The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-05-23
MORGAN, STORIES.
The Great Banker, Blunt and
Gruff, Could Enjoy a Joke.
HIS KEEN SENSE OF JUSTICE.

Way Hs Handled Two 0sfauitins
Employees and che Rebuks Hs Ad.
ministsred TO . Wall Street Shark.
Most people who knew J. p. Morgan
knew him AZ a man blunt to the point
Of gruffness. yet he had a keen sense
Of humor. This Is recalled by the way
he appreciated &C we'll the Joke Of 4
young lrishman who served In his Of.
ice as a sort of exalted porter that he
raised his salary.
The joke was on one Of the bankers
visitors. who. thinking to have some
fun with the young man. remarked to
him his was a most difficult task, keep
ing those whom Mr.. Morgan did not
wish to see away from him without
giving o1ense.
That's So" said the lrishman, but
! don't mind. earn $50 a week."
Duly impressed, the visitor remarked
to Mr.. Morgan that be paid pretty
good salaries. mentioning the figure
given him by the doorman. Mr.. Nor
gan rang for him.
"What do you mean." he demanded.
''by telling this gentleman that I pay
You $50 a weekY'
Il never told him anything Of the
sort. SIR" the man replied. II told
him ! earned $50 a week keeping
cranks out. and ! think I do"
WELL" said Morgan. lighting up,
I'VE won't discuss that now. but just
tell the bookkeeper you are to have IS
more a week. And have no more talk
with my inquisitive friend here on the
private affairs Of the Office"
Every banking house has little pecu-
lations at one time OF another. No
public record exists to show that the
Morgan house suffered in this respect.
but that IL because the banker handled
these cases in his own way. Two such
cases are recalled by d veteran in the
street In n the culprit. a married
man, admitted that he was some $500
short when the head Of the house
called him into his Office. 1t had gone
In speculation. he said. He admitted
that his salary was ample for his
needs.
MI. Morgan advised him to go home
and tell his wife about It and see him
in the morning. In the morning he
handed him the amount he was short
after the clerk had said he had told his
wife everything.
"Put that where you took the money
FROM" he ordered. 1T il q loan from
me. I expect you to pay it back. None
Of the others know anything about 1t.
Lets 80 Il you can't be a man."
| Later the clerk returned the money
to him. with a stammering expression
Of thanks.
"Humph" said the banker. ut was
q bit harder saving than losing 1t,
wasn't it? Well. now. take 1t home and
give It to your wife. guess she saved
more Of 1t than you did,"
The other clerk, unmarried, became
involved through associating with too
lively a group. Like the other, he was
advanced the amount Of his shortage
and, Ike the other. repaid 1t. Not long
afterward Mr.. Morgan called him into
his ONCE and gave him three months
notice.
But, MI. Morgan he protested,
I'm all right haven't taken a dollar
Of your money since you gave me an
other chance"
II know It." said Morgan. but 1t
won't be long before you will. You're
travelling with your old clique again."
There IL q banker. not Of the sec
ond class in Importance. who probably
never will forget his experience on the
"Black Monday" panic. The head of
one Of the largest commission houses
In the street went to Morgan for aid.
I'VE are absolutely solvent" he said.
but Mr.. Blank has called q loan on US
for $1.O0O.OOO. We can't make 1t and
must close. Well pay 100 cents and
have enough left for all Of is. but we
don't want to sacrifice that business Of
years."
"What security have you goty' asked
the banker.
The broker told him.
"All right. I'll give you the money.
00ASO @00 OLUu uCtC WOSAs VSICVuOuC
Blank ] want to see him."
II sent for you." roared the nan
who had been up days and nights try
ing to bring financial peace out Of
chaos. ito tell you what ! think about
you, but l haven't tho time now.
You've been pounding this market
ever since this trouble began, trying
to make money when everybody else
has been trying to help those In trou-
BILE. You 60 back to your Office and
stop calling loans. If you call another
one I'll break you and drive you out
Of businessw
And that settled It.
David Bows. in his day one Of the
great men IN the financial district.
once said to the banker:
Morgan, you see a lot Of young
men and seem to be able to pick up
better ones than any man ! know. !
want q man whom I can trust to look
out for my affairs when ] am away.
II you can get me such q nan I'll pay
him $4,000 q year and forever b
v0nr dAhfnPaH