Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-25
kicked Inso . Eertuns.

The overland train was just in, and g com- pany of tourists was piloted to the comfort able cushions in the after cabin. There they began asking questions of the friends who had met them, and the talk gradually drift ed to the excellence of the ferry service, and then to San Francisco's cable road. Before the conversation had reached it's third and last stage, "the Cliff House and the seals," one of the party broke in with his pet story.
 Speaking of cables," he said, s'reminds me of good one heard the other day on the late Charles Crocker. You know he was at the head of the great Market street cable system, and was close fgurer in financial matters. We'll, when the Market street ca- bles were put down they employed Henry Root to superintend the construction. There was lots to learn about the cable roads in had turned the road over to Crocker and his associates every days run suggested some- thing in the way of improvement. Without any particular understanding, Root was kept along to look after things generally, snd es- pecially to secure patents on the dozen and one devices which the construction and ope- ration of the road had suggested. He was paid small salary, only about one hundred dollars month, but 80 loyal was he to the company that when an offer came to him from Denver urging him to take charge of that eity's new cable road at fat salary he refused it, and went on until he had about perfected his patents.
 s'When he had been thus employed some seven months MT. Crooker came back from the East, and at once began looking over the expense account and pay roll of the cable company, with view to retrenchment and more rigid economy. After time he came to Roots name.
 "sSse here,' he said to his manager, swhat's this man Root doing on our pay- rolls"
 "sOh, we've kept him along looking after
 "'Well, he has no business here at all, said Crocker, sharply. He was employed by the contractors, and when they turned the road over to us his employnent ceased. Now, want you to tell Mir. Root that not only will we no longer pay him anything, but that shall expect him to return to us all the salary he has received since we as- sumed control of the road.'
 stPerbaps you don't think Root was acton ished. Tbere he had refused permanent position at a good salary just because he had felt it his duty to stay by the Market street company, and of course he had spent the seven hundred dollars which he had received from the company by way of compensation for seven months work It was big wad or luOu6y LO tuo IOUb Ol tuOso udyS, toO, and he had @ heap of trouble to raise it. But he stood up all his friends, mortgaged 8 lot, and finally managed to square himself with Crocker, taking Q receipt from that gentleman showing on it's face that he was not in the cable company's employ for the seven months, and that the money had been wrongfully paid to him.
 "Then he went on and took out his pa- tents in the name of Henry Root.
 SRx,o and 1,x1H nd fbo f of the cable men began the organization of their big pool When they got well along with it Hallidie said one day: See here, Crocker, where are your patents on all these improvements which your people operate? I don't see your showing.'
 GETTING EVEN WITH HIS FORMER EMPLOYER
 "'Oh, we've got lem somewhere,' replied Crocker, confidently, but when he came to look into the matter he found he didn't have lem by long shot. He found the patents for some of the most important devices in use on his system were in the name of Root.
 s'He sent for Root.
 ''When that thrifty mechanic appeared before the magnate the latter said: Root, there are lot of our devices which we use and which see are patented in your name. I wish you would just make them over to the company
 "'WhyF asked Root, simply.
 "'You worked them out and patented them while in our employ, and of course you know that the laws of the State provide that when an artisan takes the time for which an employer pays him to work out 8 patent, the patent belongs to the employer
 Certainly, know that's the law,' replied Root, in his most respectful tone; but there's your receipt, MT. Checker, which shows that during the time was at work on those patents I was not in your employ. Now, my dear Mr. Crooker, you can have those patents for just twenty-five thousand dollars.'
 "Crocker paid.
 "From Roots connection with the road he learned of the projected extension out Haight street, put this twenty-five thousand dollars into lands along that highway, req lized on them when the boom came, made enough to keep the wolf away from his door, thus found time to perfect a cable system of his own, forced them to take him into the pool. and ia enjoying rajah's in- come from it now.
 s'There's man absolutely kicked into a fortune."