St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1908-11-13
Don't Fear Doing Too Much

following and asked us TO puDllsn
it. The principles shown in the
article are of such high order and
the illustrations are so true and at
this particular day and age of the
world there is such need OF educa-
ton along that line that we are
glad to give it space IN the hope
that some Of our young men may
read and profit by it. The article
is taken from the Implement and
Vehicle record.
"You have heard of the fellow
who said: I am now doing all the
work am paid to do, and I'll be
blessed CD If III do any more.
And the man to whom he made the
remark replied: Yes, you'll be
damned all right. Your little river
of progress will be damned up
And the young man thought he
was getting even with the boss
when he sighted his work, or failed
to do more than that for which he
was paid. l once knew youngster
who acted as devil in a print-shop
in Northern Wisconsin. He was
dreamer. AT least some folks called
him that. He had queer notions
about his relations with his EN-
ployer. He never could be brought
to see that there was a difference
between selfishness and altruism.
He contended that when he was
wisely selfish he was most altruist-
ic. Anyhow he used to pay no at
tention to the clock and to the lines
which separated his work from the
others.
"He did the work that he knew
needed to be done. Night after
night he used to stay in the office
until after midnight feeding the cyl
inder press. He knew that in that
cold country the ink would be cold
and sticky in the morning and that
II would take several valuable hours
to warm up the old shack so that
the paper could be printed.
THE other employees called him
a fool. He smiled and worked. He
used to polish the presses until
they were shiny, aud the dust that
had accumulated for years disap'
peaaed soon after he arrived. In
nine months after he became devil
he became foreman. The boss
said that was the fastest rise in the
printing profession he knew any
thing about. The boy did the best
presswork the town had ever seen.
He had studied how to do that
sort of thing at night when the 9th.
ers were down at Tommie's billiard
hall. The editor went away and
the young foreman asked for his
Job. The boss said: why, you
can't do that job. II is mighty i'm
portant.' Haven't done my
work out here better than anyone
you ever had querried the boy.
Nine months ago would you have
thought me capable of being fore
man Of this shopl ! made good.
| can make good in this. All ask
is a trial, and surely you will give
me trial in preference to hiring a
stranger. The boss did. The boy
made good. He became business
manager. He threw up that job aud
moved up. lie has been going up
ever since. And he has been going
up because he has always done just
little bit more than he was paid
for. lie has ever tried to work Tor
the boss as he would have the boss
work for him were their positions
reversed. He has made mistakes
many OF them. But he has remem'
bered, with Josh Billings, that
"Suckcess don't consist in never
making no mistakes, but in never
making the same one twict.' lie
has deal; frankly and honestly with
his employers and his employers
have dealt with him in like manner.
He is no prodigy, but a red-blood-
ed, purposeful young man who tries
to keep a good balance at the bank
of Common Sense. II is certain
that fellow must do more than he
gets paid for in wages II he ever is
to get paid for more than he does.
II | were a book.keeper in an es'
tablishment it seems to me that my
aim would be to be the best book.
keeper in that establishment, aud
would not neglect any opportun-
ity OF learning so much about the
business in general that when old
opportunity came knocking at the
door would be ready for 1t. Too
many young men are caught in bed
when Miss Opportunity knocks
and of course they are not ready to
serve on the reception committee.
II is real fun to serve on that CON-
mittee. but the fellow who serves
will never be heard saying, IL am
doing now all the work l am paid
to do, and I'll be damned If I'll do
any more" O..