The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-23
A wEsTERNER's CRITICISM.
Points Out Bad Mistake OF New
York business Men.

New York Commercial.
Not long ago a man came to New York
from the West. He is young business man
with most important connections. He came
TO New York on business and, as his bust
ness was of big" nature, he was forced
to call upon a large number Of New York
business men. His trip TO New York was
successful. AS a general thing the men
whom he wanted to see were more anxious
TO see him than he was to see them; but
he learned some things before he got
through.
New York business men are away up in
most things" said he, but there are some
things about New York business methods
that don't understand. They may be right,
and l may be wrong-but L have my own
ideas. / believe that most Of the big corpo-
rations in New York neglect to employ n
most important man. believe that the ide?
of having the man who visits any business
house confronted by no one except fresh
office boy or a surly eX-policeman, with a
face like a thugs and a skull too thick TO
let idea get through it without trepan-
ming. is very poor business. i have had
some very odd experiences since 1 have
been In New York.
II called at the Office of ]. p. Morgan G.
Co, for instance, to transact some bust
ness. The communications that / had had
from the firm had been formal and. while
/ did not know what member of the firnr
had personal charge of the matter, I was
satisfied that Mr.. Morgan not looking
after it personally. When I entered the Of
flee | handed my card to a 'page'-there
a desk, and had great trouble in gaining
the attention of any one of the young gen.
tlemen. 1 told the boy 10 take the card to
a member Of the firm who / had been in
formed, might have the matter / was in
terested in. in charge. The boy walked
back and handed il to big. burly fellow
who, as near as could make out. a
house detective That is as far as the card
went. Inc boy came back and said
:" He's busy
.. Here said T. IF he's busy, take my
card to his secretary
Amt got no secretary. said the boy
over his shoulder, turning his back on me.
Il then wrote. short note stating my
business. and when | asked to have IL de-
livered the house detective took it and
walked of about ten feet. Then he turned
and said
You will have to wait
tT didn't wait. but found out afterward
that the man whom / tried TO wishe
TO see me very much thai day
THAT Is only one example. In another of
nee a big. black negro told me 1 would
have to tell him my business before he
look In my card. He didn't get TO take II in
"A big Scotch gilley. sitting right at the
elevator, stopped me when L started into
the offices Of big trust on lower Broad
way. He may be a faithful bulldog. but hi.
manners were those of the barnyard, and
his assurance that OF the Bowery police
man. had an appointment with one of the
officers of the trust but I was forced 4
wait ten minutes before l could act nv
card taken In.
1T was the same way at half the big
business omces that visited. 1 recogniz,
as we'll as any one how valuable IS bust
ness mems time, and this surprises me the
more at the system they have in many big
institutions In New York / cannot under
stand why there should not be a man Of
intelligence and some KNOWLEDGE OF the
nrms business to receive all visitors. and
receive them politely, 10 tell them the prom
er man to see. and if the business is unim-
portant, TO attend to it himself. Such a
man would stop half the visitors RIGHT
there and save much valuable time to ev-
cry one In authority about the place. Their
are some firms that have such men brt
most OF them appear to prefer fresh bows
and dull-wftted fiunkies who seem TO think
that they are employed to insult everybody
good business &"