The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-11-15

IN RIGGS eXcelled as publicity
X agent-for himself. His particu-
- lar section of the world was
never kept long in ignorance of
his wonderful achievements. Briggs
was the Junior member of the law
firm of Adair, Townsend & Briggs, but
after listening for five consecutive
minutes to Briggs you wondered of
what possible use the other two men,
bers were, since, according to Briggs
himSelf-surely the best authority
he conducted virtually all the business
and won practically all the suits ham
died by the firm.
But Briggs was still young, and in
some particulars not half bad, so his
senior partners tolerated his inOrdi-
nate self-conceit and hoped he would
Outgrow it.
The office force was not so chart
table. Dead in love with himself and
hasn't any rivals" was the picturesque
way they were wont to describe Briggs.
And after little while it penetrated
even Briggs rather rhinocerine cpl
dermiS that he wasn't rated above par
by the pretty stenOgrapher, that the
switchboard operator never took the
trouble to give him the prompt serv-
ice she gave his associates, and that
even the office boy showed little alac-
rity in answering his calls. Now men
like Briggs can no more live without
admiration than a fish can live out
of water. He began to wonder how
he could purchase a substantial chunk
of popularity from his office force. so
that they would regard him with the
respect and reverence they accorded
the other members of the firm.
About that time, most opportunity,
it seemed, a spinster aunt of Briggs
died and left him a well-stocked fruit
farm. 1t was the season when fruit
was superintendent, and one couldn't
sell or even give away the abundant
supply produced. Briggs reasoned
that here was a rather cheap way to
win the hearts or at least the graft.
tude of his office force, and straight
way he electrified them by inviting
them one and all to a weekend party
at his farm for the next Saturday and
Sunday, the boat to leave the dock
Saturday afternoon at two o'clock
The reaction from the office boy to
chief clerk was immediate The pref
ty stenographer bestowed on Briggs
her sunniest smiles, the switchboard
operator gave his calls precedence
over everybody else, and the office boy
looked at him with very good imita-
ton of respect. Briggs reveled in
his newly acquired popularity as a
butterfly basks in the August sun
shine.
How he gloated over his partners
from that time until Saturday. go
ing to get the office family together in
a weekend party; that's the way to
promote esprit de corps; that's the
stunt to increase efficiency. Queer you
fellows haven't thought of it before.
Just wait and see the results"
The trip across the lake was a pro-
nounced success. The eight young
folks who made the wheels go round"
at the Offices of Adair, Townsend 4
Briggs, properly chaperoned by Mrs.
Robins, the senior members private
secretary, reached the other side in
high spirits. A short bus ride brought
them to Briggs farm, and that gentle
man, beaming like a mammoth sun
flower, met them and played the host
i'll most approved fashion. If their was
anything lacking in the menu nobody
felt inclined to criticize, for with a
sweep of his arms Briggs called atten-
ton to the heavily laden apple, peach,
plum and pear trees. The fare | offer
you at the table may be simple but
take your dessert right from the trees.
eat all you can, and carry the rest
home" Literally they prepared to
obey his word. All day Sunday when
they weren't sleeping they were eat
ing. They would tackle the luscious
peaches on one tree, then take nap;
then attack the plums and rest, finish
ing off with pears and apples. Late
words of gratitude to their host, they
departed for the deck and boarded
the boat bound for the city. All went
merry as a marriage bell until they
were about half way across, then the
wind worked itself into a frenzy, and
tore around like a hundred madmen.
The boat tried to stand first on one
end and then the other, and a crowd
of miserable human beings vowed
never again to trust themselves upon
the treacherous waters of Lake Michi-
gan.
Surfeited with good things as
Briggs weekend guests had been,
their digestive apparatus rebelled vio-
lently and they were soon experience
ing heights and depths of misery
known only to those afflicted with
NAL de mer. When the boat locked
at a. m. Monday morning q wretch
ed wild-eyed, forlorn party of eight
wendell their ways to their respective
homes to prepare as best they could
for the busy Monday at the offices of
Adair, Townsend & Briggs.
If ever there had been a morning
when all the members of the office
force needed to be alert and 100 per
cent efficient it was that particular
Monday. Matters of immense moment
were pending that day. A big lumber
concern, with offices in half a dozen