The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-28
HOW HE SUCCEEDED.
Philadelphia Mans Elevation From p,
erfv To Richas

erty to Riches.
twenty years ago poor young man
was walking the streets of Philadelphia
looking for work. His clothes were
shabby, his hands were blue with the
cold, and his gaunt face showed that
square meals were not intimate friends
OF his. One morning he awoke and
thought over the years of toll and plea
yune recompense that had been his, and
he resolved then and there to make a
break for the coast. He did so, and
finally reached the Pacific coast, where
he now resides. He found that work out
there was if any thing harder than that
in the East, but wages and opportunities
were far greater. He came to Phila-
delphia last week for the first time in a
quarter of a century, but instead of COM
ing in on foot, as he had left the city, he
rushed along in a Pullman car. He is
j. b. Wordsworth and last night he
stood in he-Lafayette corridor, talking
with Colonel Baker of changes that
have occurred since he went West.
81 found work." said Mr.. Wordsworth,
Sin carrying hod in Frisco, and, tell
you, | worked hard, too. One night
was sitting on barrel near the build
ings on which 1 was working, when an
old gentleman came along on foot. He
turned the corner, and inside of two
minutes heard feeble cry for help.
| grabbed hod-handle that happened
to be near on the ground, and, darting
around the corner, saw the old man
struggling with two whyos. yelled as
IT ten men were at my back. Come on
boys! Well lay 'em outr And of course
they dropped the old man and ran for
their lives. The gentleman wasn't hurt
much, but had lost his watch and shirt
stud. He gave me his card and told me
to call on him next day. Of course did
so, and we talked about my former life,
and | told him how l wanted to succeed,
and was bound to be at the top of the
heap some day.
81 was young then" continued Mr..
Wordsworth, with quiet smile, "but
my bOyish talk seemed to tickle the old
chap. He loaned me some money, gave
me lots of good advice, and this card"
he added, taking from wallet yellow
piece of pasteboard. "And l tell you,
sir, that card did me more good than any
thing else. The old man afterward gave
me good place, and from there 1 got
on rapidly. But lots and lots of times
when | was discouraged and homesick 1
just pulled out this card and read it,"
Mr.. Wordsworth handed the card to
Colonel Baker, who read on it:
columbus was the son of weaver
and a weaver himself. Cervantes was
common soldier. Homer was the son of
small farmer DemOsthenes was the
son Of cutler. Oliver Cromwell was
the son of London brewer. Franklin
was journeyman printer, the son of
tallow chandler and soap boiler. Daniel
Defoe was hostler. Cardinal Wolsey
was the son of butcher. Virgil's
father was porter. Shakespeare was
the son of wool stapler. Milton was
the son of a money scrivener. Mo-
manned was a driver of asses. Ma
pOleOn descendant of an obscure fam
lily of Corsica, was Major when he
married Josephine, daughter of a tobac-
cOnist Creole in Martinique. John Jacob
Astor once sold apples in the streets of
New York. Catherine, Empress of Rus
STA, was camp grisette. Madame Bern
adotte was a washerwoman in Paris.
Horace was the son of shopkeeper"
Colonel Baker handed the card back
to Mr.. Wordsworth, who placed it in his
wallet, and, patting it, said: '"That
card is responsible for what success I
have gained. "-Philadelphia Press.