Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-12-12
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The man with the quite-recent derby
hat was telling It. You may talk as
much as you like about the oppres.
ivehess and arbitrary behavior OF
corporations, railroad corporations In
particular" he said, but | can tell
sou chat in nine cases out of ten--Ill
30 as far as to say in ninety.nine cases
out Of a hundred-you have yourself
entirely to blame for any difficulty you
have with them. A corporation isn't
any worse than an individual as far as
having sense of justice goes"
I've known an individual to have a
good deal of sense of Justice" said
the man who had been speaking OF
rebates.
so have l." said the man with the
| new headgear. Even in business.
That's what / am contending You'll
lind individuals who will respect your
rights and you'll find corporations that
Will, too, but you've got to let 'em
| both know what your rights are. You
don't want to sit down and walt for
them to find out. Then, when you've
asserted your rights, you want to In
sist on having them. Insist and keep
on insisting. Let 'em know that you
don't intend to be trified with. Adopt
III m tone. Not necessarily buster
Ing tone, but a firm one. Look at this
! hat"
| Il see It," said the other man. II
don't like the brim. 1t curls too much.
Otherwise it's a fairly decent lid"
THE C. & |. p. w. railroad paid for
that hat" said It's wearer. IT'S a six
dollar hat. The reason the railroad
company paid for 1t Is simply that 1t
spoiled my old one. ! got out of the
train the other morning and started
to walk to the gate and just as
passed the engine the engineer turned
a cock or touched the throttle valve
or something and let out spout of
steam and SCOT and lubricating oil that
absolutely ruined the hat was wear.
ing. Simply ruined 1t.
Now, what would you have done
in case like that? know without
your telling me. You would have said
something in an undertone and that
wo, Id have been the last of 1t. You
would have gone away nursing a sense
Of injury and you would have let that
rankle In your breast forever. You
would have said to yourself: Wait till
they get me on jury In a case in
which that railroad company Is de-
PENDANT But you wouldn't have as
serted your rights and given the com
pany a chance to square itself with
you. You would have said: What's
the use? Want to know what
did,"
well, what did you do? I'll bite,
said his friend.
| Il walked right up to the general
| offices and asked to be directed to the
claim department. Is the claim agent
in?' l asked the young man at the
DESK in a firm, decided tone of voice
''He quailed beneath the firm lool
gave him and took in my card In 9
| few moments he returned and sait
the agent would see me. ! stepped
into the little room he indicated ant
saw man bending over bis desk
| very much occupied to all appear
ances. He waved me to chair with
out looking up, but I spoke right up
/ wasn't going to take any bluff.
said"
| I'm a firm toner"
"In firm tone, Kindly look at this
| hat
"He looked at II. 4 want you to tel
me what your company proposes to
do about It, said.
~ don't think the company con
templates any action he said. Would
you mind telling me as briefly as pos
| sible why the dickens II should dc
| anything?"
"Tll tell you with pleasure an
| swered. AN engineer in your employ
turned a geyser of warm axle grease
| and muddy water on 1t as was peace
ably going by him. 1t was the S:1t
train from Cedarbourne, where l re
side, and have three highly respected
fellow commuters to testify to the
| truth of my statement. / don't wan
any trouble, but If you invite It shall
| not shrink from 1t. / want you people
to buy me new hat for the one tina
you have spoiled. If you do 1t prompt!
| you will avoid a suit for damages
said this quietly, bat very firmly.
"IIe looked at me moment to SCI
| II was in earnest. Then he said: 'Gt
buy you hat and send the bill t
this office and / will see that 1t II
paid. I'm busy now and haven't time
to inquire into the truth of your state
ment, but / have no idea that you are
doing anything but trying to work us.
"T object to that insinuation and
| call upon you to withdraw it, ! said
| firmly.
"Anything you like he said. I'll
withdraw IL you will. Pm busy. Send
your bill and / will see that 1t is paid
Good day
$50 went and bought the hat, and
| they paid the bill, and want to tell
you that what have told you is the
exact truth. l haven't added to or
taken away word from the converse
| ton"
The other man looked enviously at
the hat. II certainly had no idea that
they were as easy as that" he said.
Its standing up firmly for your
rights that counts" said the man with
the new hat. Another thing" he add.
ed; Il happened to know that claim