Rock Island Argus., 1900-01-04


because he did not keep up the dignity
of the establishment. or the youth who
aroused his employers suspicious by
offering to do what he had not been
hired for, or the messenger who did
not chuck letter in the sewer when it
would have been better for the sender
If he had, or the one who wanted to go
to ball game the worst way, but in
stead stuck right TO delivering his mes
sage and getting back quick, only to
find that If he had loitered the writer
might have recovered that message
undelivered, as he had vainly tried to
do
But there was one poor boy whose
unvarnished tale ought to be repeated.
He had read the message and had been
so infatuated with the moral lesson in
1t that he had learned the thing almost
as thoroughly as l had. He told me of
his troubles, just one day of them.
Said he: 1 started out in the mornin
by tillin the boss fountain pens You
see, that was always the first thing he
asked me to dO, and l thought it would
be fine thing to have ii done. he was
very particular about those pens. They
must always be washed out and filed
Just far enough and not too far. I'd
been doin 1T o X for four months, and
that mornin l put in my finest licks.
Well, / got it hot and heavy for wastin
ink. 1t seems that somebody the day
before had got him TO promise to use a
brand new ink, so | had TO empty and
wash out the pens and fill 'em all over
again.
Next the boss said there were some
letters on his desk to be copied. l huS-
tied and got the book and things ready
and went in for the letters. There was
Il pile of 'em on the desk by his elbow,
and he was awful busy talkin TO
client. l didn't bother him with ques-
tions as usual. cause he was so busy
and had always growled when letter
got away without bein copied. This
time, OF course, the growlin was the
other way. Four of them several let
ters had to be cut out of the book.
Then he said somethin about sealin
wax. He didn't exactly tell me to get
it, but thought maybe he'd like 1t if
did. Well. 1 had to go without lunch
to pay for that sealin wax myself.
But l didn't miEd much, for just
after what would have been lunch the
boss handed me letter to deliver
quick" he said. l looked and saw
that it was to Jimmy Dawson. a clerk
in the office who had gone up town TO
hunt up some records or somethin.
The place he was at was on it. l did
ask one question or started to-"lf
Dawson amt there. sir He will
be-" said the boss quick, just like that;
"he's got an all days job" If it hadn't
been for that message TO Garcia busi-
ness. l would have insisted on KNOWN
whether 10 chase up Jimmy or not, but
thinkin of that made me put that let
ter right in my breast pocket. l was
sorry l hadn't any oilskin bag. You
see. it was the first letter he'd ever
asked me to take. The way l made
tracks was a caution. When l got
there. Jimmy wasn't in sight. 1 asked
feller If he knowed Jimmy, If he'd
been gone long and where he went
l thought this was the time for
questions The feller said Jimmy fir
ished copyin his piece about an hour
before and he guessed he'd gone to the
ball game. l chased up to the ball
game. but it had been a short one and
was just over. l shouted Jimmy's
name to the fellers as they poured out.
DuI nODOuy dHS"tTeu. HeN WIS lOO
busy yellin.
We'll. l wasn't downed yet. for L
knowed where Jimmy Dawson lived,
and L just followed him right up;
caught up with him at dinner time,
too. and gave him the letter all right.
1 knew it wasn't any use to go back
to the office after 6 o'clock on Satur-
day. so l lit out for home. l tell you
l felt good all day Sunday. 1 just went
round huggin myself, you bet, for
hadn't | done just as the writin feller
said, carried a message to Garcia?
morning l was at the office
bright and early, feelin as if L owned
the place. What did get? A weeks
notice and my pay, that's what. I'm
askin questions now, you bet; every
last one l can think of too
THE upshot of my Investigations
was the conclusion that when it comes
to getting work done it is a very smart
youth who knows when to ask ques-
tions of his employer and when not to
and what sort of questions it is safe
to leave unasked. In nine cases out of
ten the employer would have to be
trained not to need to have questions
asked, even if the employee was smart
enough not to need to ask them or If
there were ways he could find out for
himself if he had time"
something in it," said his friend.
Now, il Mckinley would bother to
tell, I'll venture to swear that he told
that Rowan chap that nobody knew
where Garcia was and that Rowan
had been named as a likely, coura
geous fellow who wouldn't say die till |
be had TO. And you know if you take |
almost any American boy and put him |
On his mettle he's yours for that job, |
IL not for life"
That's the reason why I'm emitting |
a message to Garcia from my roper
tory this winter" said the philan- |
thropist- |