sponse to an advertisement for an as
sistant shipping clerk. He told the
| usual tale of how he desired position
more than wages for the time being, and
was willing to accept nominal salary
to start in on. The old man was feeling |
in particularly good humor that after
noon, and said pleasantly to the new
conner:
sWell, sir, what would you consider
a nominal salaryP What would you be
willing to accept in beginningp"
The young man picked at the lining
of his hat with his fingers, and deferen-
TALLY replied:
"I want to show you, sir, that l mean
business, and will work for one cent
the remainder of this month, providing
J YOU think it would not be too much to
double my salary each month thereaf-
/ ter.n
.That's novel proposition, surely"
, said the old man, with smile. "Do
/ you know what you're talking about
my dear boyP"
SWell, sir, my principal aim is to
learn the business, responded the young
i fellow, land would be almost willing
i to work for nothing, but I'd like to feel
: and be able to say that was earning
| somethinp Won knOW.n
1 s.I'll take you," remarked the old
r man, decisively. "One cent, two cents,
! four cents, eight, SIXTEEN" he enumer-
n ated. "You won't get much for awhile, !"
O he added.
d He took him up to the cashier. ''This
n is John Smith, " he said. .He will go to
i work as assistant shipping-clerk to-mor-
if row. His salary will be one cent this
1t month. Double 1t every month from
1t now on"
n "In consideration of my working for
/ this small salary, might ask you to as.
e. sure me a position for definite periodP'
J. inquired John Smith. e.
% 1--WE don't usually do that. !" replied
T. the governor, "but we can't lose mucf
on YOU, anyhow, I guess, and you lool
e. like an honest fellows How long do yol
in want employment"
n. "Three years, sir, II agreeable t.
Sc you"
x Well, by Jovo, the old man agreed
or and young Mr.. Smith, on pretense o
mt wanting some evidence of the stabilit
of his place, got the governor. to, writ
We out and sign paper that he had bee
o. guaranteed a position in the house TO
lat three years on the terms / have stated
nd He worked along for six months with
an out drawing cent. He said he woul
th draw all his earnings at Christmas Th
90, cashier one day thought he'd figure VI
no how much would be coming to the youn
,ly man. He grew so interested in tn
It'll project that he kept multiplying for tn
ce. three wears. The result almost stas
hid gered him. This is the column of fig
Lch ures he took to the old man:
nv. First month, .01; second, .02; thirt
Gy .O4; fourth, .O8; fifth, .16 sixth, 81
yer seventh, ga; eighth, $1.2S; mint
ry, So. Sc; tenth, $5. 12; eleventh, $10.24
per twelfth, 500. 48; thirteenth, $40. 90; fou
)ur teenth, $S1.92; fifteenth, $163.84; si
for tenth, $327.68; seventeenth, $655.3
ace eighteenth, $1,310.72; nineteeth, 81
N / 621. A; twentieth, $5,24288; twent
first, $40, 1876; twenty-second, $2C
So 971.52; twenty-third, $41, ,943. 04; twent
ard fourth, $83, ,886.08; twenty-ffth, $16I
,tty 772. 16; twenty-sixth, 1885,, 5,544.32; tive
ine ty-seventh, $671, ,088.64; twenty-eight
so 81, ,342, 177.28; twenV-ninth, $2,6S4
le., 354. S.; thirtieth, $5,368, 709. ]
lol- thirty-frst, $10,737, ,41S.24; thirty-se
me ond. $21, ,474, 1856. 48; thirty-third, 81
-ah, 949, ,672.96; thirty-fourtb, $3.50
and 345.9 thirty-ffth, $171, 1893, ,691.s
be- thirty-sixth, $34s, 1897, 1888. 6s; total $
ure airy for the three years, 1857. 1914, 767.'
The governor nearly tainted when
;s understood how, even if he were tw
ain as rich as Vanderbilt, he would
. O ruined in paying John Smiths sala
bat. He concluded to discharge the mod
ono Young man at once. Smith had figur
70 up how much would be due him, a
,nar reminded the old man of his writ
Rnt agreement Rather than take chan
i bv in courts and let everybody KNOWN
wifi he had been duped, the governor p
loed Smith $5, 900 and bade him good-b
I've heard he tried the same dodge
ne,s Chicago after leaving here. Ff'
cisco Alta.