The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-04-18
HOW SHE
SOLVED IT
By EDITH v. ROSS

1.-The ervant question: remarked
Mrs. Tidball to Mrs. Strathmore.
Talk about the cost Of living! It's
not to be spoken Of in the same breath
as the servant question. And the
trusts! What do l care about their
extortion when l can't get q servant
without paying her double what l used
to pay? And she won't stay with me
anyway"
Its the universal experience" re-
piled Mrs. Strathmore. I'm having
the same trouble"
when l found l couldn't use white
or black servants continued Mrs. It'd
ball, Il thought I'd try yellow. So
got a Chinese cook. who was highly
recommended by the employment
agent who sent him to me. l thought
that. coming from the Celestial king
dom far away on the other side Of the
globe, where his class are very poor
and must live on mice and such things.
he would be in clover at $25 a month.
VAIL az 8OOu 4OOO do Iu0 udEASt al
fords, Notwithstanding roast beef is
worth nearly its weight in gold. But
I found that he had come over to make
money in order that he might go back
home to feed on the more expensive
diet of kittens. and nothing but his
wages in dollars and cents counted
with him. What do you suppose he
did when l paid him his first wages?
Why, he said l had agreed to pay him
$50 a month. and when l demurred.
although the dinner was to be pre-
pared. he said: Belly good. l go to
mother place where l get $780,"
How provoking!" sympathized Mrs.
Strathmore.
WELL there wasn't any use to begin
back where ! had started with white
help and run through the races to the
Chinese. SO l must stick to the yellow.
l determined to fight it out on this
line If it takes all summer and told
the employment agent to send me an
other Chinaman. He sent me a mild
eyed man, who looked as innocent as
a dove. though not the same color.
BE went into the kitchen. cooked an
excellent dinner. asked me for a small
advance on his wages. which l was
silly enough to give him. and the next
morning, not hearing sounds below, !
went downstairs and found the 6re
gone out in the kitchen and not a sign
Of breakfast. My man had departed
with his advanced pay"
what a miserable creature!r' put in
the listener to the tale of woe.
II was obliged to make q fire my.
self and get breakfast. Luckily l had
learned to cook before l was married.
my daughter shall learn to cook If
worth a milli0n-and l got up q break
fast which l had paid the Chinaman to
get. I thought that it would be better
to keep on getting it myself without
paying some n else to do it for me.
but my husband objected. and, since
l hadn't yet got through with the yell
low peril. l called on the employment
man for another cook. He didn't say
anything. but he looked surly. and l
knew well enough he was thinking
that l didn't treat my servants kindly.
But l smothered my anger and paid for
another servant.
"This one remained with me two
days. got up excellent meals. and l
was congratulating myself that at last
I had found a treasure when. on the
second day. he paralyzed me by CIV
ing me notice that he was going to
leave me.
"'For heavens sake I exclaimed.
why do you go7 Why does every
Chinaman who is sent me go2'
HE hesitated. and I urged him. f.
nally he said:
"'You no pay Chinaman.'
"'Don't pay? The last man ! had !
advanced his wages. and he left me
without even working out what ! had
paid him.
1.-The man shrugged his shoulders.
".Tell me why You think l don't pay
my servants their wages?' l urged.
He went to the Kitchen tabls. tuzn-
"a It upside down. and there on thu
lower side Of the boards In red chalk
were Chinese characters. y
"'How did they come thsrer ] ask
81. What do they, mean!'
"'You no pay Chinaman. he write
that to tell other Chinamen.' Wa the
reply.
"A light broke in upon my stupid
brain. l had engaged . Chinaman, 10
work Tor me. thinking the Chinese IN.
nocent Of the ways OF western serv.
ants. and. behold he had gone far be-
yond them in .shrewdness!, He had Do
manded more than i had agreed TO pay
and. when ! refused him. not only left
me with the dinner. uncooked. ut left
behind him 4 false statement.
Translate It, ! said.
This lady belly bad. She no pay
wages
after arguing with the man q long
while ! induced him to remain with me
on condition that ! pay daily. but he
wa satisfied that the swindling was
on the other side and preferred to get
his wages at the end Of the month
But when he was advised hy a friend