The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-07-04
A NEW
RIP VAN WRINKLE
lOriginal.l

| twenty years, the last forty. Walter
had gone to the mountains one summer
with 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 a railway station. A train
was pulling out, and he jumped aboard.
The conductor on collecting his fare
punched a printed slip and handed it
| to him.
"What's this? asked Van Wrinkle.
| excess fare"
| "What'll do with it?"
The conductor passed on without re-
ply, and passenger explained that
the slip was a check on the conductor
to guard against his stealing the fare
collected. Van Wrinkle looked at his
informant aghast.
| "And the management makes spies
of it's conductors? And they submit
to such system?"
| Conductors and passengers are both
the company's spies now"
| Van Wrinkle gave low whistle.
''Is 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"
| as there no standard Of honorW
'No. 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. 1t 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 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.
| Inc SALARY was SSOO Il 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,"
Ensure it?"
Eyes. A company for a premium
takes the risk"
"And do you mean, friend of my boy
hood, to insure me-" ~
"As president of the bank l 4
help doing so. It's a rule made re
directors"
"Then if come in here to wo4 for
you l am at liberty to beat the bank IL
| canw
Certainly"
do you refrain from beating it be-
cause Of your integrityY
I'D be a fool to beat it-illegally."
IL see."
"Sorry can't do any better for you,
Walter. You should have stuck to
business as | have instead of roaming
all over the world"
Let me ask you one question, Dick"
go ahead
"Are 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
friend of my boyhood."
Its taken you years to learn to be
dishonest. I've learned it in one day. /
see it's become the fashion"
''You might as well wear plug hat
made of beaver as to be honest-that
is, what we used to call honest
81 see. When shall 1 go to work?'
Tomorrow, if you like"
When Van Wrinkle appeared at the
bank the next day he found photo
grapher there President Irimble came
out of his private Office and said:
you'll have to be photographed,
Walter"
what for?'
ooh, the rule is to have a photograph
of all our employees. They're easier
caught if they light out with the funds
of the BANK
"a sort of rogues' galleryY
"It'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
lery. But we don't stoop to that. We
take a picture of every employee be-
fore he begins work"
''Is there any more of this sort Of
thing to learn?'
Eyes; one You'll have two weeks
vacation during the year-two vaca-
tons of one week each at six months
interval"
II don't want any vacation. 1 lost
forty years by my last vacation
"But you must take your vacation"
"Why so?"
''That we may have an opportunity
to examine your accounts"
poor dog Trusts dead indeedp re-
marked Van Wrinkle, with a sickly
smile
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