The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-30
'THE MAYOR OF INV YORK

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taek.s hack sheds wstsr. He says that
he always does what seems right 20 am
a. tie .frua and then forgess about the
matter unit, I. again eanes Up. Tie puts
his sall fore. upon the thing before aint-
Nothing seems TO rUffIe him. A man may
come into the ONCE and aeEoance the city
government He may storm at the mayor
and say things which might be considered
UNPLEASANT The mayor passes upon his
case then and there After he has decided
{. ne tisu.isses il from his mind. and the
face which he surns to the next caller IS
as clear as q May morning
Mayor Ssronx Like Linccia-
am told that Mayer Strong is very
fond az hurn1r He has a homeiy way
which reminds you OF President Lincoln.
He can see joke "a quickly as could Lin
coin and ne enjoys a funny story amid
the most solemn circumstances People
who come hefere him Ire surprised 10 hear
him burst into laugh and tell d funny
story in the midst of most serious con-
sl.ta.ion. Some of them cannot under
stand how it is in this love OF humor that
he rests his mind The laugh breaks the
strain which his position necessarily sn-
tails The mayor IS a good story teller.
and his best stories are the "reminiscences
OF his oUn life, which has been sypieaiiy
American one.
How q Counfry Boy Conquered New
York.
Mayor Strongs ilfe-story Is that of
country roy who came 10 Jew York and
succeeded He was, you know bora in
Ohio. His early years were spent upon
farm. and one of his first business VEN
lures was In small store at Mansfield.
Ohio. Mansfield Is now town Of -ooW
people When Mayor Strong was young
/ doubt whether il had 3,lsa, but among
It's young men II included some OF the
brightest minds of the United states
One of Mr.. Strong's associates and friends
was John Sherman, who had come TO
Mansfield from school at Mount Vernon
to study Law with his brather Charley. II
must have been during Mr.. Strougs nler-
camille experience there that Sherman be-
came candidate for congress and can
vassed the district. going about with an
old white horse. and stopping al the coun-
try crossroads to make speeches Anoth-
err young man was Amos Townsend. who
afterward went to Cleveland and made
big fortune there He was sent from
Cleveland to congress and was for years
one Of the soundest advisers of the Re
publican party. think that Townsend
and Strong were partners at Mansfield
Another man xho has done much since he
left that part OF Ohio is Gen. Tom Eckert.
who is now the president Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company.
During my chat with the mayor asked
him how he came to leave Mansfield. He
told me that he was ambitious. wanted to
/ see something OF the world and con-
Guided to try New York. He began his
work here as a clerk. receiving at first
500 month Then he was sent out West
! TO collect bills for his firm. and succeeded
SO well that his salary was increased right
along. In those days there were no coll
leetinE agencies. The merchants came to
New York TO buy their goods, and as they
usually purchased on time, the wholesale
dealers had to send their collectors out
West to get the money. They sent them
much as they now send drummers out TO
sell goods. Young Strong soon got large
i acquaintance in the West. He was a good
mixer. and was so popular that IL is said
that he would eften take dinner with a
man in the evening or go TO church with
him. the man knowing that he would the
next day appear against him in law suit.
He did so we'll. in fact that he was soon
able to go into business for himself. and
he Is now one OF the rich men Of New
York. He Is am told. worth considera-
, bly, more than a million dollars. and In
addition TO n big commission business he
has other interests OF many kinds. When
he was elected mayor he was one of the
directors of the New York Life Insurance
Company, president Of the Homer Ira
Bank Note Company and the confidential
adviser of other institutions. Before he
took the office, however. he said TO his
associates OF the different boards: Gen
tleTnen. for the next three years you will
have to get along without my aid. / am
now in the employ of the city of New
| York and will have 10 work for them"
Mayor Strong has carried out this resoiu-
ton.
His commission business is ged by
his son, Putnam Brad!ee Strong. and the
mayors whole strength Is devoted 10 the
+, city.
New York Will Lead the World.
| asked Mayor Strong a few questions
! about the greater New York. He said he
had no doubt but that the city would
! prosper even more than Ii had done in the
past and that II would eventually be the
| greatest city OF the whole world His ideas
on this subject are those OF an optmist.
1 He has faith I'm the United States and in
i New York. lie does not believe the conn-
try Is going Ia the dogs. and evidently
does not think the days Of prosperity are
past.
How Young sien Can Succeed In New
York.
Z One Of my questions was as 20 whether
he thought that young men had still a
/ chance of success In the great metropolis
( and whether the business chances would
/ be good in the greater New York The
! mayor replied.
There are plenty of opportunities for
f young men who come here in the right
I way
'Rut what is the right way, Mr.
Mayor" I asked
( ANY young man who expects To Ste-
7 ceed in New York" replied MAYOR strong
Z must come here determined "a rely upon
himself He must push out for himself
/ and not depend upon his friends The boy
( who does that is sure IN succeed if M has
good principles and good habits He must,
however. bend EVERY energy toward &c
complaining what ne sets out ia 10. and
he must ne economical in respect 10
money time and strength If he does this
/ ard has II in him be Will have great sue
+ cess, for there Is no place where the pos
/ sshili;les ~ great successes are more than
right hsre'
"SS hich has the best chance to Succeed
/ Nr. Nayor--the boy reared in the country
~ the hoy reared tn the city,
= don't think the locality has much TO
IN Wi.h II was the reply. The manner
% she boys rearing ofter has more The
country boy has. As 4 rule. had the ai-
vantage ~ having been made 80 work
! he is usually Esror boy and his nerve
and muscle haze usually heau csxoaove<i
~ adversely This may be the case with
TIE cjiT hay bat IN many tusia see< hia
early life has been too easy His gaaraars
have rarpersi him. lie does no. know
the value % . dollar until he learns IL nv
experience. after he has Fora inra naSf-
ness ard IN this way ~ starts in bshtr,.f
TIRE horuy-hau14ss sen n the ESoaafr7s. The
r-.r, \. b. ia