The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-11-07
Be Thorough.

1t was Carlyle who said, ''Genius is an
immense capacity for taking trouble" and
George Eliot gives the same thought in
other words: "Genious is, at first, little
more than great capacity for receiving
discipline" The most successful have al
ways been the most painstaking. A prom
inent judge, living near Cincinnati, wishing
to have rough fence built, sent for car.
penter, and said to him: IN
II want this fence mended to keep out
the cattle. There are some unplaned
boards-use them. 1t is out of sight
from the house, so you need not take time
to make neat job. I will only pay dol.
lar and half"
However, afterwards, the Judge, coming
to look at the work, found the boards were
planed and the fence finished with ex
ceeding neatness. Supposing the young
man had done it to make a costly job of it,
he said angrily:
Il told you this fence was to be covered
with vines. do not care how it locks"
Il do, said the carpenter.
chow Eiuch do you charger" then asked
the Judge
IA dollar and a-half, said the man,
shouldering his tools.
"Why did you spend all that labor on a
job if not for the money!"
"For the job, sir
Nobody would have seen the poor work
on it."
"But | 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 afterwards the judge had
contract to give for the building of certain
magnificent public buildings. There were
many applicants among master-builders,
but one face attracted attention. It was
that of the man who had built the fence.
81 knew" said the judge, afterwards
telling the story, "we should have only
good, genuine work from him. [ gave
him the contract and it made rich man
of him.
The Hon. Josiah Quincy was at one
time conversing with Daniel Webster upon
the Importance of doing even the smalle1t
thing thoroughly and well, when the great
man related an incident concerning petty
insurance case which was brought to him
while young lawyer in Portsmouth. The
fee promised was only $50. 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
little, he decided to 90 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 i'm
portant insurance case was to be tried that
day, and one of the counsel had been sud-
denly prostrated by illness. Money was
no object, and Webster was asked to name
his terms and conduct the case.
''It 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 memory, 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 con-
cluded, Il was handsomely paid, both in
fame and money, for that journey; 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 bust
ness habits were careless and unmethodicaI,
succeeded, by hard work and economy, in
establishing a prosperous business, but
failed and went into bankruptcy at the
early age of thirty-fve because of his care
lessness in emitting to place a note for
large amount in his bills payable.