The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-11-29
Little Slips That Ruin.
From Business World.

In the sense OF Importance morning Is
trifing, nothing is little. have noticed
this fact-most of us haven yet admitted
that it is fact-and the experiences where
colossal results were at stake confirmed me
long ago.
My personal reeitals would not be of
much interest, and | shall, therefore, bring
forth some instances publicly known and
which have had casual presentation in the
newspapers in the past. Their reprint here
may serve good purpose in reminding all
of us how vast in power and endless in in
fuence are the ''little things which con-
tinually happen without being considered
worthy of second thought. Who would
believe that projecting nail could pierce
the integrity of great stockbroker and
lead to his untimely end few days after
it had torn rent in his trousers? Such,
however, is the story connected with an
everyday accident.
"Geoffry Pask, once prince of London's
Stock Exchange, was famous for being
most punctual never arriving minute
late, though he walked to the city from
his home every morning. One day he tore
his trousers on rail that was sticking out
of fence That tear ruined him. In
stead of going home, he went into the
nearest tailor 5 to get new pair of trous-
ers They had none he could wear, but
they mended the tear for him, and were
SO long about it that he was an hour late.
That very morning was the one of the
Australian slump, which broke fourteen
firms in almost as many minutes; and,
though Pask could easily have saved him
self had he been there to control his af-
fairs, the delay at the tailor carried him
beyond hope, and he arrived to find him
self beggar. He committed suicide
week later
Letters underpaid in postage are usually
sent by reason of somebody's error. 1t
doesn't pay to refuse them without know
ing from whom they come. This truth is
brought home to us by such an example as
the following, which, alas, is not fairy
tale. Would that it were
An ordinary penny postage stamp
brought ruin to Hobart, the ''great British
iron king During the Whitworth peri
cd, when the big crisis in the iron trade
occurred, he had agents in all parts of the
world who kept him posted. Sometimes
they telegraphed the news in cipher, but
those in England we're always instructed to
write At that time his principal agent,
who was also his partner, was in Sheffield,
and wrote him from there, warning him to
sell out of all iron interests for the time on
account of the Whitworth crisis.
Hobart had frequent fits of irritability,
and he had been receiving lot Of under
stamped letters of no importance, on which
he had to pay double postage. One morn
ing in anger he gave orders that such let
lers were to be returned to the carriers.
The very first understamped letter received
after this was from his partner. 1t was
rejected as soon as it arrived.
Next day Hobart pledged himself for
more iron deals than even his mighty credit
was good for. The great drop in prices
came two days later, and Hobart, once
millionaire, was involved in hopeless
bankruptcy, from which he never recov
cred.
Further instances of the vital Importance
of ''little things are added herewith, and
the number could be easily increased to
bulk that would astound the thoughtless,
but these will suffice
The mere moving of hand ruined Cob
bett & Co., one of the largest and wealth
lest engineering firms ever known. They
and a rival American firm rendered plans
for the building of the great Kaura bridge
for the Russian Government. Jacob Cob
bett who was the head of the business,
spent six months in the designing and con-
tracing, and had all his plans ready. His
bid was accepted and material was bought
in enormous quantities, men engaged and
engines built. A time limit had been set
for the commencement and the finish, and
Cobbett was perfecting his plant and max
ing sure of the smallest details, with all
formul@ spread out before him, when he
stretched out his hand, overturned an ink
pot and drowned the most important paper
in black sea.
Cobbett had poor memory In fever
of anxiety he tried to reconstruct his plans
from stray notes. 1t was impossible, and
he cabled to the Russian government for
more time. This was refused, and Russia
repudiated the contract on the ground of
delay, as the agreement allowed Cobbett
could not get his work through in time,
and the American firm, who now advanced
a cheaper tender with all plans prepared,
secured the contract. The loss drove
Cobbett & Co. into bankruptcy, and the
great Kaura bridge in Russia is American
built.
Somewhat similar, but more romantic,
was the moment of forgetfulness that
wrecked the career of the great railway
contractor, Purbeck Jones. He had un
dertaken the contract to build the Maiwar
line in Central India, and staked all he
had. Security was necessary, however,
and he was bound to deliver by May 9,
1891, sufficient quantity of negotiable
bonds. etc. to cover loss by the railway
syndicate. This sum amounted to over
$4,000, 600, and even Purbeck Jones