The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-18
Row COL RRICE GOT RICH.
ae Disobeyed Orders, But His Employ
er Was Glad of 1t.
From tie NeAo York World

CA w GO GAa6 va
From, the Nelc York World
1t isn't often that a man owes his success
in life to direct disobedience of explicit or
ders, said gentleman 10 reporter yeSter-
day, but Calvin s Brice, chairman Of
the national democratic executive commit
tee, is an example OF what a man can gain
by doing exactly what he is told not to do,
and rlsSing his whole future and has repu-
tatlon on his own Judgment"
The story Is an interesting one, and in all
probability is known 10 very few person out
SIDE Of the state of Ohio, and not Co great
many even there. Less than nine years
ago Mr.. Brice had not dollar in the world.
lndeed, 1t might be truthfully said that he
was worth several hundred dollars less than
nothing. To-Day be is five times million
are, and he owes his fortune, or rather,
the bass OF 1t, t. acting in opposition TO a
command which he was 10 have been paid
10 execute. In IS19-'S0 Mr.. Brlce was
lawyer in Columbus, O. lie had brains,
ability and an aptitude for his profession,
but be lacked one important factor, Without
which the most profound jurlss in the uni
verse cannot hope to succeed--he had no
clients. Besides tnis, he " as wofuly perplexed
because there was mortgage ON hi mothers
house, and, as tHere had boon default in
the payment of interest, foreclosure wss
imminent. The holder of the NOR gage
was the then governor, "Caayley" Fosiec,
and he did not seem disp 1sed TO grant any
further time for the settlement of the ar
rearage. Mr. Brice could not raise enough
money to meet the claim, although the lien
was for the comparatively Insignificant sum
NJ $4,000. and he made personal appeal TO
the governor.
81 caunou see the roof sold over my moth
ers head, he said TO Foster, land unless can
get some business that will bring me a re-
turn you viii sacrifice the property.
want you TO give me some OF your legal In
UerestS TO look after. Anything at all. |
must have something"
Il am very sorry, Brice," replied the
governor, but nave nothing at all just
now that | caa throw i'll your way
Then appoint me to some oil e" sug-
yested the young lawyer in despair II
can fill any position where perseverance,
and industry viii count All want is the
Opportunity"
THAT, too, is impossible" answered Mr..
Foster, Il am a republican and you ara
democrat You can readily See that |
couldn't possibly do what you ask even if
had vacancy at my disposal which
haven't. I'll tell you what III do, though.
want some ono 10 go to New York for mo
and attend to some matters on Wall street,
IL NOu WANT u SO anu NllNptAASOAf a. lON
are told, l will give you $500. Now, that
is the very best have to offer. Meantime
the foreclosure OF the mortgage may be held
in allegiance. All | want is that | shall be
oteyed implicitly. Do you understands
OF course Lawyer Brlce jumped at the
chance, and overjoyed he was to get it. The
next day he packed his grip and was soon
hying eastward At that time there was a
deal in progress, which was preliminary TO
the great hocking Valley deal, and in this
Gov. Foster was interested. He told Mr.
Brice just what he wanted done, and warned
him against being led of by the apparent
inconsistency of the instructions aud acting
IN opposition thereto. He was careful to
impress this on the anbas ador's mind al
the last moment, when the train was NOV
ing off,
Mr.. Brice went among the bulls and bears
upon his arrival and began to reconnoi er.
Possessing the perceptive faculty to a
marked degree and endowed with unusual
~ Keen foresight he saw that to carry out
the orders he had received would certainly
mean a loss to his employer, and he deter
mined to assume the extraordinary risk of
acting counter TO his instructions. This,
afCer careful elaboration, he did, and tote
graphed the announcement of his d;sobed-
ienco to Columbus Tho governor, was not
there whel the dispatch was received, but
when he did get 1t his anger was DoundleSs.
He sont a characteristic message to Brice
asking him what he meant by such an ac-
ton after be ng so carefully warAed and in
structed to do just the other thing.
To TINS Mr. Brce was aDlo 70 reply the
same day, because | saw chance to make
SAC, 900 for you, and | made it," Thon he
started for home. II may he correctly sur
missed that Foster had cooled down consid-
erably before his venturesome agent re-
turned. in fact, his anger had changed to
generous good-nature, and when Brics
marched into his office he exclaimed. you
have done well, my boy; SO well that I'll
share with yon." Sure enough, he handed
to Mr.. Bi'ice one-half the profit of the Grams
action-$20, 600. Il turning at once to New
York, and armed with information gained
on hi, first visit, tho lawyer Invested the
whole amount in L ,st Tennessee. This
netted him a handsome sum. Making
another turn, he took a flyer in Hooking
Valley and came out $1,O0J,O00 ahead.
Richmond Terminal Lext took his fancy,
and he ma lie another stroke of fortune, and
when he saw it was time ID quit he was a
couple of million dollars richer than when
he first asked the governor, of Ohio to give
him chance TO maze few dollars.
$50 you see," said the gentleman who
told the story, sit Charley Foster hadn t
held that mortgage and Col. Brice had not
violated Stephen Girard's motto, obey or
ders if you break owners he might not be
A. . f,,..e L. ,Ia.Rr ~