Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-24
A SMALL BOYS WORK

became grown-up, thought, until about
SIX months ago. that had q pretty COM
prehensive idea of the innate impishness of
the average small boy-but the actual posi-
bilit:es for potential deviltry existing In the
frame of small boy were, confess, some
thing that 1 did not fully apprehend until
they were borne In upon me in a stunning
and disastrous way at the time mention.
about six months ago. said a noted Mime
sofa man of finance. who was in Washing
ton recently.
"A bit more than six years ago saw
ings bank in which was heavily interested
was started in a prosperous Minnesota
town, the population of which, as well as
the population of the outlying country for
perhaps a hundred miles around. was and
Is composed very largely Of frugal. hustling
Scandinavians.
1.-The savings bank was a success from
the first day that its doors We're opened.
1t was the first institution Of Its kind in
the field and the money came pouring in SO
fast that 1t could hardly be counted. The
stockings and tobacco Jars and dSused
stovepipes and old trunks and boxes were
emptied by the thrifty Scandinavians, who
had been boarding their savings for years,
as soon as the bank began business, and
literally thousands Of accounts, chiefly with
these Industrious people from the north Of
Europe, were opened during the first month.
Never did a savings bank begin business
more auspiciously. And the bank went
right on thriving. inere were a number OF
Swedish and Norwegian names on its list of
directors which Of course counted for its
immediate and continued success among the
Scandinavians. The banks report last year
indicated that 1t was one OF the very
soundest institutions Of its kind in the
state of Minnesota.
About year ago the bank took on as
messenger boy an all-around utility kid,
nusson, a lad about twelve years old He
was bright, lively boy, and at first he
performed the stunts exacted of him well
and conscientiously. He did so well, in
fact. that his pay was raised from 50 to 81
a week inside of a couple Of months.
After about three months, however the
boy got the big head all Of a sudden. AS
the only boy employe in the only bank in
the town ne began to imagine that he came
pretty nigh being the whole works or there
abouts, and he sweled up worse than a
England village. He went in for cigarettes
and red neckties and commenced to part his
flaxen hair in the middle. He began to
make goo-goo eyes a. the girls and young
women of his race who came to the bank
upon business for their elders. He COM
menced to slump and to soldier in his work.
The cashier, who exercised supervision over
all Of the employees of the bank, warned the
kid several times that he was beginning to
make a nuisance Of himself and recon-
mended him to pipe down. But 1t did no
good Alric went right on acquiring big
ger Uranium than ever until 1t seemed as II
he'd have to fall a victim to elephantiasis
sooner or later. All in all, he became about
the most insufferable brat that ever dis
turbed whole office full Of of men.
He had repeatedly been warned not to
smoke cigarettes. furtively or otherwise,
In the bank building. One morning. direct
ly after he had received one of these warn
ings, the enraged cashier came upon Alric
seated with his legs cooked upon his
little desk in the banks hallway, COM
PLEASANTLY putting Cigarette smoke into
the face Of one Of the banks best de-
wi inn ,frin ~ fha hnxy
II one of the banks officers was in.
THE cashier grabbed the kid by the
scrun Of his coat and yanked him to his
feet.
g Look here. you whelp. how long ago
this morning was 1t that I forbade you
to smoke cigarettes in this buildings? de-
manded the cashier.
''Alric. lookly sulkly. jerked himself loose
from the cashiers grasp after some squirm-
ing. and then he gazed defiantly into the
cashiers face.
'Ay smoke sag-rets ven Ay please
said he to the cashier.
Z" oh. you do. do you, you snoozer? said
the cashier. Well you're f1red-come in
and get your money-yOu've been a blasted
nuisance for some time, and the cashier
led the way into his little compartment,
Alric following him.
1.-The cashier handed out a full weeks
pay to the youngster. although 1t was only
a Wednesday.
Now. git-and quick" said the cashier
" 'Ay skall not bay fired-you bat'r not
fire me- said the boy in a low tone of
warning, to the cashier.
Better not fire you, hey?' said the
cashier and he took the impudent tad
by the shoulders from the rear and booted
him out of the bank into the street.
1.-The run on the bank began the next
morning. 1t was in the summer time,
and long before sunrise the hundreds Of
farmers from the outlying country began
to flock into town in their wagons-brawny.
soil-covered Scandinavians. eager for their
ISryfv, l., I,
the great majority of them Scandinavia
too began to form their line in front of
the banks door at midnight. By eight
O'Clock, the hour at which the bank opened
frenzied depositors surging in front Of
the banks doors, bowling in their excite
ment. and some Of the more desperate
among them demanding that the banks
doors be battered In.
The amazed bank officials. when they ar
rived at the bank and saw the situation,
tried their best to stop the clamor and to
send the shouting depositors away assured.
But it Is as hard to get fixed idea out Of
a Scandinavian's head as 1t is to drill a
joke into a Scotchman's head. The de-
positors were not to be appeased or sootE-
ed. The president of the bank himself
threw open the doors, and from the steps
attempted to make an assuring speech to
the swirling crowd. No use. They swept
him off his feet in their rush to get the
first places in line at the paying teller's
window. The banks officials perceived the
futility Of making any further attempts to
stem such a tide. The gold and silver and
paper money was heaped up on the paying
teller's counter. and two other tellers were
set to work to help in the paying off of the
depositors. The paying off continued for
four days, and at the end Of that time the
bank was virtually Quilted. Only bare
hundred or Of deposits remained Of the
several thousand carried on the banks
books but a few days before. The standing
of the hackers Of the bank and of the
banks officials, the publication in the local
papers of the banks annual report to the
state Of Minnesota-these things were moth
Ing The bank closed its doors, and they
are closed yet. with no prospect of their
being reopened. month after the bank
was closed down on account Of the pro-
digious run another banking institution was
started in the town, and the business went
and is still going that banks way. Scandi-
navians will never redeposit money In a
bank from which they have once with
drawn on account of rumors of the banks
unsteadiness.
1.-The cause Of the run? The fired bank
boy, Alric, as soon as he was discharged
mounted a pony that he owned and rode
out into the country. telling all Of the farm
ers that the savings bank was doomed
that he had overheard a conversation be-
tween the banks president and some Of
the directors to the effect that the banks
doors were to be closed at the wind-up of
the next days business They believed