Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-05-06
Finkelstein's
Funeral
g
H. rANNTE uTYpcTS
(@ by Mcclure Newspaper Syrdicate.)
(WNU Sefyicel +.

TT BEHOOVED Ringing, as the en-
ployer Of Finkelstein for over a
Il period of twenty-five years, to at
tend the funeral Of one who had
served him well. 1t was one Of the
things one did out Of sense Of the
fitness of things. For twenty-five
years, the innocuous Finkelstein, pa
tient, pIodding, an old faithful in the
bookkeeping department Of the large
cooperage concern Of which Ringing
was president, had been part and par
eel Of the daily routine; Of the re.
munerative affairs which had made
Ringing, at sixty, many times ha-s
lionaire.
Yes, 1t was with a sense of the ap-
propriateness Of such gesture, that
on the day Of Finkelstein's funeral
Ringing directed his chauffeur to
drive him to the residence Of the old
employee who had delivered, through
the years, such faithful service.
1t was gratifying to come within
sight Of Finkelstein's home. 1t showed
that here was a man whose living
wage had been sufficient to enable him
to dwell In the cleanliness and decor
cy of the small but well-kept brick
dwelling, surrounded by its plot Of
garden which stood on a tree lined
little side street Of a small suburb
outside the limits of the great city;
here was a man whose employer, he,
Ringing, had allowed a decent living
wage.
Nothing remarkable about Finkel-
stein either, except his dog-llke fidel-
ity to routine. As a matter of fact,
reflected Ringing to himself riding
along the modest neighborhoods which
lay so outside his pale, Of late years
he might easily have replaced Finkel-
stein with a younger man. But no, It
had not been his custim to employ
such tactics Of ingratitude with en-
ployees of long standing. True, Ring
ling knew little enough about the staff
Of his organization. He was not a
gregarious man, nor a particularly
benign one when 1t came to interest
ing himself in the lives Of others. But
in a general way, the employees Of
the cooperage concern were treated
on the principle that good service en-
titled man to consideration and, ex-
cept on rare occasions, displacements
and new faces were seldom intro
duced into the concern.
Then, too, in the event Of death or
disaster of one sort or another Ring
ling almost invariably appeared at the
funeral or bedside Of the employee.
In the case of Strandermann, who had
broken two legs In a fall from lad
der in the shops, Ringing had done
the handsome thing and employed
Strandermann's son in his fathers
place, even though the boy was in
experienced and caused difficulties.
And now Finkelstein, the next to
oldest employee Of the firm, was dead,
and Ringing arriving at the funeral
saw at least two-thirds of the cooper
age organization standing about on
the lawn as he drove up.
Thereupon, surprises began to hap
pen. They were standing about on the
little lawn, for the reason that the
house of Finkelstein was so crowded,
on each of its two floors, that 1t was
impossible for another human being
to cram into its doorways. Actually,
before that modest house on that mod
est street, were officers of the law,
trying to regulate the demonstration
that was taking place at the funeral
IT Finkelstein.
And that demonstration was prompt
ed by nothing more than the hundreds
Of men, women and children who
were bombarding the house to pay
last tribute to this man who had lived
humbly but apparently with such
superb grace. Men and women, I'M
able to jam their way into the house,
were standing on the lawn and side
walks weeping and holding their chill
dren in arms, for the moment when
the bier Of Finkelstein would appear
at the threshold on its way to the
hearse at the curb.
Riding up before this spectacle,
Ringing was struck with amaZement.
Great was the embarrassment of all
concerned when it was found that the
great Ringing, the millionaire en-
ployer of the humble Finkelstein,
cuold not even force entrance into the
home to pay respects to the last Of
Finkelstein. But without effect was
the attempt Of those in charge to find
entrance for the employer Of Finkel-
stein.
Men, women and children crowd
ed every doorway, youngsters with
whiting bouquets In their hands. old
er folk exchanging low voiced rem
inlscences of the many kindnesses
and acts Of mercy Of which they had
been recipient at the apparently
salnted hands Of this man who had
passed on.
A man of whom Ringing had never
had the slightest conception Why,
Finkelstein had been just any I'M
obtrusive faithful employee, courteous,
obsequious, anxious to please, coming
and going in the routine way Of the
rising and the setting Of the sun. A
man in no way to excite comment, just
an ordinary everyday little man in
the street. And now this! Men and
women from towns a nights train
ride away, come to pay him the rites
of their last expressions Of respect
and love.
Flnkelsteln, 1t seemed, little old OBJ
scure Flnkelstein, had been to these
people and to hundreds more who
sent messages and offerings Of love,
inspiration. solace and guidance.
ChlldrAn loved him for his mercy at