| Show i I STORIES TOLD Op or NELSON MORRIS Chicago Tribune Two things characterized Nelson Kelson Morris among his friends and antt ani associates in the stockyards They The were his high squeaky voice and his habit of whittling And of ot his whittling no end of or stories are told Once whey be was wa making his annual winter trip california to Mr ris na was left lef alone for q a few tew hours bours In a stateroom of his lii handsomely decorated private car In which he and his hig family were making the trip tip west west Later Lter when his wife wie returned she found the window windowsills windowsills sills sis the walls wals of ot the car and the chair arms all ail of ot which were carved cared from the th costliest of hardwoods hacked and ad gouged and splintered until the whole place had more the appearance of a carpenters workshop than a stateroom When his hi wife wie looked looke at him accusingly he stopped whittling and then seeing what he had done he ho remarked in his usual squeak voice Oh by jing ma look what Ive Ive done I 1 bet 1 Ill Ill 11 catch the dickens for this Whittling was the packers favorite amusement Whenever he went out Into the yards ards there always alwa s was a pine stick in the fhe buggy bugg put there by b a boy bo named Jimmy Wall Val whose main duty it I was wa to tofee see fee ee that his employer was kept supplied with wih ith whittling material material Jimmy also was supposed to buy bu the office stamps but this duty he shoved off on to one of ot the theother theother theother other boys bo s Sometimes the other boys bo s objected and a written complaint was wa sent to the beef beet baron Now you ou never mind little Jimmy he ha would say sy in his voles voice That boy bo knows where theres all al kinos i of pine sticks without knots knoL in em and enough for him to know You let l t little him Jimm alone and anu an quit qui pegging at Little Lite Jimmy who was known know from one end of the stockyards stock ards to the other as Nels Nell Morris official stick finder died a few years ears ago and it I is 15 recorded one was more distressed over his death than the millionaire packer for whom he had worked Mr r Morris was scrupulously accurate In his business affairs In the early eary days of the stockyards accounts between the packers and cattlemen often ofen were carried In tha tImo heads of the men who vho with each other Often Ofen when he was doln doIng business in a small smal way wa at the old Myrick yards he did all al of ot his bookkeeping In his head he and ad this developed in him a re remarkable remarkable remarkable capacity for detail It I also made his memory keen as one man at least learned leared to his sorrow Remembered an Debt When hen young Morris Mons first came to Chi Chicago Chicago Chicago cago he did odd jobs about the old Myrick hotel at street and Cottage Grove avenue years ears later when he lie was established in the present stockyards he e met a man who had known him in the old days Mr Jr Morris had reason to believe bleve that this man disliked him on account of his Jewish origin and this belief belef was strengthened when the theman theman theman man asked aked him In the presence of some of ot his friends if he remembered the time when he blacked boots bot for a living I suppose you ou remember me said the theman theman theman man and how you used to black my m boots when I came to town Yes the tIme packer squeaked Yes Ill Il never forget you ou Ive Ive got a little book bookIn In my my attic at home which shows that you ou owe me 85 S cents cente The Tl man stammered about a willingness to pity pay p y but the great packer was gone be before b before fore he could get the money mone out of his pocket pocket How Scotty Scoty Stole Stoic the Overcoat No one knew Nelson Morris as well wel as Scotty Scoty Woods now in the government inspection service serice Scotty Scott together with Buck McCarthy cCarthy the former stock stockyards stok stockyards yards ards politician t who died last winter used to wo k for the packer when he first began to export the products of his pack packIng pak packing Ing house and they often ofen were commis commissioned commissioned to t visit the seaboard cities cites to see that consignments consignment of beef both on and off the hoof got through properly pro erl One cold winter day da Scotty Scoty and Buck were told to prepare for a a trip to Providence R I At ot that time Scot Scotty Scotty Scotty ty had an overcoat that was entitled to toa toa toa a pension It if ever long service deserved that reward Also he knew that his em employer employer employer had a a fine English melton coat which had been presented to him by a London tailor and which he had never nev r worn The coat had ha hung all al winter in inthe Inthe inthe the packers packers private office and Scotty Scoty figuring that some some one else would steal it I If I he made away with it I the night before he was to start east eastA eastA eastA A few days das later when he and Buck returned from Providence they the saw Mor Morris ris standing in one of the cattle catte pens hag gling with wih a salesman over the price 01 of some fine steers They walked up to re report report report port port Scotty Scot having forgotten about the purloined coat although he was still stil wearing It I Well Wel we got back all al right dad said Scotty who al s addressed his em employer employer employer as dad For a minute the packer said nothing but he looked at Scottys coat care fully fUl cre And It I was cold down east Scotty Scoty he asked aked finally Pretty cold dad said Scotty Scot as his conscience began to tingle I see you bought yourself a new over coat coat herye You see dad It like this thisBy thisBy By B this time the packer was smiling broadly broad Never mind Scotty he squeaked as he h started toward the office Its al alright all allright right right Its Is all al right right my boy But But Is say sa al Scotty Scoty Ive got a fine new hat in mj my m wardrobe at home and ad if I you OU say the word Ill Il leave the basement window un locked tonight tonight Pitied Woman Who Scolded Him Morris Mors was known all al over the stock stockyards yards for his charities chartes although he never nev r was ostentatious in this regard One day during the hard times of 1593 he am and Woods were riding along one of the streets in the vicinity of the stockyards when they came upon five e women stand ing in the road crying The packer stop ped Jed to inquire Into their difficulty and was told by one of the women that al all their children were sick and hungry and al that none of them had anything o eat Whereupon h he ordered his companion t eat to take them all al to the bank and give them then 10 each Before Woods started one o of the women recognizing the packer ani anti and knowing him to be a wealthy man be began began begun gan gun to revile revie him for not offering them more than 1 10 All Al right Scotty Scoty he be said You may maj ma give the others 10 but dont give gle tide this woman anything an At that the woman began to cry bu but Morris drove away awa before she could make mako but an apology The next day however he called cled Scotty Scoty over to his desk to ask him what the woman had ha done or saId sale after ater he had hal gone Scotty Scoty had hd noticed that his Ilia employer seemed to be worried about it I and when he told him that he had given gien all al of tho tb women 10 as aE he had been ordered a at first Morris orris was relieved Scotty Scot he said Eald its Its a a good goed goo thing I theres there a little sense between the tha two of ofus ofus ofus us us I was awake all al night wondering h hou t i you ou had let me make a 8 fool of myself over a little morey more If I you ou see that wo woman woman woman I man again give her 50 |
