Putnam patriot., 1914-10-16
RUNNING THE WORKS
By DONALD ALLEN.

from the village of Clydesdale.
 The works had not been making money for several months, and the stockholders were disgruntled. At a called meeting to discover what was wrong one of the biggest stockholders had said:
 "The thing is plain enough to me. None of the men do three-quarters of a days work They are paid too much. There is a spirit of extravaganza pre- vailing. There is waste everywhere The manager seems to coddle every body. I think we have got the wrong man."
 But can we find the right man. Mir. Earnest" was asked.
 Not doubt of it 1 have a nephew who has just finished at college who can take hold of this thing and make 1t pay. He has a head for business. There will be no loafng and no cod. ding under his management. You will see everybody toeing the mark"
 He is young man, take it?" said the one who had spoken before.
 Twenty-three years old, but got the brains of a man of forty"
 He might be willing to serve as as- sistant for year. to get fair grasp of the business"
 No, sir. He can take the position tomorrow and go right ahead. l have every confidence in him, and he has all confidence in himself"
 D. hzL *o Young Denton Carlisle was the son of his widowed mother and the nephew of his pompous uncle He had scraped through college. He knew the college yell, but very little beyond 1t.
 He had been in campus rush" or creating a disturbance in 6 theater. What the young man rather thought would fit him was the managership of a national bank, but after being turned down at half dozen of them he was resting his business head when his Uncle Barnes arrived.
 Denton. I am going to make you manager of the Crescent Cement works"
 Bully for you.'
 You know about cement. don't you?"
 q read that they used millions of barrels of it on the Panama canal"
 We have 40 men at work. Do you feel yourself competent to manage them?"
 Do I? Do r We'll. I rather guess yesH
 Most certainly he can manage them" added the fond mother.
 Outside the office force they are what is called Dagoes, and are said to be rather hard to manage" observed the uncle
 That don't worry me a cents worth. They'll get on to my style in about twenty-four hours" |"
 We are not making a dollar"
 "I shall make a cut of the pay roll the very first thing
 T hope that won't bring on a strike"
 If it does then let Ter come. I can fill every mans place in two days. ] am going to take hold with a strong hand uncle"
 For two years Miss Nettie Clarkson daughter of widow living within half A mile of the works. had filled the place of bookkeeper and cashier at a salary of s10 per week. Aside from boy to act as messenger, she constr tuted the office force. She was fair-looking girl and her work had been well done.
 Young MT Carlisle walked into the office on a Monday morning, and with out giving his name. proceeded to say:
 T presume you have heard that playing at work is over with around this shop?"
 'I have heard that there was to be new manager" she replied.
 And one that is going to drive busi- ness. You have been getting slo week, I believer"
 'Yes, sir
 70 shall cut it to eight. That is all your services are worth. What is the boy getting?
 Five a week"
 "He can take three dollars or go'-
 Miss Kettle was the sole support of the family. and she decided to take the cut and stay on, though the boy walked out Nothing was said about cutting the wages of the men. It was ,expected there would be cut, and at a secret meeting every man pledged himself to strike if the pay roll vas rneddied with. There were some bad men among the laborers and at least half a dozen who intended to make something out of the row
 When the Saturday pay day came Miss Nettie asked the new manager wbo WAS to go to the village bank after the money. She and the boy had aIwavs gone for the money. taking a short cut through the woods. During the week Mir Carlisle had spoken te her only three or four times, and then on business matters.
 You need not worry about the finances" he sullenly replied; and then wrote out and posted up a notice to the effect that the next week the men would receive double pay.
 There was a storm of indignant pro test but the new manager met it s.Tbere is the notice If you don't like 1t you can quit, he said.
 twill there be a cut in wages?' was asked.
 ..There ought to be. None of you are earning your wages
 Did you think We were so short that we had to skip pay day" asked .. ;,I aftar considerable hesitation