DIRECTORS GET A SHOCK
On the following morning the plans of the furnaces were taken to the
office of the general superintendent, where he and the chief engineer
went into earnest consultation. The result of the conversation was that
draughtsmen were called in, and the plan made as clear to them as
possible, so that they might prepare rough drawings of the proposed
change.
These rough drawings were submitted late that afternoon, and Rush was
sent for to report at the superintendent's office. Together the three
went over the plans in detail.
"Have you anything to suggest?" asked the engineer, after explaining the
drawings.
Steve had some slight changes to suggest, but in the main his ideas had
been fairly well followed out by the draughtsmen. He did suggest,
however, that the action should be not hasty; that perhaps defects would
develop if they should take more time for consideration.
Both officials agreed that this was wise, and besides it was thought
best to lay the whole matter before the directors for their approval or
disapproval.
A week passed, during which time many changes were made and new drawings
and blueprints prepared. Steve had gone back to his work at the furnace,
where he and Bob worked faithfully, becoming more and more familiar with
the particular branch of the steel industry with which they were
connected. The meeting of the directors was to take place at the end of
that week, and Mr. Keating requested Steve to be present. This Steve did
not wish to do. It seemed to him like crowding himself on the attention
of the president of the steel company, as well as the other officials
who would be present.
The superintendent, seeing how reluctant the boy was to attend the
meeting, withdrew his request, as there was no real necessity for
Steve's being there. Mr. Keating had hoped to do just what Rush did not
wish him to--call the attention of the officials sharply to the Iron
Boy.
"You are too modest, young man," said Mr. Keating with a laugh. "But I
shall see that you lose nothing by being so. I am going to tell the
directors plainly that you are wholly responsible for the plan, of which
none of us ever had thought, and I am going to suggest that you be
appointed to a place worth while."
"Not until I have earned it," answered Steve with emphasis.
"It strikes me that you have already earned promotion, young man."
"I do not mean it in that way, I mean that I do not wish promotion until
I have passed through all the successive stages and learned the steel
business from the bottom to the top. I expect I shall be about ready to
die by that time," added the boy, with a faint smile. "There is a great
deal more to learn that I had the least idea of."
"You are making rapid progress, I must say."
"If you wish to transfer me to some other department on the first of the
month I shall appreciate the favor. I am, to a certain extent, familiar
with the furnaces and I want to keep moving, sir."
"It shall be done. I had intended to do so without your request. I am
glad, however, to have you make even a small request of me."
The meeting of the directors was a lengthy one. Their interest was
aroused at once when the chief engineer rose and told them of the plans
for utilizing the waste gas from the furnace stoves. He was assailed by
questions from all sides. The directors were progressive men, and they
quickly realized the value of the suggestion if it could be applied.
The question of the cost was taken up and this Mr. Phillips had figured
down to the minutest detail. He was enabled to tell them that, barring
accidents, the cost of the construction and material would reach a
certain figure.
After listening, the directors adopted the suggestions entire. One of
them rose and proposed a vote of thanks to the chief engineer and to the
superintendent.
Mr. Keating was on his feet at once.
"Gentlemen, while we appreciate your kindness it would be unfair for Mr.
Phillips and myself to assume the credit for the plans you have passed
upon this afternoon. Mr. Phillips will verify what I say when I tell you
that the suggestion did not come from us. Frankly, we had never thought
of it; perhaps never should have thought of it. The credit belongs to
some one else."
"Who is he?" asked one of the directors.
"A young apprentice in the mills. His name is Rush, Stephen Rush. The
whole idea is his own almost exactly as has been adopted by yourselves.
He is a furnace man at number four, he and his friend, a boy named
Jarvis, also a remarkable young man."
"Then we must do something for this young fellow. His suggestion is a
good one. Do you think he realizes how valuable it is?"
"Oh, yes," answered Mr. Keating with a smile. "He was well aware of
that before he made the suggestion. It was its value to the mills that
led him to offer it."
"How much does he want?" questioned the director.
"Nothing, so far as I know. He is not that kind."
"Then I will propose," said the director rather pompously, "that we make
the young gentleman a present of fifty dollars in gold. That ought to be
a whole lot of money for him."
"Oughtn't we to make it more than that?" asked another of the board. "It
seems like a rather small sum for the service rendered, seeing that we
shall save thousands of dollars a year by the process."
"No; it is a great plenty. That's the way to spoil these young fellows.
They get an exaggerated idea of their importance."
"I beg your pardon; these boys do not," interrupted the general
superintendent, though it was not his place to interfere. "It will take
more than fifty dollars in gold to spoil either of them."
"It's enough. It is a very fine present, and the boy will be delighted
with it, you see if he isn't."
The directors voted to make Steve Rush a present as proposed by the
member of the board who had fixed the amount. Mr. Keating glanced
significantly at the chief engineer, and the chief engineer glanced
significantly at the superintendent.
It was decided that the work should be begun at once. All the material
for the purpose was in stock in the mills, save the cement for the
concrete abutment out in the middle of the river. It was necessary to
construct this to hold up the heavy pipe that was to convey the gas
across the river to operate the gas engines.
Practically all of the further details were left to Mr. Keating and Mr.
