The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-13

The hours We're from early In the morn
ing until 10 at night. and my wages Were
s. a month. II was about l0.3o o'clock the
last Saturday night OF the first month
when my employer paid me my first s..
The money was in halves and quarters.
and each OF those half dollars seemed as
big as a dinner plate. I was email how
then and the sum filled my hand was
afraid | should lose IT, and ran all he
way home. hoping to get there before ny
mother had gone 10 he'd and show Il to
her.
4 Great Bankers start.
did YOU work long for such wages.''
l asked.
YES replied Mr. Gage II worked for
several years for from s. to 81 month.
| was employed In the postofFice AZ slNA
a year, Then a hank was started in our
little town II was known as the Oneida
Central Bank The cashier received
81 200 year. the teller sea. and 7 got
place as messenger At tif0 a year nai
10 sweep ont the bank. make the fires and
run errands as well as DO other things.
After I had worked for the bank a wear
and 4 half wanted an Increase ~
wages. had learned 30 keep some OF the
books was in my twentieth year and
] thought that I ought 10 have more pay.
The cashier said he would refer the m alter
10 the directors. He did so. and the next
Gav he told me that tho directors nai
said that the times were hard and that
they could not AFFORD TO Increase their TX
pcrses hut that r. J waited for a fow
wears vacancy might occur and ! coeit
he the teller AZ salary ~ 500. Upon
that ] decided to leave Had they
offered me $50 a wear [ should have
stayed hut as IL was 7 concluded 10 go
west and Try my luck ln Chicago"
What did YOU 10 iu Chicago"
- first tried to get a place in a bank"
was the reply. but there were no vaofa-
cies- 7 had 20 10 something and I took
ths drst foh that Offered This vas in a
lurnher yard ala an sorts Of work
there measured lumber. fed the cfrru-
lar saw ard now and chen drove team
~ mules ! dld not xet much ray. hut
81 was enough "a keep me- uutIl something
better turned un, After a tirna Hf~ra ne
night Waterman tn the lumH*r YARD. and
then was promoted - b. hooEkeeT-er
was ping the hooks when the mamie of
tNs came On The times then were
great deal worse shan they are now. and
THE Iuuhermen Suffered with the rest nv
EMPLOYER cut down his force amt found
that nv sesN-ices were 20 be sit<neuseA
WITH Z again tried the banks. but could
Se~ 80 eueni - and eventually had TO 20
hack 20 my OH place Ass n.eht vstcluan"
-Eat. AiT Gage. alter . t.C1e yc8 got ga
hankiuz again. dtd y2u nqfa''
Yes vas the f.p5y- "it Was about
yoar after tast THAT a~st obtained en-
p'ovua-nt SIS a Chicago o3Hk remember
thai il Vas M she gTtf - Auzltst lEs fna-
J gc. a note from the Merchants f.oaY
ard TraSt Company asking Use %, call 7na
~s= them YOU se@- I "a ts known 70 -he
hanks as aant'uE position and many %
}heu hA8 mT Eaus~ orr Uie ass cs nat88fe
tlr auV piace tezt n2iEfst offer Tais was
the case wtta tire Merchants Loan ara
Trust Company. J ssiied .u response 70
fae natc and was employees as boa Aseec.er
az $50 e vF4r Then q ilffie later nr 7
became tei5er a; s. - HaS than cashier
reeaairs3 AZ fN&t hank tor ten wears assa
raen became assistant cashier al tne FIRST
National Bauk of wa3ch vss president
80 tae '.me I recs.ve3 n4F appolntuseut as
secretary ag the treasury
The Bankers asa she Farmers
-EeR long have ycU brn connected
V.th eanks, ana banking. sir, C.sKsr'
lo al sAeuf forty years.
Yea have bean the president o. ire