Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1921-11-25
THE MAN WHO BOSsED JOHNSON


THE MAN WHO BOSSED JOHNSON
Away back in-well, never mind,
it's a good while ago. was about
eighteen and had nearly served my
time in machine shop and | want
ed a foremanship worse than l want
ed anything else in the world
We had a traveller who sold about
all the product of the shop, and it
was currently reported that he was
getting three thousand a year and
doing just as he pleased. / looked
on Van as a prince. When l got
tired of imagining myself foreman
| would sometimes wonder if | could
ever earn as much as $4,000 a year,
| was getting $1.60 per day. Three
thousand dollars was untold wealth
to me.
One morning | was in fearful
temper, discontinued with myself
and the world. We'll, Reddy," Van
said, when are you going to be
foreman" Then he sat down and
drew me out. Finally he said You
can be foreman, either of this place
or some other, just as soon as you've
had sufficient practice in bossing
men. There's one man whom you
can practice on; that's Johnson"
"Me?"
NO, not you, but Johnson. Every
man has two pretty distinct person
alities in the one body. One is ener-
getic, ambitious, likes to do right and
get along-that's you. The other is
careless, shiftless. lazy and fond of
good time-that's Johnson. Now
what you've go to do is to learn how
to boss Johnson and you'll find it
Will take a lot of practice. When
| you get so that you can boss John
son successfully-keep him right up
to the mark all the time and keep
him good natured about it--then.
and not till then, you'll have the
skill and practice to boss more than
one man. Now, there's the man for
you to practice on Will you do it?
All right. feel sorry for Johnson.
for he'll have to stand it."
Well, I was boy enough so that
the idea tickled me. Van would
come around and say, "Reddy, tell
Johnson to do this, and keep after
him; see that he does it..
In the course of a week began
to like the game. l also found out
lot OF things I had never suspected.
AS Reddy, the foreman, | used to
jack myself UP as Johnson, the work
man. kept after Johnson night
and day. l ordered him to bed and
l ordered him up. | checked up on
his work and I made him study.
One night I went to a show, and
before the curtain rose, heard two
people talking in front of me. One
had been away, and he said: Flows
Reddy Johnson doing?" Fine"
said the other Hes assistant fore
man at the shops now, in charge of
the erecting, with from three to ten
men under him all the time
heard no more of the play. Was
foreman? When did I become
foreman? How long had I been
foreman? When the new wing was
put up six months before, was put
TO work in it with some helpers and
my wages had been raised then. Yes.
! mad been foreman for six months
ana was so busy bossing Johnson I
hadn noticed it-had to have ont
slders tell me about it.
Six months later l was offered a
superintendency of another factory
at about double the wages. and the
firm advised me to take it. saving
mat could come back if I didn't
make good. That aroused all the
ilent In me, and I made good.
l am as far ahead of Vans $4,000
year as was behind it when
: started. In my own works. I have q
number of boys who have started r.
3 practice on themselves till they arc
D apie to hold foreman's Job and
p the scheme is working as well will
them as 1t did with me. You see. IT.,