Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1897 — WANTED SMALL PAY. [ARTICLE]

WANTED SMALL PAY.

Jewql of a Boy Declines to Accept Increase of Wasres-The Epilogue. “The account of the Nevada Bank draft swindlers’ work recalled a skillful Job of check-raising that was carried out by an office boy who was employed by a friend of mine,” said a lawyer the other day. “My friend was a cotton broker some yeans ago, and; although he did a heavy business, he employed only-an office boy as an assistant. This boy was about 12 or 13 yean old and as bright as they make them. He showed a natural ability for a business career. My friend's bank balanoa was always large, but he had such confidence in the honeaty of this boy that he permitted him to make his deposits and draw his checks. He paid the boy $8 a week, and one day he said to hdmj “ ‘Now, Billy, you have worked faithfully for me, and I am going to nisa your salary to sl2 a week.’ “Billy didn’t seem elated over his advancement. When he turned up for work the next morning he said to tha cotton broker: “ ‘I told my mother last night about my Increased salary, and she won’t let me take it. You know, mother’s a queer woman, and she says that when my father was my age he only received $3 a week, and she doesn’t think It would/ be good for me to have more. She say* that if I have too much money I am likely to get dissipated. Mother say* that she would rather you paid me $1 a week, and then, if my work la satisfactory at the end of a year, you can make me a present of the difference between $8 and sl2.’ “This reply pleased the cotton broker andhe frequently boasted to his friend* about ills jewel of a boy. Billy mad* out all the checks, even those for hli own salary, and the broker signed them. Billy attended to having th* bank book balanced. One week Billy was sick and his employer had his booh balanced and was surprised to find charged against him weekly checks for SBO In favor of his office boy. A clos* examination showed that Billy had raised his $8 check to SBO each week, and he had been doing this for tw# years. He kicked against having Mr salary raised to sl2 a week, becaus* he could not raise a sl2 check as easily, My friend has attended to his own bank business since that time.”— New York Sun.