Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1907-12-26
p. G. CoLLIMS. Cashier.

roundly and pressed about him to
shake his hand. Powell had undoubt-
edly been popular with his employees,
but his popularity had been gained at
the expense, Of results In the output
OF the factory.
Under the new superintendent the
output was satisfactory-and more.
The question that continually pre-
sented itself to the young mans trou-
bled mind was whether, in the inter-
ests of the firm he had not been too
harsh with the employees. In eradi-
eating the evils Jim Powell had
wrought he had found it necessary
to calculate in cold-blooded fashion,
to be ready with blame and chary of
praise. The result was inevitable
While the profits grew steadily Craw-
ford realized that it was because of
his ceaseless vigilance and the firm
ness with which he held the employees
at work
There were times-when he was
tired, especially-wher it seemed to
him that he had merely developed
| into successful slave driver
Sometimes at o'clock, when the
big gong had sounded, he would sit
| by the time-machine and watch the
men file down the stairs. He would
| have given much If here and there in
the long line face had been lifted to
his with nod or a comprehending
smile, but the hands" rang in their
time in su1len silence. His very pres
ence seemed to chill their spirits, and
when one of them looked at him it
was either with bitterness or a blank
stare.
Meanwhile the Perfection Electric
Switch Company prospered amazing
ly, and at the same time the superin-
tendent grew a little more stoop-
shouldered, little more reserved, a
little more heavy of eye.
In November of the third year it
happened that "Our Mr.. Crawford
was taken sick. At the time he was
putting forth strenuous efforts to
have an increase of pay for the en-
ployes, in consequence of which he
was at the Office several days when
he should have been in bed. He
wanted the hands to understand that
their work had been appreciated, and
although he had to grind his teeth
to keep from crying out with the
pain he went daily to the Office and
argued with the general manager and
the members of the firm.
The firm was obdurate. 1t was de-
cided finally that, in view of the ex
tensive additions that were to be
made to the plant the increase could
not be granted for another year. Sick
at heart and racked with pain the su
perintendent staggered to his apart
ments in the gray November dusk
went to bed and sent for doctor
The physician came, chided the young
man for his carelessness of his health
and said slight operation would b.
l necessary the next day.
The operation was successful, ant
the physician assured the anxious
general manager that the patien
would be at the factory in couple o
weeks. But the physician had no
, reckoned on many things-the weari
! ness of mind and body in his patient
l the bitterness of his recent failure t.
induce the firm to increase the pay o
the hands, and the dragging load un
: der which he had struggled silentl
f. for the past three years.
The wound caused by the opera
: ton healed rapidly, but with the heal
ing came no strength. Crawford sa
q daily propped up in a chair by tn
Z window, listless and uninterested i
o his surroundings. The physician wa
: puzzled and not little irritated; tn
n general manager, who came daily, be
b gan to show signs of alarm.
: Its the pace of modern business
|. sir!" the physician snapped angril
e to the attendant, who had been sen
n up from the hospital. 'Get him iI
d terested in something. It's his onl
chance
g The man tried everything his fe1
t tile mind and thorough training coul
h suggest, but with no results. Crav
n ford sat silently by the window da
i after day, looking vacantly at tn
q bare branches of the trees and tn
c patches of dull cloud drifting acros
d the early winter sky.
h Christmas time found Crawfor
d propped In his chair, looking out owe
,r world newly swathed in spotle'
n white. The doctor declared that NO