The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-24
A NEW
RIP VAN WRINKLE
TorIggnaLl

/ awoke in the Catskills. The only diff
| ference between the first and the last
Van Wrinkle was that the first slept
twenty years, the last forty Walter
had gone To the mountains one summer
/ with a party of young New York bank
clerks, had got separated from the 9th
ers and had taken four decade nap.
Descending the mountain, he footed
it to Catskill and was surprised to
come upon railway station. A train
was pulling out, and he jumped aboard.
The conductor on collecting his fare
punched printed slip and handed it
to him.
whats this?' asked Van Wrinkle.
Excess fare
sWhat'l | do with itf''
The conductor passed on without re-
ply, and a passenger explained that
the slip was check on the conductor
to guard against his stealing the fare
collected Van Wrinkle looked at his
informant aghast.
land the mana cement makes spies
of its conductors? And they submit
to such a SYSTEM -
Conductors and passengers are both
the company's spies now
Van Wrinkle gave a low whistle.
as this want of trusting TO individ-
ual honor confined to railroads.
by no means. No one is trusted ex-
cept the managers, and they are trying
to beat one another
us there no standard OF honor?'
enc. Once a merchant who failed
felt disgraced; now merchants fail in
order to make money"
When Van Wrinkle reached New York
he went to the banking house where he
had been employed. II was now on
the ground floor Of thirty story sky
scraper OF course he knew no one
there, or. rather. no one knew him.
So he wrote note to the president,
Richard Trimble, who had been a clerk
with him forty years before and on the
camping trip at which he had disap-
peared Van Wrinkle was shown into
the presidents private office and re-
ceived with suspicion Not daring to
give the Rip Van Wrinkle story, he said
he had gone to see the world. He
asked for position, and there being
vacancy in a department where large
sums were handled he was appointed.
The salary was $500 q year.
Eight hundred year for guarding
Millions exclaimed Van Wrinkle.
''All that's changed, Walter. We
don't need to rely on our employees
honesty now; we insure it."
Insure it,"
Eyes. A company for a premium
takes the risk
"And do you mean, friend of my boy
hood, to insure me?"
LAS president of the bank I can't
help doing so. It's rule made by the
directors
"Then if l come in here to work for
you am at liberty to beat the bank If
l cam"
Certainly"
do you refrain from beating 1t be
cause Of your integrity?''
I'D be fool to beat it-illegally."
81 see.'
"Sorry l can't do any better for you
Walter. You should have stuck to
all over the world
"Go ahead"
care you an honest MANI
Trimble put his lips to Van Wrinkles
ear and whispered: only in small
things, not in big ones; no petty lar
ceny for me. This is between me and a
friend of my boyhood.'
Its taken you years to learn to be
dishonest. I've learned it in one day. i
see it's become the fashion"
"You might as we'll wear a plug hat
made of beaver as to be honeSt-that
is, what we used to call honest
81 see. When shall go to work.
Tomorrow, If you like
When Van Wrinkle appeared at the
bank the next day he found a photo
grapher there President Trimble came
out of his private Office and said:
You'll have to be photographed, |
Walter
what for?"
"Oh, the rule is to have photograph
of all our employees. They're easier
caught If they light out with the funds
of the bank"
"a sort of rogues' gallery?'
sIt's for those who become rogues.
Most concerns get their clerks together
occasionally and photograph them in
groups Makes the boys feel their i'm
portance, and the concern has the gal
IeFy- bGl we Oou Stoop W tAdi- VIC
take a picture of every employee be-
fore he begins work.
rs there any more Of this sort of
thing to learn?"
Eyes: one You'll have two weeks
vacation during the year-two vaca- |
lions of one week each at six months
interval
Il don't want any vacation. I lost |
forty years by my last vacation"
.But you must take your vacation
''Why SOP
''That we may have an opportunity |
to examine your accounts
poor dog Trusts dead indeed"' re-
marked Van Wrinkle, with a sickly I
smile
Better dead than dying. Give me a /
community of honor or one of &C.