A
couple of years ago, the managers of some of the large corporations in Chicago
issued an order against the employment of men or boys who were in the habit of
smoking cigarettes, the reason given being that the use of cigarettes dulled
and stupefied the brain, and the employee was not equal to the service demanded
of him. That same rule is evidently in existence, as a young man found out by
not getting a position for which he was well qualified. About a year ago, a
bright, young stenographer and typewriter who was only getting about $30 a
month for his work, and not much prospect of an increase or of a promotion,
took the fancy of one of Hamilton’s Old Boys, who here on a visit, who employed
the young fellow at a salary of $45 a month. Here was a raise of $15 over what
he had been getting, and the young fellow determined that if faithful service
could win, he would give the best he was capable of to his generous employers.
He had been in the service of the company only a few months when on payday, he
found in his envelop $65, with a notice that henceforth he would draw that
amount. As a stenographer he had about reached the limit, and having had
experience as a clerk in a railway office in this city, he decided to make a
change to where chances were better for promotion. His employer, while loath to
part with him, kindly promised to help him get a position such as he desired
and asked the young fellow if he would not recommend another Hamilton boy to
take his place. This he did, and when the employer was in the city the other
day on one of his periodic visits, he had an interview with the new
application. He liked the boy’s appearance, and the quickness with which he too
dictation and made a correct typewritten copy. But there was one defect in the
otherwise capable applicant; his fingers showed the yellow tinge of the
cigarette smoker, and when asked if he used cigarettes, the boy confessed that
he indulged in the habit. That was enough. He was not employed, though he may
not have learned the reason, as the gentleman said nothing more. Boys who have
formed the disgusting habit of cigarette smoking might learn a profitable
lesson from this incident.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nearly twenty-seven years ago, a woman
in Englewood, New Jersey, ran up a bill of $30 with her grocer, and soon
afterwards the man died, and the business changed hands. The executors
collected all they could, but the woman referred to was not among those who
paid up. The grocer’s widow moved to Illinois, and the $30 debtor changed her
habitation to another New Jersey town. In one of William Shakespeare’s
writings, there is a sentence to the effect that “Conscience makes cowards of
us all.” This was the case with the woman who owed the grocer’s bill. During
all those long years, she was troubled with insomnia, and if she ever dropped
into sleep, packages of tea and butter seemed to press upon her heart, and the
pungent smell of spices that she had not paid for was ever in her nose; sleep
was banished, and her eyelids were heavy. The sight of a grocer’s wagon passing
along the street added torture to her waking hours, and the woman was haunted
by the ghost of the dead grocer whom she had defrauded, and the tears of the
widow were like molten lead falling upon her conscience. Twenty-seven years was
a long time to suffer for the paltry sum of $30, and at times, she was almost
driven to a frenzy that she feared would end in suicide. The other day she
confessed to her doctor the cause of her sleeplessness, and while she had been
a profitable patient all these years, taking injections to produce sleep, yet
he was a humane man, and even with the prospective loss of many good-sized
checks for medical attendance, he told his patient that the payment of the $30
might be the road to health and sleep. The woman sent a draft to the widow in
Illinois for $30 and interest, and the insomnia immediately left her. She now
sleeps the sleep of the just. As the Spectator is a preacher of righteousness
to its great family of readers, we might suggest an application of the remedy
for insomnia for a harassed merchant who walks the floor at night on account of
unpaid grocery bills. Many truants fail to pay, therefore making it impossible
for him to meet his bills.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the month of July, 1854, when
cholera patients in this city were dying at the rate of eighteen and twenty a
day, a Norwegian immigrant was taken with cramps and the doctors and the friends
of the sick man came to the conclusion that his recovery was next to
impossible. The Norwegian had
considerable money, a gold watch, a lot of clothing, and several articles of
value, which the friends proceeded to divide among themselves, not waiting for
the formality of death to give them the claim to the property. But he didn’t
die, and when he learned what had been done, he demanded the return of his
stuff, which the relatives and friends refused to acquiesce in. It was not
their fault that he did not die, and the doctor had given him up, the proper
thing for him was to turn up his tows and submit gracefully to being placed in
a coffin. The Norwegian could not see it in that light, so he got out of bed
and notified the police. The property was returned, and as the Norwegian was
satisfied, the case was not pressed in the police court.
