The National tribune., 1889-10-10
an. Best Boy s.ory ! Ever H..ra.D
lAarV Wager Fisher. IN Wids AtOaks.l

Mary Wager Fisher. in Wide AsOaksl
That was what lawyer said about this story
that am 10 relate to you: 1t Is the best boy
story ever heard"
We have had a good many boys with ~
from time to time" said Mr. Alden the senior
member of large hardware establishment in
Market street. Philadelphia. as apprentices TO
learn the business. What may surprise you 10
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 70
live everything is new TO him, aud be is at
traeted by every show window and unusual
slght. 1heclty boy, accustomed TO these things,
cares little for them. and If be has a good
mother he is az home and in bed in due season,
Aud we are very particular about our boys and
before accepting one "a an apprentice we musb
know That he comes of honest and industrious
parents.
But the best boy we ever had IL now with
rs and member Of the firm. He is the one
man IN the establishment that we couldn't do
without. He was l3 years old when be was
apprenticed TO Us, and be was with Us for II
years, acting for several years as salesman.
when he first came we told him that for a long
time his wages would DO very small, but that
IL ne proved to be good boy his salary would
| De increased at q certain rate every year, and
as 1t turned out, when, according 20 agreement
we should have been paying him $500 year,
we paid him $500 and he had never said
word about increase in salary From the
very outset be showed that he had an interest,"
| In the business He was prompt in the morn
| ing, and II kept little over time at night ID
/ never seemed to make any difference with him.
| lie gradually came 70 know where everything
| was TO be found, aud if information was wanted
| II was to this boy. Frank Jones, that everyone
/ applied. The entire establishment seemed 70
| DO mapped out in his head and everything ia
i C4taIOUued rad ~ ~
faces was equally remarkable. He knew the
/ name OF every man who came TO the store 70
| buy goods, what he bought and where he cams
from. used often to say TO him, Jones. your
memory 10 worth more than gold minel How
/ do you manage TO remember2'
make il my business to remember he
would say. know that If I can remember
man and call him by name when be comes
into the store. and can ask bim how things
are going on where he lives will be very likely
/ to keep him as a customer
| And this was the exact case. He made
/ friends OF buyers. He took the same interest,"
i In their purchases as he took in the store aud
would go to no end Of trouble to suit them and
to fulfill to the letter everything be promised.
Well, affairs went on this way until be had
| been with US III years, when we concluded to
take him as partner. We knew that be had
no extravagant habits; that be neither used
| tobacco nor beer nor went to the theater. He
continued, as at the beginning, to board &C
| home, and even when his salary was az the
very lowest be paid his mother two dollars q
week for his board He was always neatly
dressed, and we thought il was very probable
| that he bad laid up one or two thousand dol
| lars, as his salary for the last two years had
| been $1,000. So when we made him an offer 70
| become a partner in the business and suggested
that it would be more satisfactory if be could
put some money in the firm, he replied:
1 "' III $4,000 will be any Obieef I can nuf In
that much. i have saved out Of my salary
$1,000, and my sister will let me have $500
| can tell you i was never more ast0nished
/ in my life than when that fellow said he could
put in $4,000 and the most Of it his own
| money. He had never spent a dollar, or q
cents. or five cents for an unnecessary thing,
and kept his money in bank. where i6 gath
cred small interest. ] am a great believer
in the Bible, you know, and always kept two
placards in big letters up in the store. On one
was this text: He that is faithful in THAI
which is least, Is faithful also in that which ia
much ,; and on the other: He that is diligent
in business shall stand before kings and noe
before mean men, And Frank JOnes's success
was the literal fulfllmeut of those two texta
He had been faithful IN the smallest things al
in the greater ones. and diligent in business,
That kind OF boy always succeeds" concluded
Mr.. Alden.
small boy of 10. who had listened to ths
story with eager eyes. IS well as ears, said:
| " But we don't have any kings in this eOun.
try. Dir. Alden, for diligent boys 20 stand be-
forel"
Yes, we do" laughed Mr.. Alden. We have
more kings here than in any other country in
the world. We have money kings aud business
kings and railroad kings and land kings and
merchant kings and publishing kings, and
some fthem WELD an enormous power. This 4
1 q great country for kinDs