Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-09
A MODEL OFFICE BOY.
Tom PhillebroWn's Rise From Three
Dollars a Week to Partner.
SECRET OF HIS GREAT SUCCESS.
One Of Oliver Optics True Stories With
Valuable Hints for Boys.
ECONOMY AND GOOD HABITS WILL WIN
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcHI

| WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH1
Tom Phillebrown was real boy. / am
not going to tell you who he was, only what
ne was; and what he was any boy may
De II he Is so minded. He was not brought
up In the country, away from temptation,
and with only meager knowledge of the
"orld; Dut he was born, and always lived,
IN great city, though the country has its
temptations as we'll as the city, and some-
times even greater ones.
TOMS father was not rich, for he was q
mechanic who worked hard for little money.
anu ne eou4d not send him to college. But
ne was an honest and square man, and
tried to do his whole duty to his children.
He was thoughtful man and devoted most
OF MS spare hours to reading good books,
He drank no beer or other entangling fluids.
and saved a little money every year. He
was not fitted out with brilliant intellect,
and passed his whole life as an humble
workman, undisturbed by any other ambi-
ton than the desire to live wisely and we'll.
! Tom graduated at grammar school and
then went to the High School, where he was
an average scholar. His teachers could not
| regard him as a brilliant boy, but thew
heartily recommended him as an honest,
faithful and painstaking fellow, who was in
no danger of becoming President OF the
United States or even of making a decided
mark IN his day and generation.
FIFTY CENTS A WEEK.
With the moderate testimonials of his
instructors he obtained a situation in a
wholesale store at So a week, to learn the
business. He was II years old and boarded
at home. He gave his pay to his father
every Saturday night, and was allowed
half dollar week for his small expenses.
He realized that he was working for very
small wages before the first year had passed
away; but he did not growl even to himself
about il, and was modest enough to believe
that this was all he was worth
But he was boarded and clothed by his
father, and his other expenses were very
small. In fact, he opened an account at a
savings bank, and as fast as he accumulated
dollar he deposited it. Yet, measured bv
his personal income, he was not mean and
stingy, for he occasionally gave a dime or a
hali-dime in charity, bought book, and
visited places OF amusement, though he
could not afford to go to the theater or other
expensive entertainments.
He was never caught five minutes behind
time, because he made it matter of con-
science to be on time. "You get so centsa
day for ten hours work, Tom," his father
used to say to him, ''and that is cents an
hour. If you saw cents lying on the desk
in the store, you would not steal it any more
than you would steal $40 bill if you saw
1t there. Being 10 minutes late four morn
in9s comes to cents, and if you are behind
time to that extent, consider it lust the
same as stealing the money"
WASTING TIME A ROBBERY.
When Tom was sent on an errand by his
employer he did not go to the fire, if Ihera
happened to be one, while he was out; he
did not stop to see the end of dog fight, to
look at the pictures in shop windows, or idle
away his time in any other manner. If he
wasted half an hour it was robbing his en-
ployer of so much time.
He carried his reasoning still farther. and
made it cover his time in the store III be
had any work to do it was stealing to "loaf'
and he kept himself busy as long as there
was anything to do. At the same time.
Tom never hurried himself, unless the occa.
sion required haste. He did not run when
he was sent to do errands, but held to his
usual moderate pace. In the store he
never "few around" aimlessly, but kent
busy as long as the work lasted. Perhaps
il was fortunate for him that his employer
was not 'driyer," and the young man
suited him exactly. At the end OF his first
year his wages were raised to So a week.
At this time Mr.. Phillebrown had an ad-
vantageous offer, which induced him to
change his residence to another city, and
Tom could no longer board at home. This
event practically cast him loose upon the
world, and made him his own master. He
found a place to board with a carpenter at
81 80 week (thls was many years aro)
Another boy might have thought the room
and the table were not good enough for
him, but Tom was modest and therefore he
was satisfied, for he did not take on much
style.
A BETTER POSITION,
Business was good with his employer, and
another boy was taken, giving Tom better
position. The new boy did not stay a
month, for he was late in the morning. and
dawdled away his time when sent on er-
rands. Tom continued to be honest and
faithful. He dressed himself plain
ly, but neatly, out of his salary,
and never called on his father for any help
He was occasionally called upon to work
evenings, but he did not regard this as
or put IN claim for extra pay.
On the contrary, he was glad that the pro-
prietor of the house required this additional
labor.
The next year, at the age of 10, Mr. Mar
chant voluntarily put him on O salary of
$500 year. Tom felt rich then, but he did
not change his boarding place, or otherwise
increase his expenses. His bank account
was the principal gamer. He was always
cheerful and pleasant, and he had goodly
number OF friends. He was asked to take
q drink" buy lottery ticket, visit bad
places. and the cash of the house was
altogether in his keeping. He had all the
temptations which beset young men in large
cities.
HOW HE SPENT HIS TIME.
He went to church as regularly as he went
% business, and he was enabled to resist
hem all. He went to proper places of
boarded two weeks in the
country in his vacation, read good books.
including good novels, and read the news.
,apers as thoroughly as he did his Bible
When he was 21 his salary was increased
o s., 900 year. Then he spent more money
N himself, but none of it upon vicious
pleasures. A year later he became th.
unior partner of the house, putting in
J, 900 he had saved. Then he began to
make money.
OF course he married his partners dauph-
er, and had half the profits before he was
3. He accomplished it all by keeping him
eff clean, and by being honest and faithful
ven in little things.
OLIVER Optic