The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-04-03

The first college man I ever hired ,
vas old John Durham's son, Jim. That
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 1t 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 everlast-
ing smash.
That day made young Jim a candidate
for a job. 1t didn't take him long to de-
eide that 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 ne with a letter of In
PRODUCTION when l got to the office, and
when he found that 1 wouldn't have a
private secretary at any price, he applied
for every other position on the premises
right down to office boy. l told him | was
sorry, but / couldn't do anything for him
then; tina we were letting men go, but Id
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 lind
out if anything had turned up.
Finally, after about a month of this, he
wore me down SO, that 1 stopped him one
day as he was passing me on the street.
Z thought I'd find out If he really was SO
red-hot to work as he pretended to be;
besides, I felt that perhaps ] 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?"
Yes, SIR" he answered, quick as light
ming.
well, I'll tell you how it is, Jim" I
said, looking up at him-7he was one OF
those husky, laZy-moving six-footers-"l
don't see any chance in the office, but ]
understand they can use another good
strong man in one of the loading gangs
l thought that would settle Jim and lei
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 righ1
back at me with. lone. Who'll l repor'
to?"
That sporty way Of answering, as if hi
was closing a bet, made me .surer thar
aver that he was not cut out for a butcher
Eut i told him, and off he started hot
foot to find the foreman. l sent wore
by another route to see that he got plent!
TO DO.
i forgot all about Jim until about thre'
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 abol
ished his job. After he had been rolling
barrels a while, and the sport had grount
down one OF his shoulders a couple Q
inches lower thaa the other. he got t
scheming around for a way to make tn
WORK easier. and he hit on an idea for
sort of overhead railroad system. by whic]
the barrels could be swung out of n
storerooms and run right along into tn
cars. and two or three men do the worl
OF d gang. 1t was Just as l thought. Jin
was lazy. hut he had put the house \
the way of saving SO much money that
couldn't fire him. So / raised his salary
and made MIN an assistant ttme-keepe
and checker.
Jim kept at this for three or fou
manshs. until his feet began to hurt him