Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-06-04
CHAPTER V.

James Wheaton was 30 years old, and
was reckoned aiming the solid business
men of Clarkson. He a succeeded far
beyond his expectations and was fairly
content with the round of the ladder that
he had reached. He never talked about
himself and as he had no intimate friends
it had never been necessary for him to
give condolences. His father had been a
| harness maker in a little Ohio town he
and his older brother We're expected to
follow the same business; but the brother
grew restless under the threat of enforc-
| ed apprenticeship and prevailed on James
to run away with him. They became
tramps and enjoyed themselves roaming
through the country, until finally they
were caught stealing in a little Illinois
village and both were arrested.
James was discharged through the gen.
crosby of his brother in taking all the
blame on himself the older boy was sent
to a reformatory alone. James then went
to Chicago, where he sold papers and
BACKED boots for a year until he found
employment as a train boy, with a com-
pany operating on various lines running
out of Chicago. This gave him a wide
acquaintance with Western towns, and
incidentally with railroads and railroad
men. He grew tired of the road, and OBJ
tanned at Clarkson a position in the Of
fee of Timothy Margrave, the general
manager of the Transcontlnental, which.
he had heard, was a great primary school
for ambitious boys
He attended night school, was assidu-
Gus in his duties, and attained in due
course the dignity Of a desk as which he
took the cards Of M~argrave's callers, in
dexed the letter books and copied figures
,,S,r thu H{rocfiop of Tho ol;oe .1o.1.
After a year, hearing that one of the
Clarkson National Banks messengers was
about to resign, he applied for this place.
Margrave recommended him; the local
manager of the new agency vouched for
his integrity, and in due course he wend-
ed the streets of Clarkson with a long
bill-book, the outward and visible sign OF
his position as messenger. He was stead
lily promoted in the bank and felt his
past receding farther and farther behind
him.
When, at an important hour of his life,
Wheaton was promoted to be paying tell
er, he was in the receiving teller's cage
He had known that the more desirable
position was vacant and had heard his
fellow clerks Specializing as to the posi-
bility of a promotion from among their
number. Thompson, the cashier, had a
nephew in the bank and among the
clerks he was thought to have the best
chance. They all knew that the directors
were in session, and several whose tasks
for the day were finished, fingered later
than was their wont to see what would
happen. Wheaton kept quietly at his
work but he had an eye on the door of
the directors room, and an ear that in
sensibly turned toward the annunciatoI
by which messengers were called to the
board room. 1t rang at last, and Whea-
ton wiped his pen with a little more than
his usual care as he waited for the re-
suit Of the summons. This was on his
twenty-ffth birthday.
"Mr. Wheaton =, The other clerks
looked at one another. The question
that had been uppermost with all Of
them for a week past was answered.
Thompson's nephew slammed his book
shut and carried it into the vault. Whea-
which Se ' RaS BEEN 81 lingering aGe 'a and went ys1.
into ss e q s|Fs St sIa gseT 4, Tnsss ~ 0s f.
knew that he was not popular With
them; he was not, In their sense, a good
fellow. When they rushed off after
hours to the ball games or horse races,
he never Joined them. When their books
did not balance he never volunteered to
help them. As for himself, he always
balanced, and did not need their help /:
and they hated him for it. This was his
hour Of triumph, but he went to his vic
tory without the cheer of his comrades.
Later, when need arose for creating
the position of assistant cashier, it was
natural that the new desk should be as
signed to Wheaton. He was faithful and
competent neither Porter nor Thompson
had q son to install in the bank and. as
they said to each other and to their fell
low directors, Wheaton had two distin-
gushing quali6cations-he did his work
and he kept his mouth shut
In the course of time Thompson's
health broke down and the doctors order
ed him away to New Mexico, and again
there seemed nothing to do but to pro-
mote Wheaton. Thompson wished to sell
his stock and resign, but Porter would not
have it so; but when, after two years, it
was clear that the cashier would never
again be fit for continuous service In the
bank, Wheaton was duly elected cashier
and Thompson was made vice president.
TAs relations between Porter and