Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1906-02-02

had performed in ten years. | thought
had nearly a million muscles that I
had never used before.
About the third day, my boss asked
me to help him milk the COWS, AS he
did not feel we'll. I helped. Again.
the next evening, he asked me to help,
but made no sick excuse. I helped
The next evening, he asked me to milk
all the COWS alone-only seven. 1
asked him if there was any extra pay
in it. How he did howl about the
laziness of hired men! I quietly re-
minded him Of our bargain. I have
no doubt that man thought ought to
do all kinds of such work in addition
to shocking wheat, and that it was
preposterous for me to expect compen-
sation. II the work was of value to
him, 1 thought he could afford to pay
for it, and if not, then Ipreferred rest
ing. had sold him so much of my
time for so much per day.
I worked faithfully until July T. It
was the next day that I learned my
first lesson in staying with job. At
the little celebration given by the citi-
zens of the community, gentleman
came to me and, wanted to engage me
to go with his threshing machine at
$2.5O day, as a feeder, work to begin
the next morning. MY employer was
there and reminded me that I had
agreed to help him through with stack
ing his grain, and that there was three
days work yet to finish. I tried to
arrange with the machine man to take
me after the three days, but he wanted
man for next day. I returned home
with my employer to finish his job.
The next morning, he said that his
father was coming on visit and it
would be pleasant to the old gentle
man to ride around, so he thought
that he would settle up with me; that
the house would be a little crowded
anyway, and finished up by handing
me my wages I said, "Did you know
yesterday that your father was com
ing?" He said, eyes" "And you
knew the size of your house yester-
day?" EYES," he answered. 'Then
why this settling up?" "Well, I think
it to my interest to do so, was the re-
ply. Then 1 had my say.
"Mr.---, now offer to perform
my contract as the lawyers say, am
ready, willing and able to perform,
and so offer to perform. He looked
at me in astonishment and said he
had nothing for me to do. ''Then, in
that case, you owe me $780," and l
took great pleasure in making him
pay it. Had I been some neighbor,
under similar conditions, he would
have told me to take the job with the
machine; but I was a stranger, and,
when it was to his interest to let me
go, he would do so regardless of the
cost to me.
The lesson I learned by that and
similar experiences and observations,
and will here state, is this: The en-
ployer will let out a hand when it is to
his advantage to do so, regardless Of
his contract and the interest of the
hired man, unless he is tied tight.
Then, why not the hired man let go
of his job whenever he can better him
self, regardless of the interest Of his
employer? learned this lesson, yet
had not the heart to put it into practi-
cal use until it was drilled into me.
Well, there l was, July s, the har-
vesting about over, with the threshing
just beginning, crews made up, and l
out of a job because had lived up to
a rule sound in morals, but sadly out
of play in the modern game Of bread
winning.
After tramping all day, going with
out dinner, for it is hard to get meal
in some places, even if you offer to
pay in advance, about o'clock in the
evening I found a German farmer
whose wife was sick and he needed
hand for few days, so I engaged to
him to help stack wheat. I got good
supper, bed and breakfast-one gener-
ally does of a German farmer.
went to the field after breakfast to
pitch bundles, while he loaded them
on the wagon. The wind in Kansas
blows all the time at this season, and
is from the south. My employer drove
the wagon up on the south side Of the
shock. After I had pitched it on,
against the wind, I asked him to
drive on the north side, supposing he
had driven to the south side without
thinking. He paid no attention to my
request, and again 1 pitched against
the wind. Again I asked him to drive
to the north side Of the shock, and
again he paid no attention.
I asked him If he heard what said,
and he answered, yes" 1 asked him
why he did not drive to the other side.
He said, "Well, hires you, and your
time is mine, and it makes no differ
ence." told him it was just as easy
for him TO drive on the other side, and
that if he wanted me to pitch that
grain he would have to let me have
the advantage Of the wind. He did
not offer to change, but fatty refused.
So I stuck the fork in the ground and
starred. How he did turn loose and