By Don C. Brunell

Our parents drilled into our heads that saying “please” and “thank you” were not only part of everyday life, but were essential to operating a successful business. They are the basic ingredients of “Good Manners.”

For more than 30 years, our family owned and operated the garbage collection business for Walkerville, a small incorporated Montana city north of Butte. It was part-time operation, which required about 8 hours a week.

In the early 1950s, our family posted a $100 bond and took it over. Previous owners thought it was too small to be profitable given t...