Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-13
NED HoYT's LUCK"
Can Our Boy Readers Explain the Secret
of His Success?

OF HIS Successs
Lucky Ned Hoyt" was the popular
sobriquet of the railway magnate.
"a man." his associates would tell
you, "of only moderate talents, born in
poverty, with no family or social influ-
enee, yet he had mounted the ladder Of
success rapidly and steadily. Nothing
to help him but luck, blind luck!'
Let US look little at the steps of this
ladder up which Ned climbed so fast.
He was the son Of poor woman, who
gave him few years schooling, and
then found him a place as elevator
boy" in a hotel. Ned had one aim; to
find work on railroad, aNl there to
make his way up. He stuck to that one
idea; he never changed it, he never for
got it. The men who used the elevator
daily found the boy always clean,
always polite and eager to be of
use. He became a favorite, especially
with one, station-master on a railway
leading out of the city To him Ned,
choosing a moment when he was in
good humor, frankly told his story and
his hope. Can you give me work?" he
asked.
"Yes," the man said; sin the yard;
but it will be hard and poorly paid.
Better stay where you are"
"You never can rise in an elevator
above the fifth story" retorted Ned,
laughingly.
He was set at handling freight on the
platform. In month he attracted the
notice of all the men in the yard by his
unfailing promptness. energy and good
humored courtesy. His eyes and ears
were always open, and he was eager to
learn the business and the methods Of
the road.
One day the freight-master needed .
temporary helper in his office, as one Of
the clerks was absent--suddenly i'll. He
applied to the yard-master for a substi-
tute, "if you've got wide-awalIe young
fellow, not afraid to work"
Heres your mani" said the yard
master, tapping Ned on the back.
"What luck Hoyt has, said his COM
panions, as he went into the office.
At the end of the.week the sick man
returned, but Ned had made himself too
useful to be dismissed from the office. A
year later a small road applied to the
larger one for a man competent to ssper-
intend its freight department. Nobody
was surprised when Hoyt was chosen.
Ned threw himself into the interests
of the new road with zeal, and intro
duced into its management the meth
DDS Of the older systems At last he
saw an opportunity for a grand coup by
which TO insure the success Of the road,
and his own as well. by building a
short branch, it would tap the trade Of
productive region. lie urged this
action upon the directors; the road was
built. In a few years two great rail-
ways saw the vast advantages held by
the smaller line, and bid high for them
against each other The short road was
at last Incorporated in one Of the larger
ones. and Hoyt was taken into its board
of management.
"Blind luckl" cried the men whom he
had left behind.
But as years passed and Hoyt, always
cheerful, energetic and good-humored,
steadily rose TO the chief control OF the
road, never failing to see and secure an
opening for its advancement or his own,
his comrades began to suspect that there
was some secret in his success other
than that Of luck.
Can our boy-readers explain it?-
Youths Companion.