The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-04-03
he In tructiye
Case en!'kins

y
has sat before a. big empty desk for
nearly two years without earning
enough to buy a whole suit Of clothes.
OF course he's busy. II takes him
about ten hours a week to study out
the diplomatic possibilities Of his neKt
encounter with his landlady. The
there is his affair at the restaurant. He
has to keep watch Of the holes il his
meal ticket and look for chance in
yitations to more sumptuous meals. Il
took him nearly year Of finance with
Chinese iaundrymen before he adopted
celluloid. What leisure he had was nm.
til lately occupied with q sort OF credit
correspondence with his father. upon
whom he is at liberty to draw only ia
cases Of extreme necessity. jenkins
has written home many really able
definitions Of extreme necessity
All this may not prove that jenkins
is willing TO work. but he is and he.
proved It last week. He offices with
an eminent lawyer. This means, IN his
case. that he gets deskroom in ex-
change for his services ais office boy.
court messenger and few more inn
portant vicarious duties. ! d the same
office with Jenkins there Is Stack. the
clerk, whose chief excuse for being
there is that he is nephew to the afore-
said eminent one. Then there is Har-
kins, the stenogra pher. who really
yy,fl Sicstf t,f,5 on
jenkins and Stack because he draws q
good salary and is allowed postage on
bis own mail. Stacks salary is $3.50,
but as he lives with his uncle and paws
no board be is really the aristocrat OF
the office. Jenkins gets 2 per cent on
the bills he collects,
Two weeks ago, however. somebody
bought him good dinner. and then
such an unWonted courage rose up
within him that he decided to approach
the eminent lawyer with whom be '.of
fees and ask advice. To the lawyer
Jenkins said:
Mr.. Lord, I'M not getting along very
well, and / don't know exactly what to
do TO improve my affairs. OF course /
don't want to leave you. but the fact
IS If don't commence to take in a lit
tie more money 4 II have to get stu
alton, go into sonae trade quit the
law
Now. see here, Jenkins said Mr..
Lord "t'll tell you what I'd do in
your place. Id start a collection agen-
cy. You can do 1t right here in my Of
fee. Take in the other boys; get up al
little stock company 1t doesn't require
any capital, and If It's run right it.
ought to pay. I'll give Stack all my
old accounts. and you can get as many
more as you want by advertising =
jenkins eyes bulged with joy. Here
at last was his chance He thanked
his superior repeatedly. and that very
day the Calumet Quick Collection com
pany was formed. Jenkins wrote a:
tong letter to his father, explaining
that postage stamps were an extreme
necessity and them drew for So.
Stack and Harkins each contributed as
much. and the new concern began life
with q stock of enthusiasm and hope
of paid up capital Jenkins contrib
uted most Of the enthusiasm. but Stack
and Harkins hoped for he best The
work was so divided that the young
lawyer had to do all the outside work
! The stenographer. of course, could not
leave the office except for meals. and
the clerk argued that it would pay to
| have some one at headquarters to meet
customers and clients: so. with some
misgivings. jenkins agreed to this ar.
| Management fs s
| The young lawyer was determined to
/ do or die iii his new venture. and TO
/ this end lie came down to the Office
about day break on the morning OF his
first effort. He had Il package Of state
ments an inch thick and long book in
which the names and amounts were
listed He began work at o'clock
1 with t5 cents for cal fare in his pocket
and the anticipation Of swift and GER
tain success shining in bis eyes. On
foot In street ears and in trains he lit
orally flew ABOUT the town till noon.
Some Of the men he sought we're
dead n
Others talked as if they would like
! co be- .5 .
Many had left the city for good for
their own good. Jenkins thought. Some
were so poor that he knew they would
neyer ray
A few laughed at him.
] Nobody paid him.
I He got back to the office about noon
i broken in fina noes. but not ia spirit.
/ He almost lost his temper. however,
j when Stack laid down the paper cover
ed novel he y as read ling. took his feet
down from the steam radiator and
4 asked: g#
How much did you get u
He even fancied that be could hear
4 Halkins ilugh when he answered: 81
didn't collect a cent. Hard luck, ism I
1T ran into a gang of tough ones and
then ran out Of car fare. Any answers