The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-25

Sometimes I think there isn't nobody
that can't teach a Teller something
I've worked. give and take. with all
Observation-Disclosures and mill hands,
and this makes my seven years as
foreman in this factory; but I never
had a boss over ne OF a man under me
that didn't give me hyperdermlc OF
wisdom sooner or later. The biggest
dose of understanding I ever got was
from a teller who we knew by his
twenty-first name, which was Ed
Brooks.
The boss had gwen the goOd-by to
Peter Rice. who'd been foreman Of the
stitching room. and the kind Of cuss
that wears a flower in his buttOnhole
when he comes down to work, over a
heart that is about as much like
flower as a slice of cold pudding, and
Sticks his hair back in ocean spray
style. over a forehead that's got ABOUT
as much brains behind 1t as the front
of a soap box. That kind OF a teller
and the boss get along about as well
as the two parts of a Seidlitz powder
When the fuss came Peter told the
boss that he wouldn't ever come back
unless the boss apOlogiZed, and the
boss SAYS: Rice. I'd almost be willing
to apologize if you'd promise never To
come back" So Peter went on, leaV-
ing the stitching room without fore
man. and 10 get a good foreman up TO
this backwOOds factory town Is Ike
trying to coax a cat to swim river
But there was Ed Brooks, and L was
in the office talking TO the boss when
he first stepped in. He was little
man. about Vest-pocket high, with
knotty hands. and hair about the color
of a piece of sole leather, except where
it had turned white: and he had blue
eyes. all jumping about and full OF lie
as if he was L years old. instead OF 30,
and there was q scar across his race
as white as a chalk mark.
Want to see me" says the boss
Yes" says Brooks. Il hit this town
on the last train. with a pack-knife and
a briar pipe for baggage, but l shifted
around a little. and it smelled as II
somebody in this factory had just lett
a job with the cover off. Foreman Of
the stitching room. they said Makes
me think my luck's got back from
China. Stitching room is my long SUIT
'Where'd you work last?" the boss
asks. and Ed kind Of rubs the back OF
his hand across his mouth and grins
It's this way" he says. I'D rather
not get the job than tell. could say
come from California and lost my pa
pers. or if 1 got into good form 10
DFODdULN say 1 just EOiAlt cAECt a - "a 80
England. What's the use? A feller
might just as well be on the level. Just
let me try the job for a week without
paw. and If I deliver the goods, why
twenty-five per, what?'
The boss looked him all over as If ne
was a new machine. Then he turns TO
me and SAYS: Jim. III go over that
matter with you later. I want to lay
out the work for the new foreman OF
tbe stitching room" he says.
well. that's the way Brooks come 10
Us. and he made good. All through the
winter he worked hard. and he didn
disappoint US any. But it wasn't TIL
the next July that ne unfolded. To tell
the truth. he only unfolded for Just two
7eopIe in this town. and one Of EN- was
me and The other was Nelson p. At
water.
"Atwater was the bOokkeeper, and he
was a neat. pale-loOking feller, with
little mustache, and getting bald very
Young, from studying in commercial
collaSS-a nice teller. hard-working
Teller. Z Teller that didn't hit the nail
very hard. but kept right on hitting IL
He came from some place in Massachu-
sets and used to write a lot of letters
to a girl there, so GrSns hs'Sn. the