470 Sham Employers . \ August, 
his work, but for his “ general good character and veracity.’ , 
It is a general custom of some Sham Employers to give 
good credentials to nuisances that they wish to rid them- 
selves of. At last the crisis came, through the utter defiance 
of his workman to obey him in regulating a furnace heat, 
who, after a little parley in words, put on his coat and walked 
out of the place, after throwing a threatening look behind, 
as much as to say “ I’ll do for you.” Next morning the 
foreman in question quietly donned his best suit of clothes, 
and proceeded to meet his master at the railway station. 
Having met him, and having got over his employer’s asto- 
nishment at seeing him off duty (as that species of men 
generally impress upon their masters the notion that their 
services are indispensable), he explained the reason of his 
absence in the most exaggerated terms, at the same time 
making personal allusions as to my friend’s character, which 
was blameless. Our poor credulous Sham hired a cab, and 
at the same time lowered his dignity by driving a Judas with 
him to the Works. On arriving he at once charged against 
my friend the allegations that his subordinate had loaded 
him with, and would not even listen to the manager’s denial 
of the charges, but in a patronising air told him to behave 
better in future, and ordered the foreman to take his place 
as usual, thus reinstating scandal and hypocrisy, and counter- 
manding his manager’s wishes. What man of education, 
and especially one who knew his profession thoroughly, and 
who was lining his employer’s pockets with money, could 
bear this ? You may aCt the philosopher to a certain extent, 
but at the moment injured innocence is predominant in 
man’s feelings. The result was that our over-credulous and 
biassed employer lost a valuable help. He also lost heavily, 
as few were qualified to finish the plant or work it from 
where it was left, and those few would not engage with him, 
as they were established elsewhere and the positions they 
held were good. Other managers were tried, but the spe- 
cialities to be manufactured were a puzzle to them, and he 
had to give up the idea of that manufacture and pursue a 
less lucrative branch, much to his own chagrin and to the 
amusement of others. I decidedly call this type of employer 
“ Sham,” from his over-credulous ear to an under workman, 
ignoring his manager’s word, and listening to the preliminary 
scandal and stories of the workman, whilst at the same time 
aCting with a fair hypocritical demeanour to his manager till 
the final crisis came. 
Another one of the type is the “ Sham ” who would force 
untrue results from his servant, and if not complied with 
