Medina High School - Mirror Yearbook (Medina, NY)

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ill , . . The Mirror boss and I eouldn't get along together. He was too fussy. I tell you a fellow ean't bother with the little things in this world, life is too short. The next day he went on the road. For a week things went nicely. Mercliants fairly oyerstocked their stores, he was so polite and per- suasive. By the end of the second week things were harder. The third week the firm transferred him to a new territory. Six weeks passed. Then one day there came a call for Mr. Linden. For the first time in his life Dale felt nervous as he approached the office marked Private, He hadn't done extra well during the past week, but thunder! Didn't he have a harder line than some of the guys? And besides he hadn't been feeling well during the week. But that wasn't anything that he couldn't remedy. Perhaps the boss might even be planning to give him a raise Wlien he opened the door, he got one, though not the kind he had expected. Aaron Fproul was seated at his desk, dictating a letter. He saw Dale enter. Sit down, he grunted, then he went on with his letter. Dale carefully selected a chair, leaned back comfortably, and assumed a sang-froid manner. Sproul finished his dictating, That will he all, Miss Nowel. ' The stenographer left the room. Spinning around in his chair, he eyed Dale with a sardonic smile. Well, well, l see 'ittle tootsie is able to be out this morning. Poor dear 'ittle thing. Dale stared, You, you talking to me? Certainly you tomato top? Say, kid, l'll give you credit for putting it over on me. Wlien l hired you, I thought I was getting something. I did. Shades of Jasper! Look at these slips. He grabbed up a bunch of blue papers from his desk. They were canceled and blank orders. Dale knew they were his, but he hadn't realized that they had counted up so fast. Fifteen of them shot. VVhat the matter? Have you been down at Panama for the week-end? Of course I know a simple little job like this isn't anything. I am sure you have something up your sleeve. Probably you expect the president will take you in as a partner- Say, you little sawed-off brat. You've got a hump on your head like Mount Vesuvius, and it's swelling every day. Quit spilling lava for awhile. Get down to business and make up your mind to do some- thing. You seem to have the idea that this company is a nursemaid's charity organization that furnishes the bottles for young calves like you to suck upon. Bur-r-r, look at those orders. How would you like me to frame 'e1n, hang them up where the boys can see what a smart young salesman we have? Dale was speechless for a moment. Then, wiping a perspiring bI'ow, his old swagger came back. Huh, I guess you haven't any cause to 'Fen rd- ' 4 P+- rn .Q M A .. A ,p

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illibe jliilirrnr THE SKY ROCKET E WAS born IH an A1l'16I'1K1I1 city The ultimate results would have been the same, had he lived in Uskosh. When he was three li'5i1lf.i?l years old, he was the smartest kid in town. He started school When he was five. He told his teacher that his name was Dale Linden and some day he was going to be president of the United States. When he Was thirteen he entered high school. Within a month he had been elected president of his class, was wearing a red necktie, and was smoothly telling the world how it should be run. By the time he had struggled through l1is third year in high school, his momentum had ceased so far as an education was concerned. What the world really needed was a business man. High school was all right for school teachers and old fogies, but a real up-to-the-minute'man-of- the-world didn 't need high school training any more than a Hottentot. One night he brought his books home. The next day he obtained his first position. He was to be a grocer's assistant with a salary of fifteen dollars per week. By bed time his parents learned that he was clerk, a partner in the firm, then sole owner controlling a chain of stores throughout the Union. His father spent his time at the club or playing golf, while the good mother called on her neighbors via Rolls Royce. Meanwhile, the son casting his money with either hand, would be one of the most prominent men in America. He lasted exactly six Weeks. When he carelessly lost a valuable order, he was discha1'ged. Vilas he discouraged? Certainly not! The grocery line was small town stuff. It was a blind alley job. He knew better than to get in a rut.', Fellows who became stuck in one of these rutty positions never earned even a respectable livelihood. How- ever, he did not find his next position so easily as he had the first. One day he learned that the Equity VVholesale grocers were training young men to be salesmen. He made an application for the job. Aaron Sproul, one of the Equity's most precious assets, signed up the young rather good looking lad who had stepped into his oliicc. Considering him for a moment Sproul suddenly lurched forward and drilled young Linden with hard steely blue eyes. lf l give you this job, do you think you can stick to it? Dale was sure. Here was something worth-while, a million dollar company was backing him, backing him to win and make good. Well he 'd show 'em. Certainly, I can hold this job, said Dale effusively. The blue eyes neverwavered. You know that when we hire a man, we intend that some day he will be a secretary or vice-president. Great, exclaimed Dale. VVhy in a month l'll bet l'lI be cover- ing twice the amount of territory some of your best men are doing now. You know, this isn't new stuff. I have worked in this line before. The CHARLES PARISH in 'll 1 l Nine

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Zlibe jllllirrnr wade into me like that. Why. I could have you arrested for slander. Sproul snapped his lingers, 't'Faugh! What I had better get is a wet blanket before I try dealing with babies like you. Linden, this is just what you need. You think you know the selling game. Really you're the dumbest of the dumb. You seem to think you can work the game of bluff. Lad, it simply isn't done. You're up against facts, cold hard unyielding facts. You 're a rotter. Within a year, unless you reform, you will form apart of the scum which covers our alleys and back streets. You resemble a rocket. Up with a glorious, flaming, hissing bank! Bursting like a fairy bubble, then ll0VV11 you come like the stick. Oh boy! Wake up, stop blatting about what you 're going to do. Get d0W1l and really show us. What do you say? , Dale looked toward the hard featured man before him then toward the open door and the cool peaceful stairway beyond. That night Aneswoi th, a veteran knight of theroad found an order pad on tl1e floor. He handel it to a clerk. Here is young Linden's order pad. He must have lost it. i The clerk stopped a moment, lt's 110 good. Linden and tl1e boss had a 'chew' today. Linden quit. The clerk Went on his errand. The matter was settled so far as he was concerned. Witllill a year Dale obtained nine positions. He managed to hold one for three months, selling cigars in a tiny joint. His salary was eighteen dollars a weekp Later, l1e decided to learn wireless teleg- raphy. Wireless operators didn't earn very much, but it was a great business. There wasn't any fussy detail about this. All you had to do was pound a little key now and then and look real professional and scientific. He started to learn in a radio school but before he had half finished the course, he ruined a five hundred dollar radio set. One day he didn 't bother to throw the switch before trying to send. Tl1e cur- rent passed through the delicate receiving instruments and burned out the coils. Meanwhile an aunt of llale's who lived out in the country, oblig- ingly died, leaving her beloved nephew her estate, providing that he would come and live on it. It was soon settled that Dale should live in the country. The cool fresh air would do him good, and the health- ful exercise would make a man of l1in1. Three days later he left the city. In his trunk were several pair of overalls, a sporting rifle, a forty dollar fishing tackle outfit, a butterfly net, and several seed cat- alogues. Some time afterward his parents learned that he had left the farm and gone into the mercantile business. Farming was all right for illiter- ates but it was an insult to a clever business man like him. 'F is 'lf X Ill' ilk ik 'lk if 7 The years slipped by. Aaron Sproul was enjoying a 1o11g distance iii I-un nn- I ' 1 , l W' Ml Eleven