Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-11-11
Ilnmth's Column,
"The Best Boys Story I Ever
Heard"

That is what a lawyer said of this
story that | am about to relate to
you: sit is the best boys story
ever heard"
eve have had good many boys
with us from time to time,'' said Mr..
Alden, the senior member of a large
hardware establishment in Market
street, Philadelphia, ''as apprentices
to learn the business. What may
surprise you is that we never take
country boys unless they live in the
city with some relative who takes
care of them and keeps them home
at night, for when a country boy
comes to the city to live everything
is new to him and he is attracted by
every show window and unusual
sight. The city boy who is accus-
toned to these things cares little for
them, and if he has a good mother
he is at home and in bed in due sea-
son. And we are very particular
about our boys-and before accept
ing one as an apprentice we must
know that he comes of honest indus
trious parents.
But the best boy we ever had is
now with us, and a member of the
firm. He is the one man we couldn't
get along without. He was thirteen
years old when he was apprenticed
to us, and he was with us eleven
years, acting for several years as
salesman When he first came we
told him that for long time his
wages would be very small, but that
if he was good boy his salary would
be increased at certain rate every
year, and as it turned out, when ac-
cording to agreement we should have
been paying him five hundred dollars
a year, we paid him nine hundred
dollars year, and he never said a
word himself about an increase of
of salary. From the very outset he
showed that he had an interest in the
business. He was prompt in the
morning and if kept little over time
at night it never seemed to make any
difference with him. He gradually
came to know where everything was
to be found, and if information was
wanted, it was to this boy, Frank
Jones, that every one applied The
entire establishment seemed to be
mapped out in his head, and every
thing in it catalogued and numbered
His memory of faces was equally
remarkable. He knew the name of
every man who came to the store to
buy goods, what he bought and where
he came from. | used to say to him
"Jones your memory is worth more
than a gold mine How do you man.
age to remember?''
~ make it my business to remem-
ber," he would say. ''I know that if
| can remember man and call him
by name when he comes into the
store, and can ask him how things
are going on where he lives, | will be
very likely to keep him as a Gus
TONER"
And that was the exact case. He
made friends of buyers. He took
the same interest in their purchases
as he took in the store, and would 60
to no end of trouble to suit them,
and to fulfil to the letter everything
he promised.
Well affairs went on in this way
until he had been with us eleven
wears, when we concluded to take
him into the firm as a partner. We
knew that he had no eXtravagant
habits, that he neither used tobacco
nor beer, nor went to the theater.
He continued as at the beginning to
board at home, and even when his
salary was the very lowest he paid
his mother two dollars a week for his
board. He was always neatly dress
ed, and we thought it very probable
that he had laid up one or two thou
sand dollars, as his salary for the
last two years had been twelve hun
bred dollars. So when we made him
the offer to become partner in the
business, and suggested that it
would be more satisfactory if he
could put some money into the firm,
he replied:
eff ten thousand dollars will be
any object l can put in that much.
/ have saved out of my salary nine
thousand four hundred dollars, and
my sister will let me have six hun
dred."
/ can tell you that l never was SO
astonished in my life than when that
fellow said he could put in ten thou
sand dollars, and most of it his own
money. He had never spent a dol
lar, or twenty-five cents or five cents
for an unnecessary thing, and had
kept his money in the bank, where it
gathered small interest. | am a
great believer in the Bible, you know
and l always kept two placards in
big letters up in the store. One was
this text: ssHe that is faithful in that
which is least, is faithful in that
which is much" And on the other f:
"He that is dillgent in business shall
stand before kings and not before
men," And Frank Jones success
was the literal fulflment of these
two texts. He had been faithful in
the smallest things as in the greater
ones, and dilligent in business. That
kind of boy always succeeds con-
Guided Mr.. Alden.
A small boy of ten who had listen
ed to the story with eager eyes, as
we'll as ears, said:
'sBut we don't have any kings in