Phillips, for the two men possessed the entire confidence of the board,
as was naturally the case. They would not have been in their responsible
positions had they not been tried and true men.
The superintendent was ordered to hand Steve Rush the money as voted by
the board, and for the purpose of carrying out his orders Mr. Keating
summoned Steve to the office after the board meeting.
The lad reported. He was called in to the private office before all the
directors had left. The president of the corporation was there, the
secretary and two directors. They looked at the manly young fellow with
more than ordinary interest. Mr. Keating introduced Steve to them.
"What, that young gentleman a furnace hand? Impossible!" exclaimed the
president. "Why, he appears like a man of culture and education. I
wonder how he will take the fifty dollar proposition?"
He was soon to learn. Mr. Keating rose and proceeded to express the
thanks of the board of directors for Steve Rush's great service to the
company, to all of which the boy listened attentively, but without
emotion, looking the superintendent steadily in the eyes.
"I am instructed by the board, Rush, to ask you to accept a slight token
of their appreciation. Here are fifty dollars in gold that the board has
voted to you. I hope you will take it in the same spirit in which it is
offered."
Steve never knew whether the superintendent meant to be sarcastic or
not, but the boy was inclined to think not under the circumstances. Rush
drew himself up, his shoulders squared back a little further than was
their wont, while a faint color suffused his cheeks.
"I thank you, gentlemen, but I cannot accept it."
"Not accept it?" demanded the secretary. "Perhaps it is not enough to
suit you, sir?"
There was sarcasm in the tone of the secretary, certainly. His
associates gave him a glance of disapproval. Steve turned toward him
with the same steady gaze that he had fixed on the superintendent during
the latter's remarks.
"Sir, were I the kind of man who was looking for that sort of reward,
fifty dollars certainly would be considered inadequate when one
considers that the new plan will save your company thousands of
dollars."
The directors started back in surprise. Such words as these, from an
employé, were unusual to say the least.
"Then--then you want more money, eh?" almost shouted the secretary. "So
that's where the shoe pinches, is it?"
"No, sir; the shoe doesn't pinch at all. I am paid by this company for
my services, paid the same as my fellow-workers are paid. If, in the
course of my employment, I am able to make any improvements or to
suggest improvements that will better the service, I consider that such
suggestions or improvements are wholly the property of my employer. I am
neither entitled to nor wish additional pay for them. Believe me,
gentlemen, I should not be backward about asking for what I thought
rightfully belonged to me. I hope none of you will misunderstand me. May
I retire, sir?" he added, turning questioningly to Mr. Keating.
The superintendent nodded. Steve's bold stand had frustrated Mr.
Keating as well as the others. For a few seconds after Rush's departure
no one spoke; then, all at once the president burst out laughing.
"That's the time you met your match, I am thinking, Conkling."
"An impudent young rascal!" exploded the secretary. "To think he would
dare stand there and insult us in that fashion. It was the most
outrageous thing I ever heard of."
"Wait; hold on, Conkling," protested the president.
"I demand his discharge. We don't want a man like that in our employ."
"Now don't get excited. Are we going to let a monkey-man from furnace
four involve this board in a fight?" The president's eyes twinkled
merrily. He was enjoying the situation.
"I--I don't care; he must be discharged."
"On the contrary, Conkling, he will stay. That young man is just the
kind of man we want here."
The superintendent spoke with considerable emphasis.
"What he says is true, Conkling, so far as the fifty dollars is
concerned," continued the president. "Had I known what sort of boy we
had to deal with I certainly should have insisted on your voting him
more money or else none at all."
"He would not have accepted it under the circumstances," interrupted Mr.
Keating.
"No; that is quite evident, and I respect him for his position. You must
admit, gentlemen, that Rush's viewpoint is somewhat unusual these days.
How much is he earning, Keating?"
"His wages are a dollar a day."
"Then promote him at once."
"I have offered to, but he doesn't want it. He is working his way up,
and desires to follow the same course that any one does in going through
the mills. Mr. Carrhart is responsible for his being here. He takes a
very keen interest in both boys."
"Oh, he does, eh?"
"Yes, sir. The young men are not in want. Each of them own several
thousand dollars worth of stock in this company."
"What?" almost shrieked the secretary who had not yet recovered his
equilibrium.
The president laughed uproariously.
"This is too good. Here we've been voting a paltry fifty dollars to a
man who is practically entitled to call us to account for so doing. We
are his employés as much as he is ours. This is too good! I shall have
to tell that story at the club," and the president indulged in another
burst of laughter.
No one enjoyed the discomfiture of the secretary more than Mr. Keating
and Mr. Phillips. The faces of both men bore smiles that they were
unable to hide. The directors left soon after that. In going out, the
president approached the superintendent.
"Keating, I hope you will look out for that young man."
"You may depend upon my doing so. I already have taken a great interest
in both of them."
"I suppose I ought to order you to dismiss him, for if we men don't look
out he'll be grabbing our own jobs some of these days."
The president went away, chuckling at his own witticism. After they had
gone the two dignified men, namely, Superintendent Keating and Chief
Engineer Phillips leaned back in their chairs and indulged in a good
laugh at the directors' expense.