Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1914-12-04

to dream, and slept amidst the odors
from the barreled and boxed groceries.
He showed me how to manipulate
the old-fashioned scales so that could
cheat an old woman out of a pound
or two of sugar or flour. Our pint,
quart and gallon measures had false
bottoms. Our peck and bushel meas
ures were xed for false measure,
ana there -7as ample material for adul-
iteration of all commodities. He in
structed me in their use, and one day
he trounced me without megcy be-
cause he observed that did not suffi-
GENTLY adulterate the purchase of an
old Irishwoman who did my other
shirt up (for now had two) and who
mended my socks for a few pennies
a week.
You'll never learn the business"
he said, rather sadly, unless you
watch every chance to make penny.
It's the pennies that count in this
business"
Get their money" he used to say
with great JUNCTION, "get all you can
out Of them for as little as. you
can give. If they come back and
boiler it is plenty Of time enough to
make 1t right. Then, of course, it was
mistake, but be careful and don't
give too much, even then"
And then this old rascal began to
make it a practice to call me into his
office when a. customer came in to
complain of short weight or short
measure, and put the blame on me
for It. II the kick was a strong one
he would fire" me then and there,
and used to go out into the back
room and loaf until the customer had
gone. But I had no chance to lose
my job.
He made it a point to wait on little
children who came into the store, and
realize now that his purpose was to
short-change them out Of a few pen.
MES.
It came about that filled all the
orders sent in by mail or that were
left to be filled for farmers who
brought in an order made out by the
wife. Many and many a wigging was
had by innocent farmers who were
blamed by their wives for forgetting"
to order certain articles. OF course
the things were never put into the
package, although paid for.
knew 1t was wrong. I knew l was
cheating these customers, but here
was this old sinner who went to
church regularly and was deacon in
the leading house of worship. His
argument when made weak objec.
ton to this method was that he wae
in business to make money and that
the thefts. we're so small that nobody
missed the money. Besides, he was
my boss" and he was responsible.
That is. what he told me in: SO many
words. -. T..
One day told him I was going to
quit. Here I was a half-starved and
wholly overworked boy, ignorant of
the world and without penny saved,
and absolutely dependent upon my
daily wage for: food, but desiring
strongly to escape from this old scoun.
faeel. 81
When I,told him I wanted to quit
he dragged me into the Office and beat
me with strap. 9sH He threatened, me
with an awful death, cutting my
throat. and that sort of stun, I'LL
tried to get away. And I belieYe6
him and. did not sleep soundly thai
night as I pictured in my boyish mind
the horrors and tortures he had
threatened me with. s.; 4 /, $ 4. !:
After that I planned. l planned ia
murder him. I planned to burn down
the store. I planned. s.tostdo ,anytiti1d
and everything that:1night offer mss
chance to get away from the hateful
place. And one day the chance came
!. Back behind the counter one after
noon I found pocketbook. It be
longed to him. I knew 1t as l knew
my own right hand, for it was from
this selfsame pocketbook that he gave
me grudgingly every Saturday night
ESQ slowly and grouchily that l feared
Eeach time that he would change his
mind and withhold 1t, my three dol
ltA@A0s III tAC pOCh0tUOOh W0I0 UlllS LC
the amount of $50.
Fear assailed me at this discovery
but conscience never spoke. buried
Il in the prune barrel and continued
my work. He searched for it every
where. He gave me a brutal question
ing and tortured me by twisting my
arm until screamed with pain. But
wild horses would not have dragged
my secret away.
In the pocketbook were some notes
and other papers identifying 1t. tool
out the currency and hid 1t again in
the prune barrel after a few days
Then, one night, I slipped out and left
the pocketbook, with the papers in II
on the wooden sidewalk, because he
had made his loss known by word OF
mouth and had announced that he
would give S. for it's return.
The next day the pocketbook was
brought into the store by a man who
said he had found it and who demand
ed the reward. The boss opened It.
found that the $50 was missing and
ACCUSED the finder Of being a thief. He