CHAPTER XXV.Commercial men, some of our best merchants, sometimes, in their eagerness to make money, forget the first principles of honesty, and often make assertions that upon second thought they would not make. Sometimes in their advertising they will say things which they would never think of saying under other circumstances, though lying in business matters is equally as dishonorable as in private life. The relations between the public and the merchant, as well as between master and servant, must rest on mutual respect and confidence. Here is an illustration, by a close observer, a boy fourteen years of age.Walking along one of the principal streets, a newsboy noticed the following sign, in large type, in a show window and attached to some article for sale. It read: “Regular price, one hundred dollars. Our price, twenty-nine dollars.”“Say, president,” said the boy, “is that man telling the truth when he says a twenty-nine dollar article is worth one hundred dollars?”It was a question that required a wise answer,but put it in any business way possible, nothing could satisfy the boy that it was strictly honest.“When I go into business,” said the seller, “you bet I’ll not fool the public; when I say a thing is worth so much it will be worth that much.”What time would develop, what changes come over this young man, no one could tell, but the right principle had a good hold of the boy, and it meant success and a clear conscience during his manhood.That the success of the association does not depend upon the efforts of the officers entirely, will be seen by the following:Three newsboys called upon the president; two of them were leading a ragged little fellow with a shining-box thrown over his shoulder.“Say, president,” said one of them, “here’s a boy shining shoes on the market an’ the way he swears is puttin’ men out o’ business.”The accused bootblack was a sight. To the question where he lived he replied: “I have no home. My father’s dead an’ my mother, she’s no good. There’s no room fur me in the house.”THE TOUGH FROM MARKET SPACE.See Page152By further questioning it was learned that the clothes he had on were given to him some two months ago and had not been taken off since he put them on. This may seem strange, but it is only one of the dozen of cases where parents do not require the removal of their boy’s clothes when they go to bed.The peculiar odor coming from boys who are treated in this shameful manner will prove this. This boy walked from a neighboring city, or stole a ride on some freight-train. He had been shining shoes around the market-space for a month or more, and declared that to be in the push, to be recognized by men, and to secure business, it was necessary to swear and be tough.“I wouldn’t be a bootblack,” he said, “if I couldn’t swear, the men wouldn’t shine if I didn’t.”The newsboys who frequented the market were very much put out by this boy’s swearing and general tough appearance, so when opportunity favored they began their missionary work, with the result of persuading the shiner to accompany them to the president’s office.The boy had a very attractive face. He was worth saving.“So, you come to see me about joining the association,” said the president.The boy replied: “The boys say I can make more money if I cut out swearin’ an’ belong to the association.”“They tell me you swear and sometimes don’t know how to give correct change to your customers. If that’s so you are just the kind of a boy we want. You little hustling fellows make our best young men. You don’t wait until someone comes to you for a shine. I have seen you follow a man who had red shoes a whole square. You will make a good business man, and these little boys, friends of yours, are just the kind of boys who will help you, will bring you business, will tell you where to get something good to eat, and I think we can throw away your old ragged clothes and get a new suit, how would you like that?”His face had a surprised look. He didn’t expect some one to offer anything of interest to him, he expected to get lectured, to be “talked goodygood to,” as he afterwards said.“Well, you see, mister,” said the boy with some familiarity, “we can’t do business on the street unless we do as men do. They swear at us an’ we must swear at them or we lose the shine.”“How often do men swear at you?”“How often? I can’t count ’em. Every other word.”“Well, it doesn’t sound nice, does it?”“No, an’ I could cut it out.”“Sure thing he can cut it out, an’ we’ll be right behind to see that he forgets it,” put in one of the newsies.“Well, I’ll start you in the association,” said the president, “but I don’t want you to be too good to start with. Sometimes you may forget what the card means, and you will swear before you know it, but don’t let that worry you, the next time you will do better and forget it. But when you get the badge, in thirty days, then you mustn’t swear at all, for if you do the officers will be right after you and your name will be on a list that means something when you get older and want a position in some big store.”The membership card was given to him, a new suit of clothes was furnished by a kind hearted clothier, and the boys—including the chairman of the executive committee—took the boy home. When his mother discovered some one took an interest in him, she began to think he amounted to something, and from that time on,he received attention. At the expiration of thirty days the numbered badge was given to him and he started on his new life.In the fall of the same year this bootblack was unanimously elected as an officer of Boyville, and is one of the best boys on the street. Two months later he brought to the president a gold watch, worth forty-two dollars and fifty cents. The owner was found, and insisted upon seeing the young man. He was sent, with the watch, to him. The wealthy lawyer handed him ten cents, and gave him some good advice. The boy returned the money saying:“No, Mister, you keep this, you need it more than I do.”
