Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-05-08
ONE CENT A MONTH.
John smiths Munificcnt salary
for Three Years.
[From the San Francisco Alta.l

[From the San Francisco Alta.l
At the Pacific Club few evenings
ago the talk turned Oh the curiosities oil
mathematics, and one of the group
sald wear before last bright-lOOking
youEg man entered our cOnntlnS-room
in response to an advertisement for an
assistant shipping clerk. He told the
usual tale of how he desired posltloh
more that wages for the time beng;
and was willing to accept a nominal
salary to start on. The old man was
feeling IN particularly good humor that
afternoon, and said pleasantly TO the
new conner:
..WeIl, sir, what would You consider
nominal salary? What would you be
willing to accept in the beginning"
The young man picked at the lining
of his hat with his fingers ,and defferen-
TALLY replied:
ii want to show you, sir, that l
mean business, and | will work for one
cent the remainder of this month,
providing YOU think it would not be
too much to double my salary each
month thereafter"
! sThat's novel proposition, surely"
| said the old man, with smile. "Do
| YOU hIlOW Wuot yOu ~ eoAo N>'
my dear boy?"
"Well, sir, my principal aim is to
learn the business" responded the
Young fellow, and would be almost
willing to work for nothing, but I'd
like to feel and be able to say that l
was earning something, you know"
"rll take you," remarked the old
man .sdecisively. "One cent, two cents,
/ four cents, eight cents, sixteen cents"
ne enumerated. "YOu won't get much
for a while," he added.
!, He took him up to the cashier. "Ihis
is John Smith" he said. "He Will go
TO work as assistant shipping clerk to-
+ morrow. His salary will be l cent this
month. Double it every month from
> now on" -.
SIN consideration of my working fol
:, this small salary, might ask you to
- assure me position tor q definite
period?" inquired John Smith.
"We don't usually do that" repliet
n the governor, but we can't lose mucf
q on YOU, anyhow, guess, and you lool
|. like an honest fellow. How long d.
a you want employment
h "Three years, sir, if agreeable t.
YOU"
v and young Mr.. Smith, on pretense
% wanting some evidence of the stabilit
: of his place, got the. governor to writ
70 out and sign a paper that he had bee
n guaranteed a position in the house TO
IN three years on the terms l have stated
,s He worked along for six month
;s without drawing a cent. He said h
~ would draw all his earnings at Christ
4. mas. The cashier one day thought he
"a figure up hOw much would be comm
to the Young man. He grew 80 inter
ested in the project that be kept multi
,o plying for the three years. The r.
II suit almost staggered him. This is th
i. column of figures he took to the ol
ri man:
as First month, .O1; second, .02; third
v. .O4; fourth. .0s; fifth, .16; sixth, 3:
'st seventh, GA; eighth, 81 %; mint
h. s. 81; tenth, $5 u; eleventh, $40 2
he twelfth, 800 4S; thirteenth, $40 Vt
,rt fourteenth, SSl 80; fifteenth, $l63 q
w. sixteenth, 1927 60 seventeenth, ,$655 ~
nj eighteenth, $l,3ll 72; nineteent
n 81 ,623 54; twentieth, $5, ,247 OS; TIVE
ha ty-first, $1O,494 16; twenty-secon
he $40, 1888 80; twenty third, $41, ,976 6
VI twentv-fourth, $82, 1853 %; twent
nv fifth, $165, 1906 Sc; twenty-six, 1851
II, 1913 12; twenty seventh, $663.626 2
o's twenty eighth, 1927 1852 4s; twent
led ninth, g., ,654 ,5O4 sc; thirtieth, "a 60
" OO9 90; thirty first, $S,6l8,019 8
thirty second, $17 ,236, ,039 68; thlrt
third, $34 ,472.O7S So; thirty -fOurt
2, S5S. .944. .l56 72; thirty-fifth, $l37 ,SSs
M 3l3 A; thirty sixth, $275, ZIG ,626 .
ms. total salary for three years, 1852, ,55.
I'm 253 65.
ter The governor nearly tainted when
ool understood how, even if he were tw
led as rich as Vanderbilt, he would
~ ruined in paying John Smiths sala1
TO He concluded to discharge the mod
the young man at once. Smith had
In nred up how much would be due hi
the and reminded the old man of his WI
ant ten agreement. Rather than II
ON chances in courts and let everybt
ter. know how he had been duped, the g
lrse crnor paid Smith $4,000 and bade
% OF goodbye.