Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-08-22
FRANK JONES' SUCCESS.
"IIe That Is Diligens in Business Shall
Stand Before Kings"

''IIe That Is Diligens in Business Shall
Stand Before Kings"
This is what a lawyer said of the
story am about to relate to you: cit
is the best boys story that l ever
heard"
1--WE have had a good many boys
with us from time to time" said MIR.
Alden, the senior member Of large
hardware establishment in Market
street. Philadelphia, las apprentices to
learn the business. What may sur
prise 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 every thing is new to him. and
he is attracted by every show window
and unusual sight The city boy, who is
accustomed to these things. cares little
for them, and if he has a good mother
he is at home and in bed in due season
And we are very particular about our
boys-and before accepting one as an
apprentice we must know that he
comes of honest and Industrious pa
rents
But the best boy we ever had is now
with us, and a member of the firm. He
is the one man in the establishment
that we couldn't do without. He was
thirteen years old when he was appren-
ticed to us, and he was with us for
eleven years, acting for several years
rs ho fipaf
told him that for long time his wages
would be very small, but that if he
proved to be good boy his salary would
be increased at a 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, and
increase of salary From the very QUIZ
set he showed that he had an interest
in the business He was prompt in the
morning. and if kept little overtime
at night it never seemed to make any
difference with him. He gradually
came to know where every thing was
to be found, and if any information was
wanted it was to this boy. Frank Jones,
that every one applied. The entire es-
tablishment seemed to be mapped ont
in his head, and every thing in it cata-
logued 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 often
to say to him: Jones' your memory is
worth more than a gold mine! How
do you manage to renemberH"
Il make it my business to remem-
Der, he would say. L know that if l
can remember a man and call him by
name whom 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 customer.
land 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 go to no
end OF trouble to suit them, and to fill
to the letter every thing he promised.
well, affairs went on in this way
until he had been with us eleven years,
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 at the very
lowest he paid his mother two dollars a
week for his board. He was always
neatly dressed, and we thought it was
very probable that he had laid up one
or two thousand dollars, as his salary
for the last two years had been twelve
hundred 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 re-
piled:
. If ten thousand dollars will be any
object can put in that much. have
saved out of my salary nine thousand
four hundred dollars. and my sister will
let me have six hundred
Il can tell you that / was never
more astonished in my life than when
the fellow said he could put In ten
thousand dollars. and the most Of it his