The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-12-26
AmAN KICKED INTO A FORTUNE.

AMAN KICKED INTO A FORTUNE.
The overland train was just in, and 6
company of tourists was piloted to the
comfortable cushions in the after cabin
There they began asking questions OF the
friends who had met them, and the talk
gradually drifted TO the excellence oil
the ferry service, and then to San Fran
cisco's cable road. Before the converse
ton had reached its third and last stage,
"Ihe Cliff House and the seals" one oil
the party broke in with his pet story.
speaking of cables" he said, ire
minds me of good one l heard the 9th
er day on the late Charles Crocker. You
know he was at the head of the great
Market street cable system, and was q
close figurer in financial matters. We'll
when the Market street cables were put
down they employed Henry Root to
superintend the construction. There
was lots to learn about the cable roads
in those days, and even after the con
tractors had turned the road over to
Crocker and his associates every day.
run suggested something in the way OF
Improvement. Without any particular
understanding. Root was kept along to
look after things generally, and especial
ly to secure patents on the dozen and
one devices which the construction and
operation of the road had suggested.
He was paid small salary, only about
800 a month, but so loyal was he to the
company that when an offer came to
him from Denver urging him to take
charge of that city's new cable road at a
. fat salary he refused it, and went on
until he had about perfected his patents.
"When he had been thus employed
some seven months Mr.. Croker came
back from the East, and at once began
looking over the expense account ano
payroll of the cable company, with I.
view TO retrenchment and more rig'd
economy. After a time he came to
Roots name.
"'See here he said to his manager,
whats this man Root doing on our pay
roll :
"'Oh, we've kept him along looking
after various things and arranginga bout
patents
"Well, he has no business here at all,
said Crocker, sharply. He was en-
ployed by the contractors, and when
they turned the road over to us his en-
ployment ceased, Now, want you to
tell Mr., Root that not only will we no
longer pay him anything, but That L
shall expect him to return to US all the
salary he has received since we assumed
control of the road
"Perhaps you don't think Root was
astonished. There he had refused per-
manent position at good salary Just be-
cause he felt it his duty to stay by the
Market street company and of course he
had spent the 800 which he had re
ceived from the company by way OF
compensation for seven months work
1t was big wad of money to the Root
of those days, too, and he had heap OF
trouble to raise it. But he stood up all
his friends, mortgaged lot, and finally
managed to square himself with Croker,
taking a receipt from that gentleman
showing on its face that he was not in
the cable companys employ for the
seven months, and that the money had
been wrongfully paid to him..
"Then he went on and took out his
patents in the name of Henry Root.
"By and by Crocker, Hallidie and the
rest of the cable men began the organi-
kation of their big pool. When they got
rell along with it Hallidie said one day
Efe here, Crocker, where are your pa
tanle on all these improvements which
@nnt 1aople operate l don't see your
III. we've got 'em somewhere re-
nIlS, Rocker, confidently, but when he
oame(I o loo1z into the matter he found
be didAt d. en- by a long shot. He
found d. 4 for some of the most
impbrta|f n use on his system
were "a t1f d Root.
Vine f1'|lF mechanic ap-
peared ~ lag Iat It the euI latter ter
vices Witt use and which
see are patented in your
name. l wish you would just make
them over to the company
"'Why p 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 pro-
vide that when an artisan takes the time
for which an employer pay him to work
out a 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, Mr.. Crocker,
which shows that during the time was
at work on those patents was not in
your employ. Now, my dear Mr.. Crock
err, you can have those patents for just
$25,00O.
"Crocker paid.
"From Roots connection with the
road be learned of the projected extern
sion out Haight street, put this $25, OOC
into lands along that highway, realized
on them when the boom came, made
enough to keep the wolf away from his
door, thus found time to perfect cable
system of his own, forced them to take
him into the pool, and is enjoying ra
iah's ircome from it now.
There's a man absolutely kicked into
fortune, San Francisco Examiner