The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-03

The first college man T ever hired
vas old John Durham's son, jim. The
was a good many years ago, when the
house was a much smaller affair. Jim's
father had a lot of money till he started
out to buck the universe and corner
wheat. And the boy took all the fancy
courses and trimmings at college. The
old man was mighty proud of Jim. Wanted
him to be a literary fellow. But old Dur
ham found out what every one learns who
gets his ambitions mixed up with number
two red-that there's a heap of it lying
around loose in the country. The bears
did quick work and Kept the cash wheat
coming in SO lively that one settling day
half a. dozen Of US had to get under the
market to keep it from going to eyerlast-
ing smash.
hat day made young Jim a candidate
for a job. 1t didn't take him long to de-
eide hat the Lord would attend to keep
ing up the visible supply of poetry, and
that he had better turn his attention to
the stocks of mess pork. Next morning
he was laying for me with a letter of in
PRODUCTION when I sot to the ONCE, and
when he found that I wouldn't have a
private secretary at any price, he applied
for every other position on the premises
right down to office boy. I told him I was
sorry, but I couldn't do anything for him
then; hat we were letting men go, but I'd
keep him in mind, and so on. The fact was
that I didn't think a fellow with Jim's
training would be much good, anyhow.
But Jim hung on-said he'd taken a fancy
to the house, and wanted to work for it.
Used to call by about twice a week to find
out if.anything had turned VI.
Finally, after about a month of this, he
wore me down 40 hat 1 stopped him one
day as he was passing me on the street.
7 thought I'd find out If he really vas SO
red-hot to work as he pretended to be;
besides, I felt that perhaps I hadn't
treated the boy just right, as I had de-
livered quite a Jag of that wheat to his
father myself.
Hello, Jim," I called; do you still want
that job?"
Eyes, SIR" he answered, quick as light
ming.
We'll, I'll tell you how it is, Jim." /
said, looking up at him-he was one of
those husky, ~lazy-moving six-footers-1I
don't see any chance in the office, but ]
understand they can use another good,
strong man in one of the loading gangs"
I thought that would settle Jim and let
me out, for it's no joke Juggling beef, OF
rolling barrels and tierces a hundred yards
or so to the cars. But Jim came right
back at me with, 'gDone. Who'll I report
| top
That sporty way of answering, as if he
was closing a bet, made me surer thar
ever that he was not cut out for a butcher
But 1 told him, and off he started hot.
foot to find the foreman. I sent WORD
by another route to see that he got plenty
to do.
l forgot all about Jim until about three
months later, when his name was handed
up to me for a new place and a raise IL
pay. 1t seemed that he had sort Of abo
ished his job. After he had been rolling
barrels a while, and the sport had GROUND
down one of his shoulders a couple o.
inches lower than the other, he got tc
scheming around for a way to max the
work easier, and he hit on an idea for G
sort Of overhead railroad system, by which
the barrels could be swung out Of the
storerooms and run right along into thu
cars, and two or three men do the worl
of a gang. 1t was just as I thought. jim
was lazy, but he had put the house II
the way of saving SO much money that
couldn't fire him. So 1 raised his salary
and made him an assistant time-keepel
and checker.
Jim kept at this for three or foul
months, until his feet began to hurt him