The Elbert County tribune. [volume] (Elbert, Elbert County, Colo.) 18??-1920, 1905-05-11
Tea or Papers

To me as IL every lad starts Tor this
>city just as soon as he is old enough
to work for 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 starve 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" answered Mr.. Wilson tes-
THY Il couldn't do 1t 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 citys too
crowded already. Don't make it worse.
l 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
Here you are eighteen, and you've got
to begin at two or three dollars a
week-same's 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."
We'll, 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, selfmade 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 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
if the boy stayed in the city. Be it
said to Mr. Wilson's credit, he ex-
ms al 10 do fov T.; r y,
the right thing, but little cool COM
mon sense he thought was necessary
to make the boy appreciate his rela-
tive value.
well, uncle, have about the same
definite ideas in solving such a propo-
sition as hundreds of others have"
Percy replied finally. I'm going to
hunt for position, and l shall keep
i at it until succeed"
There was grim smile on the old
merchants face.
"How much salary do you expect to
make at first?"
I'm satisfied If can make enough
to get along on-board myself and
keep decent clothes on my back"
Cant do that on three dollars a
week in New York"
Il suppose not" answered Percy.
If not, then | must make more"
There followed days of constant eff
fort on Percy's part to secure situa-
ton 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?"
ft11
swer was: Nothing definite yet
The second week he was not SO en-
thusiastic in his replies, and his I'M
cle's smile broadened. Then the boy
took himself to task and said: "The
fault must be with me. | don't go
about it in the right way"
For several days he tried to study
out a solution, and then communed
thus with himself: Evidently 3alaried
positions are not always open to Ap-
plicants. no matter how much you
need them. Therefore I'll take some
thing on commission or a percentage.
I'll see if hustling will do any good"
The following day he applied to the
Office of a weekly paper which had
advertised for subscription agents.
Percy listened attentively to the man
ayers glowing accounts of the papers
prospects, and of the oft-repeated story
of how easy it was for hustling can
vasser to secure new subscribers.
Then he tcSk his sample copies and
printed subscription blanks and start
ed out to do some house to house can
wasting.
1t was slow, difficult work. Every
body seemed supplied with sufficient
literature, and Percy was surprised at
the number OF papers and magazines
4l<4 L.. IL