The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-01-21
Too High a Salary.

The following article, which was trans
lated from Der Deutsche Kaufman for the
Artist Printer, contains lesson that many
an employee. who thinks his salary does not
represent the true value of his services, may
take to himself:
A large manufacturer has two factories in
different places. The one he manages him
self; the other is managed by his agent,
aided by young assistant. the bookkeeper.
One day. very early in the forenoon. the
proprietor comes per railway, to visit his
second factory and see how things are pro-
crossing. At 700 o'clock the managing
agent is not vet at his post; but the assist
ant is, who relates with malignant inward
joy, that the agent. as often happened. did
not get home the night before till 200 A. NJ.
and on such occasions he was generally
very tired and sleepy in the morning. He
himself, however, has been since 600
O'Clock in the office. and incidentally adds.
that the agent often leaves at 5000 clock in
the evening. while he works till 500 o'clock
He also gently hints that it is perhaps very
| unjust that the agent should receive 800
marks monthly while he 1.-THE assistant) had
to be cOntented with sixty marks monthly
| as salary.
The proprietor listens to him absent
mindedlY; his attention is fixed upon a
wagon in the alley near by. He asked lis
agents assistant: what does that wagon
contain?" Il do not know. SIR" "Please
go and ascertain" The young man returns.
''It is loaded with briquettes." ''Please
ask again. to whom do they belong" says
his employer. and the young man returns
with the information that the briQuettes are
for the neighbOring factory of Smith Il Sons.
| Cly i'm Dh no hri
says the proprietor, and receives the intelli
gence that they are from the mine Else"
please, now ask from whom they are pro
cured?" was the next commission. The
young man secures the information and
brings it back; he is then sent again, to
learn whether the party from whom they are
procured are the owners or merely agents OF
the mine. He is then sent to find out the
price of the briquettes. Then the proprietor
wants to know if they came from the mine
by water. by rail or by wagon; and last OF
all, he sends the young man to learn how
large load is on the wagon. and what the
cost of carting might be.
AT this point the managing agent has ar
rived from his home. He greets his en-
ployer politely. and wants to excuse himself
hastily as his attention is then required in
the factory, where new machine is to be
| thiSU az AolI pdot CISuts ~ uIOuCHts
please" says the proprietor; Twill you be
kind enough to 60 out there and see what is
i'm that wagOn?" In about minute or sc
the agent returns and reports: lit contains
90 600 briquettes from the mine 1lse.
have immediately asked concerning the
price; they cost 5. 40 marks. are delivered by
the agent of the mine. j. Jones. their use is
profitable to the factory of Smith & Sons,
but make too many ashes under our steam
boilers. and we cannot therefor make use OF
them" The agent then excuses himself.
and departs to attend to his duties. The
proprietor strokes his beard and remarks:
Pm sorry Mr.. Robinson had to leave SO
suddenly; wanted to tell him. that from
the first of next month his salary will be
increased fifty marks. Do you see. young
man? You work fourteen hours a day; but
my dear boy. if you wanted to do only one
half of what Mr.. Robinson does you would
have to work at least thirty six hours each
day; and if you wished to earn one fourth
of what he is worth to me you will vet have
to learn infinitely more from him."
Carl PretZel's Philosophy.
| Dots better when you don't did expose your