The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-08-11
THE BOSS
TO RUFUS


starting 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 moth.
ing. is about as foolish as 1t could be.
It's about as sure way as you could
find Of always keeping yourself down
ana 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 anything you want full value for
your money, don't you? Why shouldn't
you give full value when you sell?
'You say you do give full day, q
full square day, but you don't see any
reason why you should give any more,
, why you should make the boss pres.
ent of anything valuable.
GLOW foolish! Suppose you found
one grocer who, when he sold you a
pound of sugar gave you down, plump.
generous weight, and another who
gave you pound but looked sharp all
the time to see that he didn't give you
grain more? Which grocer would
you patronize? Eth?
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 bust.
ness and do all you can, and don't be
afraid of responsibility. Make your.
self 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 he had just made in his
store.
1T seems that this man had work.
ing for him two young men who had
both been with him some time, but
one longer thar the other and getting
! more pay. After a while the next
man still high>r up than these two
young men went out and somebody
had to be promoted to his place. Nat.
urally the man to go up would have
been that one of those two who had
been there longest; but said this
man, 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 vast afraid; he
was ready to meet and tackle any.
thing that came along and able to
get away with it, 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 scrape. You'd be in.
terested in that business, wouldn't
you? Well, some; you'd be more
than interested, you'd be anxious and
you'd plug in and work harder than
ANYBODY you could hire. besides ia.
king 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 sup
pose you had working for you two
men, one of them having that 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 snap whether he stayed
minute late or an hour.
(Which one of those two men dc
yOu Iuluh yOu u Inc UcIIci anu WHICH
one do you think you would advance
the pay of and promote and hang or
to-? That's an easy one, isn't it?
Nov suppose this man that wasn't
thinking of himself all the time, but
was thinking of how he could helr
your business, should turn out also
to be able and capable and coura
geous; not only devoted but able to d.
things; don't you suppose you'd helr
ohim all you could? If you had grain
Of sense you would, and 1 think you
have got some sense and that's why
I'm talking to you.
"What am telling you is, don't be
afraid that somebody is going to gel
/ the best of you; the only man tina,
can do that is yourself. Don't get the
whistle habit; get as far away from
that as you can. Here is Just one
! more pointer
Don't be disappointed If you don't
get promoted the first minute. The
boss has been disappointed many q
! time in men who started in grand