The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-02-13
AN OLD
TREE
Will Not Bear Trans
planting
By MARTIN coLDTHwAlrE

The nineteenth century made some
wonderful changes In personal respon-
sibility. During the early part Of it,
whether or not there was more inner.
ent honor among men. IT was necessary
to leave great deal to the honor Of in.
dividuals. An exercise Of anything
keeps 1t alive. When it Is dormant It
is liable to retrograde. 1t was not till
1860 or thereabouts that the punch
system for fare collectors on railroads
and street car lines was introduced
and the companies made the public
their agents. informing them Of the
conductors duties. 1t was one Of these
notices posted in a street car that
gave rise to Mark Twain's celebrated
doggerel:
A pink trip slip for an eight cent fare.
A blue trip slip for six cent fare.
A bun trip slip for a I'VE cent fare.
Punched in the preseAce Of the passengers.
Punch. brothers, punch; punch with care:
Punch in the presence Of the passengers!
Then, too, the merchant of the early
part of the nineteenth century consid-
cred 1t a disgrace to fail In business.
He had inherited from his ancestors
the tradition that In monetary trans
actions he could only maintain a re-
Bpected position among his fellow men
by paying dollar for dollar Many a
man of that time died Of q broken
heart not entirely because Of the loss
OF his wealth, but the loss Of his honor
These illustrations could be added ad
libitum, but the two mentioned will
suffice to give the younger members OF
the community today an idea Of those
times when there were no patent de-
vices for insuring honesty.
When the war between the states
broke out Ned Carleton, a boy of IF
teen, enlisted. though he was three
years under the required age, and
marched south with his regiment Aft
er the battle Of Shiloh he was reported
missing and was dropped from the reg
mental roster. His family mourned
him as dead.
In the year 1900 a man giving his
name as Jrdson MacIntyre called
upon an oculist to save the sight Of one
Of his eyes The oculist after a mum
Der Of visits on the part Of the patient
discovered that he was suffering from
a depression at certain point in his
skull. causing q pressure on the optic
nerve, and recommended trepanninG
the part MacIntyre was operated
on by q surgeon and the moment he
became conscious after the passing OF
the effect of the anaesthetic cried out,
rising to a sitting posture:
"Stand fast, boysl We're drivin' 'em. "
Don't excite yourself" said the sur
geon gently forcing the patient down
on his back
"Oh, I see." said MacIntyre, look
Ing about him, I've been hit. I'm in
hospital, I suppose"
1.-The operation has been successful.
You'll be all right very soon"
ibid we lick emf"
Lick whomf
''The Confederates."
Those about the patient looked at
one another as much as to say. Hes
out of his head"
"You must keep quiet. Mr.. MacIn-
tyre" said the surgeon.
"MacIntyre! Who are you talking
to? My names not MacIntyre; I'm
Ned Carleton of the Indiana volun-
teers."
And 80 he was. For forty years q
pressure on his brain, occssioned by a
wound In the head, had made him OBJ
Evious to his existence for the first
fifteen years of his life. How he had
come to assume another name he
didn't quite remember, but during four
decades he had lived under that name.
But he had not lived In America. His
earliest remembrance was of Australia,
though how he got there he didn't
know. He had been a sailor part Of
the time since he began his second
existence, while the rest had been spent
as sheep herder.
And now Carleton, fifty five years old,
having recovered from the operation.
was obliged to go out into the world
and earn a living. He had been we'll
educated for boy Of fifteen and wrote
an excellent hand He went about ap-
plying for clerkship. Everywhere
he applied he was received with sur
prise.
1--WE don't hire any one Of your age
for a clerk" he was told. I'VE pre-
fer very young men"
I'm a good penman. Can't you give
me some copying to dor
'1Typewriting
"Typewr1ting! What's. thatT"
THAT young lady win explain it to
you" pointing to girl clicking a ma
chine.
The poor fellow. taking up as he did
the thread of life from the age Of six
teen, did not apply for mans work.
One day Carleton. being kindly re-
ceived by benevolent looking gentle
man, told the man his story, eliciting
a great deal of interest.
II Will do what can for you" said
the gentleman I'VE need a collector.
How would you like that positionT
Glad to get anything" said Garlic
ton. land Pm sure you will find me
honest. I'll not pocket my collections"
The gentleman did not seem impress
ed with that phase Of the case. but he
gave Carleton the position, naming
his salary at $40 a week. Carleton
was surprised.
do you mean, Mr. Gregory he
asked. that ! am to be trusted to
collect funds for you and be paid only
$40 week? It seems to me that you
need trustworthy person for that
service. and trustworthy person
should command more money"
'Oh. we don't take any account Of
honesty, There are insurance com
panies who attend to that"
And II appropriate the funds col
lectY'
They will secure your arrest and
put you in jail"
Carleton looked at the man in as
constituent
do you think, Mr., Gregory, that to
deny a man your confidence Ia con.
ducive to honestly"
ITO speak frankly. do not"
'sThen why do you refuse to trust
mer
Because it is the system under
which all men work. We cannot dc
business under different conditions
from other concerns"
May consider your offer over
nightT
Eyes. II you like" with some sur
prise.
Carleton had been born Of Christian
parents, who had Taught him to be
scrupulous in the matter Of ''mine and
thine" never to tell a lie and to CON