Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1895-01-25

times fails, and here is story in point. 1t
was related to Press reporter the other
day by the defaulting bank employee him
self, with the proviso that his name and
the name of the institution by which he
was employed should not be made public.
'It was about Is years ago." said this
man, THAT ! began to take money from
the bank in which was clerk. 1 was not
dishonest. was sorely tempted 1 was
young then and working for very mod
crate salary. Still it was ample for my
personal needs, but when my father died
and left the family penniless, and at the
same time my mother became hopeless
invalid, it was at once evident to me that
l must in some way procure more money,
for there were four younger children in
the family, all unable to contribute cent
to the general fund. first tried to get an
increase of salary, but failed, and then 1
began to take small sums from the bank.
1T was because of my defalcations that
stuck closer to my desk than any other of
the clerks and worked harder. l knew
that If took vacation I should inevita-
bly, be found out and then all would go
for naught. 1t was because of my appar-
ent devotion to the interests of the bank
that my salary was gradually raised, SO
that just three years after began to steal
was certain l should have to steal no
more. 1 even hoped soon to be able to pay
up, but it was three months afterward be-
fore began that difficult task. Then my
brother, next younger than myself, began
to earn money, and told him the whole
story. He acted in the most noble fashion
and turned over to me as much Of his
earnings as he possibly could, and little
by little, as the ant takes an atom of earth
at time we reduced the balance against
me.
"Oh, 1t was slow work and far more
trying to my nerves than had been the
stealing, but never had the slightest i'm
pulse to continue covering up the shortage
beyond the earliest possible date at which
1 could repay the whole. My salary now
began to be increased every year, and
finally, nearly ten years ago, and but lit
tie more than five years after began to
steal / paid back the last cent. During
all this time I had been economical even
to parsimony in my personal expenditures,
never buying clothes until was absolute
ly forced to do SO, and never owning but
one suit at time. Finally, the day after
had made everything good and covered
all my tracks, the vice president asked me
TO COlD6 lnuO MS OulC6 LOT prlVdJ6 talk.
My heart was In my mouth. He said aft
erward that 1 turned as pale as a sheet,
and know I nearly tainted, but went in,
and as he offered me good cigar and asked
me to be seated began to take heart.
"We have decided, Mr.. Blank, he said,
to offer you the post of cashier, for all
have been watching your course with ap-
proval for some years, but we wish to sug-
gest that you should be little more care
full as to your dress. You are really shah.
by, although your salary is large enough
to enable you to be clothed at least fairly
we'll It's rather a delicate matter to
speak of and may seem trivial to you, but
If you become cashier here, you should
dress as becomes the situation"
II gasped and asked for time to consider
| It. That night was taken down with
brain fever. The strain had overcome me
at last and was kept to my bed for thres
months. When recovered, was Offered
the place in the bank again, but wouldn't
have gone back there for 500, 900 year
In fact, have never trusted myself tt
handle other peoples money since then
and never shall. But the fact that hat
been defaulter for five years was nevel
discovered at the bank.