The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-03-27
Potter Palmer's Queer Way.

Potter Palmer will not tolerate lazi-
ness in his household. He expects his
employees to keep at work while on duty,
and nothing irritates him so much as to
see one of them shirking his task. The
other day while strolling through one
of the corridors of his hotel he came
upon young man sitting idly in a
window, with a mop and a pail of wa
ter beside him. Without appearing to
notice the man Mr.. Palmer stopped
and gazed thoughtfully out OF the VIM
dow.
"Well, what are you doing here?" he
suddenly asked.
The young man started. "I-I have
been cleaning the windows" he stam-
mered.
.'It strikes me that you are idling
away your time" said the hotel pro-
prietor, still gazing out of the window.
you are not paid to sit there and do
nothing.n
The window-cleaner tried to explain
that he had been working very hard
and had Just sat down to rest a minute,
but Mr.. Palmer apparently did not
hear him.
'When hire man to work for me
I expect him to work. | will have no
idlers about this house. On the whole
| don't think you are the kind of man
that is needed here, and you may con-
slider your services in this hotel at an
end. Go down to the Office and draw
your pay"
The discharged employe was struck
dumb with surprise and he moved OF
in silence. After changing his work
ing clothes for his best suit he de-
scended to the Office and received from
the cashier the balance due on his
months wages. He fingered FOR a few
minutes to speak with one of the as
sistant porters and was just renarking
that he was ont Of employment, when
who should come strOlling through the
rotunda but Mr. Palmer. Perhaps the
gentleman overheard the remark. AT
any rate he paused, looked at the
young man a moment, then tapped him
ON the shoulder and said:
Come with me. [ want to speak
with you"
More surprised than ever the young
man followed him into his private Of
fee. Mr.. Palmer, in a kindly tone
asked. care you in need of employ
ment?"
why, yes; T.
w oulu you IKE W IO StueIdi WOIh
around a hotel-clean windows and
that sort of thing? / want just such a
fellow as you appear to be.''
''Why-why, Mr. Palmer, don't you
know me? /"
know you?" Never saw you be-
fore in my life. But that makes no
difference. know what a man is by
simply looking at him. You are hon
est and industrious-I can see that in
your face. Now, l just discharged a
man for shirking his work-a lazy, shift
less feiljw-and l want you to take his
place. ! am SO well pleased with you
that willagree to pay YOU $50 a month
and your living expenses, although
only paid the ether fellow $15. You
can commence work at once if you
like"
By this time the truth was very ap-
parent to the young man and he con-
cluded that he would be very foolish to
tell Mr.. Palmer of his mistake. He
therefore permitted himself to be hired
to take the place of the '|lazy, shiftless
fellow" and within an hour after his
discharge he was again at work clean
ing windows. At last accounts Mr..
Palmer had not beard of his mistake
and in all probability is not yet aware
that the man he dismissed and the man
he afterwIrd employed at better wages
are one and the same. The @, er hotel
employees have had vast deal OF fun
over the incident. ChicHgo Times.