CHAPTER XXV.Commercial men, some of our best merchants, sometimes, in their eagerness to make money, forget the first principles of honesty, and often make assertions that upon second thought they would not make. Sometimes in their advertising they will say things which they would never think of saying under other circumstances, though lying in business matters is equally as dishonorable as in private life. The relations between the public and the merchant, as well as between master and servant, must rest on mutual respect and confidence. Here is an illustration, by a close observer, a boy fourteen years of age.Walking along one of the principal streets, a newsboy noticed the following sign, in large type, in a show window and attached to some article for sale. It read: “Regular price, one hundred dollars. Our price, twenty-nine dollars.”“Say, president,” said the boy, “is that man telling the truth when he says a twenty-nine dollar article is worth one hundred dollars?”It was a question that required a wise answer,but put it in any business way possible, nothing could satisfy the boy that it was strictly honest.“When I go into business,” said the seller, “you bet I’ll not fool the public; when I say a thing is worth so much it will be worth that much.”What time would develop, what changes come over this young man, no one could tell, but the right principle had a good hold of the boy, and it meant success and a clear conscience during his manhood.That the success of the association does not depend upon the efforts of the officers entirely, will be seen by the following:Three newsboys called upon the president; two of them were leading a ragged little fellow with a shining-box thrown over his shoulder.“Say, president,” said one of them, “here’s a boy shining shoes on the market an’ the way he swears is puttin’ men out o’ business.”The accused bootblack was a sight. To the question where he lived he replied: “I have no home. My father’s dead an’ my mother, she’s no good. There’s no room fur me in the house.”THE TOUGH FROM MARKET SPACE.See Page152By further questioning it was learned that the clothes he had on were given to him some two months ago and had not been taken off since he put them on. This may seem strange, but it is only one of the dozen of cases where parents do not require the removal of their boy’s clothes when they go to bed.The peculiar odor coming from boys who are treated in this shameful manner will prove this. This boy walked from a neighboring city, or stole a ride on some freight-train. He had been shining shoes around the market-space for a month or more, and declared that to be in the push, to be recognized by men, and to secure business, it was necessary to swear and be tough.“I wouldn’t be a bootblack,” he said, “if I couldn’t swear, the men wouldn’t shine if I didn’t.”The newsboys who frequented the market were very much put out by this boy’s swearing and general tough appearance, so when opportunity favored they began their missionary work, with the result of persuading the shiner to accompany them to the president’s office.The boy had a very attractive face. He was worth saving.“So, you come to see me about joining the association,” said the president.The boy replied: “The boys say I can make more money if I cut out swearin’ an’ belong to the association.”“They tell me you swear and sometimes don’t know how to give correct change to your customers. If that’s so you are just the kind of a boy we want. You little hustling fellows make our best young men. You don’t wait until someone comes to you for a shine. I have seen you follow a man who had red shoes a whole square. You will make a good business man, and these little boys, friends of yours, are just the kind of boys who will help you, will bring you business, will tell you where to get something good to eat, and I think we can throw away your old ragged clothes and get a new suit, how would you like that?”His face had a surprised look. He didn’t expect some one to offer anything of interest to him, he expected to get lectured, to be “talked goodygood to,” as he afterwards said.“Well, you see, mister,” said the boy with some familiarity, “we can’t do business on the street unless we do as men do. They swear at us an’ we must swear at them or we lose the shine.”“How often do men swear at you?”“How often? I can’t count ’em. Every other word.”“Well, it doesn’t sound nice, does it?”“No, an’ I could cut it out.”“Sure thing he can cut it out, an’ we’ll be right behind to see that he forgets it,” put in one of the newsies.“Well, I’ll start you in the association,” said the president, “but I don’t want you to be too good to start with. Sometimes you may forget what the card means, and you will swear before you know it, but don’t let that worry you, the next time you will do better and forget it. But when you get the badge, in thirty days, then you mustn’t swear at all, for if you do the officers will be right after you and your name will be on a list that means something when you get older and want a position in some big store.”The membership card was given to him, a new suit of clothes was furnished by a kind hearted clothier, and the boys—including the chairman of the executive committee—took the boy home. When his mother discovered some one took an interest in him, she began to think he amounted to something, and from that time on,he received attention. At the expiration of thirty days the numbered badge was given to him and he started on his new life.In the fall of the same year this bootblack was unanimously elected as an officer of Boyville, and is one of the best boys on the street. Two months later he brought to the president a gold watch, worth forty-two dollars and fifty cents. The owner was found, and insisted upon seeing the young man. He was sent, with the watch, to him. The wealthy lawyer handed him ten cents, and gave him some good advice. The boy returned the money saying:“No, Mister, you keep this, you need it more than I do.”
