Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-11-19

He showed me how to manipulate |
the old-fashioned scales so that | could |
cheat an old woman out of a poun
quart and gallon measures had false |
bottoms. Our peck and bushet meas
ureS were .Xed for false measure, |
and there 1as ample material for adul- |
teration of all commodities. He in |
structed me in their use, and one day |
cause he observed that J. did not suffi-
ciently adulterate the purchase of an |
old Irishwoman who did my other
shirt up (for I now had two) and who
mended my socks for a few pennies
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
holler it is plenty of time enough to
make it 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. If the kick was strong one
he would fire" me then and there,
and l used to go out into the back
room and loaf until the customer had
gone. But l had no chance to lose
my job
He made it a point to wait on little
children who came into the store, and
l realize now that his purpose was to
short-change them out Of few pen
MES.
1t came about that l filed 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.
| l knew it was wrong. l knew | 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 l made weak objec-
| ton to this method was that he was
| in business to make money and that
| the thefts were so small that nobody
my boss" and he was responsible.
That is what he told me in SO many
words.
One day told him I was going to
quit. Here I was half-starved and
| wholly overworked boy, ignorant of
the world and without a penny saved,
and absolutely dependent upon my
daily wage for food, but desiring
strongly to escape from this old scoun.
drel.
When I told him 1 wanted to quit
he dragged me into the Office and beat
| me with strap. He threatened me
with an awful death, cutting my
tried to get away. And / believed
him and I did not sleep soundly that
night as pictured in my boyish mind
the horrors and tortures he had
threatened me with.
After that I planned planned tc
murder him. planned to burn dowr
the store. planned to do anything
and everything that might offer me g
chance to get away from the hateful
place. And one day the chance came
Back behind the counter one after
noon l found a pocketbook 1t be
longed to him. I knew it as 1 knew
my own right hand, for it was from
this selfsame pocketbook that he gave
me grudgingly every Saturday night
so slowly and grouchily that l feared
each time that he would change his
mind and withhold it, my three dol
lars. In the pocketbook were bills tt
the amount of $50.
Fear assailed me at this discovery
; but conscience never spoke. l buried
it in the prune barrel and continued
, my work. He searched for it every
, where. He gave me brutal question
, ing and tortured me by twisting m,
arm until l screamed with pain Blu
wild horses would not have dragget
my secret away.
In the pocketbook were some ote
, and other papers identifying it. tool
out the currency and hid it again il
the prune barrel after a few days
: Then, one night, l slipped out and lef
. the pocketbook, with the papers in
Y on the wooden sidewalk, because h
3 had made his loss known by word O
, mouth and had announced that h
: would give S. for it's return.
Il The next day the pocketbook wa
;. brought into the store by a man VIII
4 said he had found it and who demand
Y ed the reward. The boss opened il
e found that the $50 was missing an
!, accused the finder of being thief. H
refused to pay any reward.
l. They fought all over the store. TIL
|, boss was soundly trounced, and /, pit
d full object # humanity, a scrawny
j. half-starved boy and the author of hi
n misfortune, sneaked behind the cour
a ter and choked my mouth with
It shoddy coat sleeve to keep fror
:, shrieking with unholy joy.
e Some days later l resurrected tn
o $50 from the prune barrel and wit
l. this modest fortune left in the nigh
for parts unknown.
q Did return the money in my late
IL years of prosperity? I did not.