Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1901-02-21
The Instructive
Case Of jenkins

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Jenkins is bright young lawyer, who
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. 1t takes him
about ten hours week to study out
the diplomatic possibilities Of his next
encounter with his landlady. Then
there is his affair at the restaurant. He
has to keep watch of the holes In his
meal ticket and look for chance in
vitations to more sumptuous meals 1t
took him nearly a year OF finance with
Chinese laundrymen before he adopted
eelluloid. What leisure he had was I'M
til lately occupied with a sort of credit
correspondence with his father, upon
whom he Is at liberty to draw only in
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 1t last week. He offices with
an eminent lawyer. This means, in his
case, that he gets deskroom In ex-
change for his services as office boy,
court messenger and a few more i'm
portant yicarious duties. In 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 stenographer, who really
works and who is the envy Of both
good salary and is allowed postage on
his own mail Stacks salary is $3.50,
but as he lives with his uncle and pays
no board he Is really the aristocrat of
the office. Jenkins gets 2 per cent on
the bills he collects.
Two weeks ago, however. somebody
bought him a good dinner. and then
such an unwonted courage rose up
within him that he decided to approach
the eminent lawyer with whom he ''of-
fees" and ask advice. To the lawyer
Jenkins said:
MIR. Lord. I'm not getting along very
well. and don't know exactly what to
do to improve my affairs. or course l
don't want to leave you. but the fact
Is IL 1 don't commence to take In a lit
tie more money III have to get situ-
alton, go into some trade quit the
law"
Now, see here, Jenkins" said Mr..
Lord. "Pll tell you what I'd do In
your place. I'd start collection agen-
cy. You can do 1t right here In my Of
fee. Take In the other boys; get up q
little stock company. 1t doesn't require
any capital. and II it's run right II
ought to pay. III 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 q
long letter to his father, explaining
that postage stamps were an extreme
| necessity" and then drew for 50
Stack and Harkins each contributed a:
| much. and the new concern began Life
| with a stock OF enthusiasm and hops
that was not expressed In the amount
Of paid up capital. jenkins contrib
uted most Of the enthusiasm, but Staci
work was so divided that the young
lawyer had to do all the outside work
The stenographer. of course, could no
leave the office except for meals, ant
the clerk argued that 1t would pay t,
have some one at headquarters to NEE
customers and clients; so, with som,
misgiyings, Jenkins agreed to this ar
rangement-
The young lawyer was determined t
do or die In his new venture. and t
this end he came down to the offic
about daybreak on the morning OF hi
first effort. He had package Of state
ments an inch thick and long book Il
which the names and amounts wer
listed. He began work at 8 o'clocl
with IS cents for car fare In his poke
and the anticipation of swift and cel
tain success shining In his eyes. o.
foot. In street cars and in trains he Iii
orally few about the town till noon.
Some OF the men he sought wer
dead.
Others talked as If they would lik
to be.
Many had left the city for good-fo
their own good. jenkins thought. Som
were so poor that he knew they woul
never pay.
A few laughed at him.
Nobody paid him.
He got back to the Office about moo
broken In finances, but not In spirit
He almost lost his temper. howevel
when Stack laid down the paper cove
ed novel he was reading, took his fee
down from the steam radiator an,
asked:
How much did you getr'
He even fancied that he could hea
Harkins laugh when he answered.: -
didn't collect a cent. Hard luck, ism
It? 1 ran into a gang of tough ones an
then ran out Of car fare. Any answer
to our Cumming lettersY'
Mot q glimmer." mourned Harkins.
Stack looked glad OF It. He loane
Jenkins a half dollar for car fars
charged It up on the company's boo
and resumed his vars plees n y