Year: 1866

From The Chicago Evening Journnll


IF our pen were a pin, We would stick
it into the trousers Of those people who
seem to have taken out a license to be
ugly. They are a class by themselvesin in
the matter of temper, and ought to be a
class by themselves in the matter of ter
ritory. They are so abominably cross
grained that you cannot approach them
without riling them, or deal without be-
ing insulted by them.


Some of them are petty clerks who
seem to be of the opinion that they mag
nifty their Office by airing their ascerbity.
They take pains to be impertinent in or
der to be smart, and ought to be made to
smart for their pains.


This reminds us of little story which
with "point moral and adorn a tale, if
those whom it may concern will let it
A stout countryman upon approaching
city coxeomb at the desk of "big con-
cern," upon a matter of business, was
treated so curtly and cavalierly that he
made up his mind there and then to have
redress. And he had it. He seized a
hickory ruler from the desk with one
hand and the choleric clerk with the
other. The consequences we're forcible
to behold. Sweat poured down the
countryman's face, and tears down that
of the clerk. The scene was short,
sharp and surprising, and the result
everything that the lovers of "Wild JUS
tice could desire. The rustic obtained
his redress, and the eoxcomb his deserts.


Whether the countryman was right IN
moving so Immediately on the works OF
the clerk may be questioned by the more
fastidious of the sticklers for moral sua-
sion, but there can be no dispute as to
the conduct Of the clerk. And neither
will it be disputed that if all testy andill
bred employees we're liable to a similar
penalty for i'll manners as that which
overlook the employee herein above ad-
verted to the result might be salutary
and beneficial.


It is vexatious in the extreme to do
business with a man who is deficient in
business courtesy. Save US from morose
hammered merchant, whose speech is sea-
soned with the twang of ire, whose an
swers are arrows tipped with bile; and
whose department is prickled Ger with
eaustic utterances thick and repelling as
quilIs on the back of the fretful poreu-
pine. 1t is surprising how success can
have the bad taste to tolerate such a
boor, but we are quite sure that success
is often withheld for the reason that 1t
has too nice d sense of propriety to con-
sort with q man whom nature intended
for a hog.


But we put business courtesy on higher
grounds than self-interest. We put our
demand for it on the principle of justice
between man and man. 1t is no mans
right to be any other animal than that
he was designed to be by Providence
man. Let him be man and a gentle
man in his intercourse with man. Let 1t
be esteemed brutal to be brute, whether
the brute be biped OF quadruped.


As we have had occasions to say be-
fore, the choleric are multiplying. Pros
perity is productive of asperity, and sue
cess of spleen in these parts. There are
those who deserve to lose all they have
acquired in the acquisition of their
wealth.


1t is refreshing to deal with business
men who have a nice sense of business
courtesy, and who can make bargain |
for themselves without making bears of
and it does ones heart good |
to receive a civil answer to civil ques-
ton at the postofice, the railroad office,
and the newspaper Office.


Courtesy is the best policy and the
best breeding. Those who tyample on,
and those who sneer at it, should them
selves be treated to the sneers instead of
the patronage of their fellows.


What are the business colleges about
that they do notteach business courtesy =? !
Let them turn their attention to the I
Young men under their training to the |
necessity of urbanity at the counter and /
in the Office, where the people most do /
And when a corporation /
sets about selecting one of their number
to meet the public in their name, let
them make choice of we'll bred man, if |
there is one among them, let them hire
one of that sort from the incorporate
community outside. Better meet an old