Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-17

work. and after | had done my days
! duty in the office ] would go to my room
J road publications and studying all the
| books bearing on railroads that | could
! ind.
"Of course. my superiors soon noticed
| the difference between me and the rest
Of the fellows. 1t was not long before
hard job Of work was to he done. not at
all in my regular line. | was given
chance to try my hand. and | did the
work 50 well that ] was soon promoted
1t was not long after that when | found
a better chance in another railroad Of
flee, and each change | made afterwards
was an advance. until was offered my
present position. All this time | have
been working as hard as ! could, and il
i because have worked hard that /
The lazy fellows whom l first struck
in that office ont West have either gone
to the dogs. or are pcgginC along with
no better pay now than they used to get
fifteen years ago
LAZYREPORTERS
y newspaper man. who has had 81
years Of experience. and who for a long
tnr was managing editor uf an impor-
tant newspaper. was asked for his views.
II attribute my own success. NJ said.
"ChiehN T. the fact that ! have always
worked as hard az | could without run
ming the risk Of injuring my health-and
that exception has not always held. on
the other hand. 4can recall a great many
cases Of men WHO have never got ahead
y
were lazy. II would aStpnish YOU to
learn bow little energy a great many
young fellows show
when ! WAS managing editor. | dis
covered that the city reporters on the
newspaper did not take the trouble t.
read all of the local matter which 1t con
tanned every day: and many q them were
often ignorant of the editorial attitude "t
the paper regarding local matters The
consequence was that. when man was
given an assignment, il might turn out
l,t l,,,l L., i,,. .l,,,trt IN hE n
per had printed regarding the matter he
forehand, or what the editorial policy Of
the paper about this subject was. 1t *
very hard work to induce reporters to get
to the office promptly. Unless they are
hauled up sharply every little while.
many of them put the paper TO inconven-
known Of cases where young men in Wig
oruus health. who We're anxious to Sc
cure regular positions on the city stan
of an evening paper. were 50 lazy that
they would not get around until nearly
noon to see If there was chance Tor
them to do any work My opinion is that
most folks are lazy. ana ! certainly Know know.
many young men in the newspaper bust
ness whom | have known did not sue
coed better.
IN INSURANCE.
one Of the leading life insurance COM
pany presidents, whose opinion was re
duested. held the view that: While
can be regarded as rule that men who
fall in life fail principally because of in
dolence. Genius without industry, | find
accomplishes very little i'll this world
while industry without genius accom-
pishes a great deal. Some man-Emer-
son, wasn't it?-has defined genius as the
infinite capacity for taking pains, and it
is this infinite capacity that, in the long
run proves successful.
"It is true that there are some
corporations that are guilty of nepotism
IL t-,, hat fhnr hn
sons and the nephews and the cousins
than the men who have demonstrated
their fitness for advancement. but these
corporations always have to pay dearly
for il. | think that all business men now
recognize the principle that the most eX-
pensive habit they can acquire is to dis
regard merit
II recall one incident that emphatically
shows how hard work tells in the end \
number of years, ago there was small
boy over at Long Branch, who earned
his living blackeninS shoes. He was
very good bootblaCk and earned a com
Portable living at it, but he was not sat
listed to spend his life at that trade. He
attracted the favorable notice of an Off
Ger of this insurance company whom he
one day struck for job. He was Of
fered a place as messenger at 50 a week.
and accepted, although he made much
more than So backing shoes.
He at once showed that he was not
afraid Of work. He did not stand list
lessly around with his eyes glued upon
the clock waiting until the time came to
go home. He was always ready to work
and when no work was given to him he
usually found some on his own account.
He spent his evenings not at the cheap
theatres, but in study. His early educa-
ton was limited, but on his own hook
he began the STUDY of Latin. the modern
languages. and history, making a spe-
cialty of insurance. In a number of
years. therefore. he became a highly ed
ucated man-much superior intellectually
to the average college graduate of the
day.
NOW a CASHIER
"Of course. a boy of this Calibre
couldn't remain a3cssenger long. When
ever vacancy in the next higher posi-
ton came, he always was found qualified