The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-19
THE BOSS TO RUFUS.
A Word About the shortsightedness
of Getting the Whistle Habit.
New York SUM-

A-NcW Atlk sum-
Rufus" said the boss, you're start
ing in wrong.
This idea of yours that the boss is
going to get out of you all he can for
the money is right, but your idea that
you amt going to do any more than
you get paid for, that you amt going to
give the boss something for nothing, is
about as foolish as it could be. It's
about as sure way as you could find
of always keeping yourself down and
never amounting to anything at all.
"Of course, the boss wants all he can
get out of you for what he pays you
why shouldn't he? When you buy any
thing you want fun value for your
money, don't you2 Why shouldn't you
give full value when you sell?
You say you do give a full day, full
square day, but you don't see any rea-
son why you should give any more, why
you should make the boss a present of
anything valuable.
How foolish! Suppose you found one
grocer who, when he sold you a pound
of sugar, gave you down, plump, gem
erOus weight, and another who gave
you a pound but looked sharp ali the
time to see that he didn't give you a
grain more? Which grocer would you
patronIze? Eli?
Don't you suppose the man you
work for likes men who give down,
plump, generous weight in work? Don't
you suppose that that's the. sort of man
the boss likes to do business with and
that he keeps? Isn't that the sort of
man that always has work, whether
anybody else does or not?
Don't be satisfied with giving Just
full measure of work. with doing your
stent. Take an interest in the business
and do all you can. and don't be
afraid of responsibility. Make yourself
valuable as we'll as useful.
Going home on the subway last
night l heard two business men talk
ing shop together, and one of them was
telling the other about some changes
that ne had just made in his store
ut seems that this man had working
for him two young men who had both
been with him some time, but one long
er than the other and getting more pay.
After a while the next man still higher
up than these two young men went out
and somebody had TO be promoted to
his place. Naturally the man to go up
would have been that one of those two
who had been there longest: but said
this man who was doing the talking.
the other man, who hadn't been there
so long. was now the better man,
They were both good, faithful. de-
sirable men, you understand both
workers; but the man who had been
there longer could only do what he was
set to do, while the other had go ahead
In him and he wasn't afraid he was
ready to meet and tackle anything
that came along and able to get away
with it, a good man in the business
And, says the man who was telling
this, I hated to have to promote the
Junior over the seniors head. and the
senior was older in years, too: but
what else could ! do?'
suppose you were in business for
yourself, Rufus and suppose you'd got
in that business every dollar you could
rake and scTape. You'd be interested
in that business, wouldn't you? Well.
some; you'd be more than interested.
you'd be anxious and you'd plug in ana
work harder than anybody you could
hire, besides taking all the risk.
You'd have your troubles, yes;
more than anybody else in the shop.
and you'd want to get all the work that
was coming to you out of the men you
hired? Naturally Now suppose you
had working for you two men. one of
them having the idea that he wasn't
going to do anything he wasn't paid
for and the other man who pitched in
and did everything he could and
worked for the good of the business.
keeping that in mind all the time and
not thinking about himself, not caring
a snap whether he stayed a minute late
or an nour.
which one Of those two men do you
think you'd like better and which one
do you think you would advance the
pay of and promote and hang on to?
/ That's an easy one, isn't il?
Now suppose this man that wasn't
thinking of himself all the time. but
was thinking of how he could help your
business, should turn out also to be
able and capable and courageous: not
only devoted, but able to do things:
don't you suppose you'd help him all
you could? If you had a grain of sense
you would, and I think you have got
| some sense, and that's why I'm talking
| to you.
What I am telling you is don't be
afraid that somebody is going TO get
| the best OF you; the only man that can
do that is yourself. Don't get the
whistle habit: get as far away from