Commercial men, some of our best merchants, sometimes, in their eagerness to make money, forget the first principles of honesty, and often make assertions that upon second thought they would not make. Sometimes in their advertising they will say things which they would never think of saying under other circumstances, though lying in business matters is equally as dishonorable as in private life. The relations between the public and the merchant, as well as between master and servant, must rest on mutual respect and confidence. Here is an illustration, by a close observer, a boy fourteen years of age.
Walking along one of the principal streets, a newsboy noticed the following sign, in large type, in a show window and attached to some article for sale. It read: “Regular price, one hundred dollars. Our price, twenty-nine dollars.”
“Say, president,” said the boy, “is that man telling the truth when he says a twenty-nine dollar article is worth one hundred dollars?”
It was a question that required a wise answer,but put it in any business way possible, nothing could satisfy the boy that it was strictly honest.
“When I go into business,” said the seller, “you bet I’ll not fool the public; when I say a thing is worth so much it will be worth that much.”
What time would develop, what changes come over this young man, no one could tell, but the right principle had a good hold of the boy, and it meant success and a clear conscience during his manhood.
That the success of the association does not depend upon the efforts of the officers entirely, will be seen by the following:
Three newsboys called upon the president; two of them were leading a ragged little fellow with a shining-box thrown over his shoulder.
“Say, president,” said one of them, “here’s a boy shining shoes on the market an’ the way he swears is puttin’ men out o’ business.”
The accused bootblack was a sight. To the question where he lived he replied: “I have no home. My father’s dead an’ my mother, she’s no good. There’s no room fur me in the house.”
THE TOUGH FROM MARKET SPACE.See Page152
THE TOUGH FROM MARKET SPACE.See Page152
THE TOUGH FROM MARKET SPACE.
See Page152
By further questioning it was learned that the clothes he had on were given to him some two months ago and had not been taken off since he put them on. This may seem strange, but it is only one of the dozen of cases where parents do not require the removal of their boy’s clothes when they go to bed.
The peculiar odor coming from boys who are treated in this shameful manner will prove this. This boy walked from a neighboring city, or stole a ride on some freight-train. He had been shining shoes around the market-space for a month or more, and declared that to be in the push, to be recognized by men, and to secure business, it was necessary to swear and be tough.
“I wouldn’t be a bootblack,” he said, “if I couldn’t swear, the men wouldn’t shine if I didn’t.”
The newsboys who frequented the market were very much put out by this boy’s swearing and general tough appearance, so when opportunity favored they began their missionary work, with the result of persuading the shiner to accompany them to the president’s office.
The boy had a very attractive face. He was worth saving.
“So, you come to see me about joining the association,” said the president.
The boy replied: “The boys say I can make more money if I cut out swearin’ an’ belong to the association.”
“They tell me you swear and sometimes don’t know how to give correct change to your customers. If that’s so you are just the kind of a boy we want. You little hustling fellows make our best young men. You don’t wait until someone comes to you for a shine. I have seen you follow a man who had red shoes a whole square. You will make a good business man, and these little boys, friends of yours, are just the kind of boys who will help you, will bring you business, will tell you where to get something good to eat, and I think we can throw away your old ragged clothes and get a new suit, how would you like that?”
His face had a surprised look. He didn’t expect some one to offer anything of interest to him, he expected to get lectured, to be “talked goodygood to,” as he afterwards said.
“Well, you see, mister,” said the boy with some familiarity, “we can’t do business on the street unless we do as men do. They swear at us an’ we must swear at them or we lose the shine.”
“How often do men swear at you?”
“How often? I can’t count ’em. Every other word.”
“Well, it doesn’t sound nice, does it?”
“No, an’ I could cut it out.”
“Sure thing he can cut it out, an’ we’ll be right behind to see that he forgets it,” put in one of the newsies.
“Well, I’ll start you in the association,” said the president, “but I don’t want you to be too good to start with. Sometimes you may forget what the card means, and you will swear before you know it, but don’t let that worry you, the next time you will do better and forget it. But when you get the badge, in thirty days, then you mustn’t swear at all, for if you do the officers will be right after you and your name will be on a list that means something when you get older and want a position in some big store.”
The membership card was given to him, a new suit of clothes was furnished by a kind hearted clothier, and the boys—including the chairman of the executive committee—took the boy home. When his mother discovered some one took an interest in him, she began to think he amounted to something, and from that time on,he received attention. At the expiration of thirty days the numbered badge was given to him and he started on his new life.
In the fall of the same year this bootblack was unanimously elected as an officer of Boyville, and is one of the best boys on the street. Two months later he brought to the president a gold watch, worth forty-two dollars and fifty cents. The owner was found, and insisted upon seeing the young man. He was sent, with the watch, to him. The wealthy lawyer handed him ten cents, and gave him some good advice. The boy returned the money saying:
“No, Mister, you keep this, you need it more than I do.”