Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-09-03

= ~ an hour; nary raise. I'M
drrStand. And | don't want
you TO come here thinking you can
bulldoze me. because you'll find mighty
quick you're mistaken. If any man
thinks he can 90 that | want to see
him"
The words, uttered in a wrathful
below. came through the closed door
of the presidents room and were
heard by every employee and visitor
in the main ollice of the Iatin-Ameri-
can Steamship company. which occu-
pie.l an entire floor of "a big building
in Bowling Green. New York city.
Some of the employees smiled and
passed the remark that the boss had
'em bad" that day, but the smiles
were of the sickly. apprehensive order.
for the fact that he was in eXecrable
humor WAS perfectly we'll known 10
each and ALL having been impressed
upon them very forcibly at intervals
from the minute the great man had
made his appearance with his unvary-
ing punctuality as the clock struck 0
Il. III. Others scowled and kept their
reflections TO themselves.
The voices Of the other parties to
the conversation were not audible to
the listeners. but that Of the president,
with its all penetrating roar. burst
forth again:
Il don't give a tin whistle what you
or your unions do understand. Let
'em strike. strike and be ID. But
you tell 'em this from me-that any
man who's fool enough to throw up
his Job does so for good and all. He'll
never work again for the Latin-Ameri-
can Steamship company in this or any
other port. I'll take care Of that. I'll
show 'em who and what l am il they
don't know"
The door opened. and two white
faced. inundated men emerged. cap
in hand. They were rough looking
men. evidently laburcr Injured to the
hardest kind of work They shufiled
quickly past the neatly dressed clerks
and did not breathe freely until they
found themselves in the cross streams
of hurryiEg raSSPr|by on the street.
There as t.ipy mapped their brows
and looked around for saloon, some
thing of the arrogant insolencc with
which they had demanded audience of
the head of the company and which
had been speedily cnwcd out of them
by that Formidable ard choleric per
sonagc returned to them.
Meanwhile at the open door of the
room in which they had been through
the ordeal Of their interview Captain
Amos Williams. president and general
manager of He line SlIred after his
departing visitors and round the Of
fee. There WAS dead silence. and ev-
cry employee. from the highest to the
office boys inipudcnt and irrepressible
there. as everyw here else. save when
Captain Williams WAS nigh. became
deeply engrosscd in his work.
Call up Mr.. Smith and tell him
want to see him ut once" he growled
to no one in particular. Then he re-
entered his room and slammed the
door.
In Il few minutes. however. his bell
rang. and boy responded to it with
an aacrity not customary in any other
office in all New York.
Tell Mr. Brooks to come here" was
the order he received.
The boy hurried out and approached
one of the men behind the brass lat
tice screens.
Mr.. Brooks the captain wants you,"
he announced.
Mr.. Brooks did not reply, but he got
down leisurely and with bad grace
from his stool and moved with equal
delberation to the presidents room.
Brooks. has Fernandez & Co. that
Pernambuco firm, been heard from
yet" demanded his employer.
Check came today" was the L.
comic reply.
Full amount:"
Yes, four thousand eight hundred
and seventy-fve."
'All right. That's all"
BROOKS went out, closing the door
behind him, and returned TO his desk.
He was in a bad temper himself and
made no effort to conceal it, for sui
len scowl married his handsome and
usually genial face. Not only was
Joseph Brooks handsome. but a rather
distinguished looking young fellow,
whose clothes sat we'll and becominclv
upon him. albeit they were somewhat
shiny from wear and from ironing by
incxpert hands at home. And If his
collars and cuffs also were just trife
the worse for wear ut least they were
Immediately clean
Cheer up" admonishcd one of his
fellow clerks, noticing his i'll humor.
BROOKS moods were never taken Sc
riously, for with him fits of despond-
ency alternatcd with a contagious cor
diality and m optimism that knew no
limit. OF late. however. his spells of
EloouineSs had become wearisomely
frequent. and usually they were ac-
companicd by Il nervous irritability.
Cheer up he answered. with some
heat. Il don't see any reason for
cheering NJ, and ! don't feel like
Cheering ID. Did You hear how the