The times., 1899-05-14
THE MAN WHO DOES.
Some Remarks on inefficient Work
(From the Philistine.)

Some Remarks on inefficient Work.
From the Philistine.)
In all this Cuban business there is one
man stands out on the horizon of my MEM
DRY like Mars at perihelion. When war
broke out between Spain and the United
States it was very necessary TO communi-
cate quickly with the leader of the insur
gents. Garcia was somewhere in the
mountain Businesses of Cuba-no one knew
where. No mail nor telegraph message
could reach him. The President must Sc
cure his cooperation, and quickly.
What 10 DO?
Some one said to the President, There's
a fellow by the name of Rowan will find
Garcia for you, if anybody can"
Rowan was sent for and given letter TO
be delivered to Garcia.
How 1.-The fellow by the name of Rowan"
took the letter. sealed it up in an oiiskin
pouch. strapped it over his heart, in four
days landed by night OF the coast of Cuba
from an open boat disappeared into the
jungle, and in three weeks came out on the
other side of the island, having traversed
a hostile country on foot, and delivered his
letter TO Garcia, are things l have no spe-
cial desire now TO tell in detail.
The point / wish 10 make is this: Nc
Kinley gave Rowan letter to be delivered
10 Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did
not ask. Where is he att"
BY the Eternal. there is a man whose
form should be cast in deathless bronze
and the statue placed in every college OF
the land. 1t is not book learning young
men need nor instruction about this and
that, but a stiffening of the vertebra which
will cause them to be loyal to trust, to
act promptly. concentrate their energies;
do the thing-"Carry the message to Gar
ciai'
General Garcia is dead now. but there
are other Garcias.
No man who has endeavored TO carry
out an enterprise where many hands were
needed, but has been wellnigh appalled,
at times by the imbecility of the average
mantle inability or unwiilingness to
concentrate on a thing and do it.
Slip-shod assistance, foolish inattention.
! dowdy Indifference. and half-hearted work
seem the rule; and no man succeeds, un-
| less by hook or crook, or threat. he forces
/ or bribes other men to assist him; or may
I hap, God in His goodness performs a mir
/ acle and sends him an angel of light for
& an assistant.
You. reader, put this matter to a test:
You are sitting now in your office-six
( clerks are within call. Summon anyone
/ and make this request; PLEASE look in
! the encyclopaedia and make brief mem
randum for me concerning the life of Cor
regio."
viii the clerk quietly say. yes. sir
and go do the task?
On your life. he will not He will look
at you out of ishy eye and ask one OF
more of the following questions:
Who was he?
Which encyclopaedia?
Where is the encyclopaedia?
Was hired for that?
/ Don't you mean Bismarck
What's the matter with Charlie doing it.
Is he dead?
Is there any hurry?
Shan't bring you the book and let vol
look it up yourself?
What do you want TO know for?
And | will lay you ten TO one that aftel
you have answered the questions. and ex
plain how to find the information, and VIII.
you want il. and the clerk will go OFF an,
get one of the other clerks TO help him tr!
to find Garcia-and then come back ant
tell you there is no such man. OF course.
may lose my bet, but according to the Law
of average ! will not.
Now If you are wise you Will not bottle
to explain to your assistant" that Cor
regio is indebted under the C's, not in tn
! KS but you Will smile sweetly and say
Never mind" and go look it up yourself
And this incapacity for Independent ac
tion. this moral stupidity, this infirmity O
the will, this unwillingness to cheerful
catch hold and lift, are the things that pu
pure socialism so far into the future.
men will not act for themselves, what wi
they do when the benefit of their effort
for all?
a first mate with knotted club seems nee
essary: and the dread of getting "th
bounce" Saturday night holds many
, worker 10 his place.
| Advertise for a stenographer and nine ou
! OF ten who apply can neither spell nc
punctuate-and do not think 1t necessar!
Can such a one write a letter TO Garcia
You see that bookkeeper." said Ii
foreman 10 me in large factory.
Yes. what about him.
, We'll, he's a fine accountant. but II /
, send him up town en- an errand he migf
accomplish the errand all right. and, on Ii
other hand, might stop at four saloons O
, the way, and when he got to Main Stree
would forget what he had been sent for"
Can such a man be intrusted to carry
4 message TO Garcia?
. we have recently been hearing muc
maudlin sympathy expressed for the dow
n | troiden deniZen of the sweatshop" and II
homeless wanderer searching for hone
: employment" and with it all often {
6 many hard words for the men in power
: Nothing is said about the employer WI
= grows old before his time In a vain
: tempt to get frowsy ne'er-do- to
4 intelligent work; and his long patiel
a striving with '.help" that does nothing b
: loaf when his back is turned. In eve
@ store and factory there is a constant wee
" ing out process going on. The employ
e Is constantly sending away help tn
n have shown their incspacity to further q
h interests of the business, and others a
being taken on. No matter how good tim
are, this sorting continues. only II tim
are hard and work is scarce. the sorting
done flner-but out and forever out the 1
competent and unworthy go. 1t Is the su
u viyal Of the fittest. Self-interest proml