The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-07-04

1t was Carlyle who said, "Genlus is
an immense capacity for taking trou-
ble," and George Eliot gives the same
thought in other words: "Genius is,
at first, little more than great capac-
ity for receiving discipline" f" The
most successful have always been the
most painstaking. A prominent judge,
living scar Cincinnati, wishing to have
rough fence built, sent for carpen-
ter, and said to him:
81 want this fence mended to keep
out the cattle. There are some un-
planed boards-use them. 1t is out of
sight from the house, so you need not
take time to make neat job. | will
only pay dollar and a-half."
However, afterward, the judge, COM
ing to look at the work, found the
boards were planed and the fence fin
ished with exceeding neatneSs. Sup
posing the young man had done it to
make costly job of it, he said angrily:
81 told you this fence was to be COW
cred with vines. do not care how it
looks"
81 do" said the carpenter.
"How much do you charger" then
asked the judge.
. ga dollar and half,' said the man,
shouldering his tools.
"Why did you spend all that labor
on the job if not for the money!"
"For the job sir"
"Nobody would have seen the poor
work on it,
''But l should have known it was
there. No; I'll take only the dollar
and a half" And he took it and went
away.
Ten years afterward the Judge had a
contract to give for the building of GER
tain magnificent public buildings.
There were many applicants among
master-builders, but one face attracted
attention. If was that of the man who
had built the fence.
81 knew" said the judge, afterward
telling the story, ''we should have only
good, genuine work from him. gave
him the contract, and made rich man
of him."
The Hon. Josiah Quincy was at one
time conversing with Daniel Webster
upon the importance of doing even the
smallest thing thoroughly and well,
when the great man related an incident
concerning petty insurance case which
was brought to him while a young law
yer in Portsmouth. The fee promised
was only $40. Yet, to do his clients
full justice, Webster found he must
journey to Boston to consult the law
library. This involved an expense Of
above the amount of his fee, but after
hesitating a little, he decided to 60 to
Boston and consult the authorities let
the cost be what it might. He gained
the case.
Years after this Webster was passing
through the city of New York. An
important insurance case was to be
tried that day, and one of the counsel
had been suddenly prostrated by i'll
ness. Money was no object, and Web
ster was asked to name his terms and
conduct the case.
SIT is preposterous, said he, "to
expect me to prepare legal argument
at few hours notice.
But when they insisted that he should
look at the papers, he consented. 1t
was his old twenty-dollar case over
again, and, having remarkable men,
ory, he had all the authorities in his
mind, and won the suit. The court
knew he had no time for preparation,
and was astonished at the skill with
which he handled the case.
$50 you see," said Webster; as he
concluded, 81 was handsomely paid,
both in fame and money, for the jour-
ney; and the moral is that good work
is rewarded in the end, though, to be
sure, ones self-approval should be
enough"
Thoroughness implies attention to
details, neatness and method. A young
man who was shrewd and exacting, but
whose business habits were careless and
unmethodical, succeeded, by hard work
and economy, in establishing pros
porous business, but failed and went
into bankruptcy at the early age of
thirty-fve because of his carelessness in
omitting to place note for large
amount in his bills payable.