The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-02-04
NOTHING
LIKECHEEk
By EVERETT p. CLARKE

1 Hen \ hesdn DuSlucSS Ut clSHtctH
years OF age | entered the counting
room OF StOughton Bros. on salary OF
| 81 a week. 1 had assurance enough for
ten men of my age. and IL is assurance
that tells. have often wondered why
this is so largely the case aud have
come To the conclusion that il is based
on the principle of war that the asSal
| ant has the advantage of force over in
| ertia. IL is Il principle of mechanics
that body started through space in
which there is no resisting medium
will 80 on ut the same rate forever.
A body that is not started will not
move, and when struck will he knock
ed into "pi."
! had no reverence for my supcriors.
hut treated them with eminent respect
except when they undertook TO brow
beat me. when | jumped on Them with
both feet This kept up ms long as
was paid little or nothing for my scrv
Ices; when | felt II essential 10 retain
my position / didn't take so many
chances
There was Il banker in the street by
the name Of Ogden. He did I'M enOr.
nous business and was very rich. 10
us clerks he was like the mogul OF
Tartary To Il waShcc- waSh,e China
man. Not that he put ON any airs. but
because his position WAS So lofty. |
used Ia hear stories about how he got
his start and learned that ne went into
the cotton market one day SLO.uOU i'm
debt aud ia Il few months was S3O0.OOO
To the good. At the time entered
business he was worth millions.
Belonging 10 au excellent family and
not being troubled with bacEwardneSS.
WAS Il butterfly of fashion My capt
tai was one dress suit. which. notwith.
standing my youth. WAS too small for
me. but for 20 cents I got 4 tailor 10
enlarge IL. Al functions | used To
meet men who Were the heads of large
business concerns. us well as of fami
lies. Some OF them occasionally
went to during business hours on bust.
ness. With my hat in my hand. But.
meeting them socially. considered
that while we were on II different
basis ii hchoOved me 10 keep up I'm
outward show of Difference.
Time passed. and my salary. though
slightly enlarged. was far too small
for my requirements. The elbows of
my dress coat We're getting ragged
ana it was impossible for any tailor To
hide their nakedneSs. | did fairly good
work myself in that respect with ink
Some of my fellow clerks got small |
raises 10y being obscquious to those |
above them. but kept ON in the even
tenor of my way-that is. being ordi-
narily respectful and standing up for
my rights II didn't occur to me that !
it would pay me 10 toady to Il man for
the purpose OF getting i'm additional |
two or three dollars week.
one spring we had Il heavy snow
storm. followed by Il freeze and then !
"A deluge of rain. There's no worse
meteorological combination for trans
portation than this. and the city was
well nigh impossible There were large |
pools of water everywhere. and the de. |
vices for getting over them were not |
the work of educated engineers There |
was nearly Il block near the house |
where | was employed that was So
flooded that the whole distance was |
only passable by means Of II string OF |
boards Just before bank closing |
was directed to make II deposit and |
started on this narrow plank walk. |
had just entered upon Il lagoon of |
considerable length when saw the |
sovereign of the street, Mr. Ogden. |
about MS far advanced on the other |
side of IL. II was my purt rs IN I'M
derstrapper 10 make way for the great |
man.
But my dislike for making way for
those above me deferred me. / would |
have been willing to do So for an |
equal and would have been pleased Ia !
do 50 for I'm inferior but 10 get ont at |
II wealthy mans path by going back |
or stepping into two feet of wafer did |
not please me. Mr. Ogden was think |
Ing Of some great business problem. | |
suppose. for he didn't look up till we |
met very near the middle of the street
On seeing me he stopped. One of us |
must give way. Which should IL be-
General Grant said that when he |
WAS marching To meet his first enemy |
during the civil war he felt the re-
sponsbility until he remembered thai !
quite likely the other general felt as |
uncomfortable rs he. That decided |
him. and he pushed on II occurred To |
me that Mr.. Ogden WAS rs much loath |
to have me give way to him rs | was |
To do so Moreover. | knew that he |
was II natural gambler. Taking |
quarter from my pocket. | said:
Heads or tails for the right Of |
way"
Heads" be replied. with twinkle
in his eye.
! knew bow Ia Zip coin and have |
it come down ms wanted it. 80 |
threw the quarter with my thumb and |
called. Heads" AMI stepped Off into
the water had saved my face-that |
Is. had given way, but had not sur
rendered my rights
That action made me n millionaire. |
! met Mr.. Ogden some time after that |
at II social function. and he asked me
where ] was employed ! told him. and |
he told me il ! should leave my |
position Ia let him know. \ few |