------------------------------------------------------------
In Saturday’s Musings, we briefly
referred to the easy manner in which the finances of Hamilton were managed in
te early days. There had been frequent hints that things were not run in the city
hall as they ought to be, and as a result, the finance committee employed an
accountant to make an examination of the books. The investigation showed up a
rotten condition, one of the officials who had the handling of the funds being
a defaulter in the amount of several thousand dollars. His excuse to the
committee was that he trusted too much to memory, instead of making a record of
all the money received. One method of the official was to have the mayor to
certify to bills a second time. This led to the discovery that the city was
being robbed , for the mayor remembered having signed a certain check for 7
pounds ten shillings, which he had certified to once before. The tavern license
was one of the profitable grafts, the officer failing to turn over to the
chamberlain the amount collected. Another snap was the cemetery lots, the
parties getting their deeds but not credited for the amount paid for them. When
the officer was detected, he made good when the proof was positive against, but
as he was not under bonds, there was no way to en force collection of all. To
save himself from dismissal, the officer resigned. The mayor said that the more
the accounts were probed into, the worse they would be found, so the council
accepted the resignation and closed the old books, the city being the loser of
quite an amount. The tax collectors were also under suspicion of not turning in
the amount collected, and at the meeting of the council, when it was proposed
to reappoint them for another year, Terry Brannigan objected till such time as he
had full reports. The collectors had not made settlement for three years, but
the majority of the council was easy, and Terry’s amendment was lost. After that
experience, the council required the city officers to give bond for the
faithful discharge of their duties.
-------------------------------------------------------------
At the meeting of the City council
held September 5, 1854, Thomas Beasley was elected city clerk. Richard Bull,
James Wetenhall and Theodore A. Ambridge were candidates for the office, but
Mr. Beasley had the call from the start and after a number of votes were taken,
he was elected by 13 to 6. For nearly 49 years, Mr. Beasley has been city
clerk, and never has the breath of scandal touched the official record.
Probably no man in Hamilton has as good knowledge of its civic history. He is
the last of the old guard, and attends regularly to business.
-------------------------------------------------------
While Terry Brannigan was somewhat of
a grafter when he was one of the city fathers, he served quite a useful purpose
in keeping things stirred up, and brought to light many of the schemes of his
fellow members in council. The city hospital was not much of an affair, and
every now and then, the management was being investigated by special
committees. Terry stated at one meeting a case of brutality that one would hardly
expect to find in a public institution. A young man died in the hospital whose friends
were very poor, and before the authorities would allow the body to be removed
for burial, a demand was made for payment of $3. As the family was able to pay
the money, Terry Brannigan paid it out of his own pocket to the hospital
superintendent. Before the death of the young man, his sister visited the
hospital to read and pray with her brother. This the superintendent would not
allow, and he turned the girl out saying he wanted “no reading or praying in
that establishment.” Terry made things lively for the superintendent, but it
all ended in only a mild reproof by the committee.
----------------------------------------------------------------
One week from next Monday, Hamilton
will be dressed in holiday attire to give a hearty welcome to the old boys and
girls who left home in the hope of bettering their condition of life. That the
majority have prospered goes without saying, for the letters to the old folks
at home have been full of good cheer. Hamilton will kill the fatted calf and
make merry during the few days in which the visitors will be with us Their stay
will be short, but this is not their fault, for the railroad companies have cut
the time so close that it will only be “how do you do?” and “Goodbye.” No doubt
the short limit on the railroad tickets will prevent many from coming who have
been looking forward to the anticipated visit. Those coming from Chicago expected nothing less
than fifteen days’ limit and hoped for thirty days, with at least half-fare
rate. Instead they get only ten days and a rate of $13.70. It is unfortunate
that the home-comers have not been more generously dealt with. Compare the
above rate with what is offered on two excursions from Peoria, Illinois to
Niagara Falls. The round trip from Peoria to the Falls with fifteen days’ limit
is only $8.50 and the distance fully 175 miles longer, and the excursionists
have the privilege of traveling part of the way by water if they prefer it.
And there are half a dozen excursions this month from Niagara Falls to New
York, Philadelphia, and the fashionable summer resorts, good for fifteen days,
of less than $10 for the round trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment