Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-03-17
HE BLUFFED TIE DIRECTORS.
How Bank Teller Secured Raise In
His Salary.


His Salary.
The hotel bell-boy, who was recent
~ sentenced to ten years in the peni-
Tertiary for stealing S13, 900 in New
York hotel, said that he had hidden
the money where no one could find
it. and where he could get it at the
end of his ten years term.
II the money is not literally hid
den or buried, but is invested safely
where it will draw interest, the boy
may have about $40, 900 when he be-
comes free man. This boys actions
reminds me Of what a Western bank
teller did some time ago. He was
daily intrusted with large sums OF
money. Although his position was
an important and responsible one, his
salary was only 81 900 year.
One day he asked the directors to
increase his salary. They told him
as he was a single man they thought
he was getting all he needed, and as
much as the position was worth. His
influence with the customers of the
bank, they said, was not great enough
to Justify an increase Of salary.
Next morning the teller appeared
at the bank as usual, about thirty
minutes before the opening hour. He
sent for the directors and said:
"Gentlemen, as you know, these
are panicky times, and an inability
on our part to meet single call for
money would precipitate a panic.
There would be q run on the bank,
o,I fbc noncap,l would ha ,,,1i,,oI
yes"
well, there viii be a run on this
bank to-day"
How do you knOW?"
Il know because | have arranged
matters SO that there will be-"
"You?"
Eyes; yesterday you told me | was
not intlnential and you declined to
raise my salary. / propose to demon
strate to you to-day that 1 have in
tluence to break this bank"
"How will you do it?" sarcastically
said the President,
Il have taken all the money out of
the safe and have hidden it where
you will never find it,"
WHAT"
There is neither money nor securi-
ties in the bank, and when the door
is opened in half an hour you may as
well shut it again at once"
Don't you know, sir, that you will
be arrested, and that your otfense
will send you to the State PRISON."
II have considered that. | know
the penalty, and I'm prepared to ac-
cept the punishment. | shall prob
ably get ten years in the penitentiary;
good behavior will reduce that by at
least year. / shall likely have
light, clerical work to do, easier work
| than / do here, and [ shall have no
cares nor harassing responsibilities.
[ shall have leisure and shall employ
| it in study. At the end of nine years
7 shall leave prison in the prime of
! life, the master Of several modern
| languages, and otherwise we'll educa-
| ted, and | shall have your money as
capital to begin life with it. What
do you think of my plan?"
The directors stormed and sWore
and begged, but the teller remained
firm, and suggested that they send
for an officer to arrest him. After he
got them thoroughly alarmed, and
when they were almost on their knees
supplicating that he return the
money, he seemed to relent, and said:
{ "On one condition I shall return
the money. If inside Of five minutes
you give me written contract agree
ing to retain my services for five
years and pay me a salary of $4,000 a
year, the money will be on the desk
by the time the door opens for bust
ness"
The agreement was handed to the
teller in about two minutes. He then
put on his Office coat, went to the
safe, opened it, and took out the
| money. He had merely pretended
! that he had done what he could easily
have done, and what almost any teller
| of any country bank could do any
! day. OF course such action is not to
! be commended, but it certainly would
I serve some bank directors jolly we'll
right if their ill-paid tellers would
| give them at least scare. 1t is a
shame to pay such small salaries to
| men who have positions Of trust and
responsibility, and it is a wonder that
! there are as few defalcations as there
are.-Texas Siftings.
Held Hard to Life.
/ woman who died in the aims