The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-05-18
Tea or Papers

In New York. | don't see why every
body wants to come here. 1t seems
to me as II every lad starts for this
city just as soon as he is old enough
to work for a living. Why, they
come here in shoals every week, and
most Of them starve or go to the bad
before they are many years older"
"But few must succeed. uncle. and
neither starye nor go to the bad" re-
piled Percy Conover. Now you, for
instance. came here as lad from the
country"
"Times were different then-very
different" answeHed Mr.. Wilson tes-
tily. 81 couldn't do it again-no man
could"
"Then you would advise me to go
back home and do nothing?"
"Ahem. No, of course not, but seek
some other field. The city's too
crowded already. Don't make it worse.
don't know what we are coming to.
Business is slow, and competition
keen, and there are twenty applicants
for every position"
"But, uncle, every boy must begin
somewhere and somehow. Now I've
been through college-a small one, but
a college"
Don't help you one bit" snapped
Mr.. Wilson. Hurts you, If anything.
Here you are, eighteen, and you've got
to begin at two or three dollars
week-same's a twelve-year-old boy
gets l told your mother that years
ago, but she would send you to col
lege-said your father would have
wanted it,"
"Well, we won't discuss that now,
uncle. It's all over with, and we can't
help it. The proposition is, how to
get work."
Eyes, that's the proposition, and it's
one that thousands are asking them
selves and can't answer Now how
do you propose to solve it?"
There was little defiant expression
In the old merchants face. He was a
hard, self-made man, and he had not
approved of many things that his sis
ter had done. One was that Of send
ing her only son to college. He had
offered him a position at that time in
his big tea store at two dollars a week
with promise of promotion if he
proved worthy.
But Mrs. Conover had insisted upon
educating Percy, and now her brother
felt that he was expected to take him
in his business at a salary correspond.
ing to his age and education. Against
this he protested vigorously, on prin-
ciple.
But Percy had not asked for any,
thing except advice. That his uncle
had distributed in rather pessimistiC
vein, foreshadowing ruin and defeat
il the boy stayed in the city. Be il
said to Mr.. Wilson's credit, he ex
pected ultimately to do for his nephew
the right thing, but little cool com
mon sense he thought was necessary
to make the boy appreciate his rela
tive value.
We'll, uncle, have about the same
definite ideas in solving such propo
sition as hundreds OF others have.
Percy replied finally. I'm going tC
hunt for a position, and shall keel
at 1t until succeed"
There was grim smile on the olC
merchants face.
How much salary do you expect tt
make at first?"
I'm satisfied if can make enough
to get along on-board myself an'
keep decent clothes on my back"
Cant do that on three dollars |
week in New York"
Il suppose not" answered Percy
"If not then | must make more"
There followed days of constant ei
fort on Percy's part to secure situa
tion that would pay him living wage
His uncle offered him no encourage
ment, and rendered no aid whatever
Each night he asked him grimly
well, what success?
For a full week Percy's hopeful an
swer was: Nothing definite yet"
The second week he was not so en-
luuSidStAC III MS ItpiACSs anu Hio VI
ele's smile broadened. Then the bo
took himself to task and said: 9Th
fault must be with me. don't g
about it in the right way"
For several days he tried to stud
out solution, and then commune
thus with himself: Evidently salarie
positions are not always open to al
plicants, no matter how much yo
need them. Therefore I'll take somt
thing on commission or a percentag,
I'll see if hustling will do any good.
The following day he applied to tn
office of weekly paper which ha
advertised for subscription agent:
Percy listened attentively to the mar
ayers glowing accounts of the paper
prospects, and of the oft-repeated stor
of how easy it was for hustllng car
vasser to secure new subscribers
Then he took his sample copies an
printed subscription blanks and star
ed out to do some house to house car
vassing.
It was slow, difficult work. Ever,
body seemed supplied with suficier
literature, and Percy was surprised q
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