The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-01-17
III & EEST BOY STORY EVEB
HEAED.

ilHG WIS NIidt LAW yer Sdltl
about tins story that am to relate
to you; III is the best boys story
that ] ever heard
"We 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 rel
ative who lakes care of them and
keeps them at home at night, Tor
when conuiry boy comes 20 The
city to live. everything is new to
him and he is attracted by every
show window and unusual sight.
The city boy accustomed to these
things cares little for them. and if
he has a good mother, ne is at home
and in bed in due season. And we
are very particular abuutour boys,
and before accepting one as an APP
prentice, we must know thai he
comes Of honest and industrious
parents.
"Bul the besI boy we ever had is
now with us, and member Cf the
firm. lie is the one man in the es-
tabh-hmeut that We could not do
without. lie was thirteen years
old when he was apprenticed tp us,
and he was with us for eleven
years. artlng several years as sales
man When he first came we told
him HAT Tor . long lime his wages
would be very small, but that if he
proved to be good boy his salary
would he increased at certain
rate every year, and as 1t turned
out, when according TO agreement
we should have been paying five
hundred dollars a year, we paid
him nine hundred dollars and he
never said a word himself about an
increase in salary. From the very
outset he showed hat he had an
interest in the business He was
prompt in the morning, and if Kept |
a little overtime at night, il never
seemed TO make any difference to
him, lie gradually came to know !
where everything was to be found, |
and if information was wanted il |
was TO this boy, Frank Jones, that !
every ore applied. The entire es-
seemed 10 be mapped !
out in his head, and everything IN |
il catalogued and numbered. His
memory of faces was equally re-
remarkable. He knew the name |
of every man who came 10 the |
store to buy goods, what he bought !
and where he came from. used /
often 10 say to him, Jones, your
memory is worth more than a gold
mine. How do you manage to re-
"''I make it my business to re-
he would say. Il know
that if | can remember a man and
call him by name when he comes |
IN the store, and can ask him how |
things are going on where he lives,
| will be very likely TO keep him
as a customer
"And that was the exact case. |
He took the same interest in their
business as he took in the store,
aud would 20 TO no end of trouble |
to suit them, and 10 fulfill to the |
very letter everything he pro-
missed.
We'll, affairs went ON this way /
until he had been with us eleven
years, when We concluded TO take
him in as a partner. We knew
that he had no extravagant habits,
that he neither used tobacco, nor
beer. or went to the theatre. lie
continued as al The beginning, 10
board at home, and even when hls
salary was the very lowest, he paid
his mother two dollars a week Tor
his board. lie was always neatly
dressed, and we thought II was
very probable that he bad LAID mp
one or Two thousand dollars, as ms
salary for the last two years had
been twelve hundred dollars. 80
when we made him the offer to be-
come a partner in the business,
and suggested that It would be
more satisfactory If he could put
some money in The firm. he replied.
.,If ten thousand dollars will be
any object, | can put in that much.