The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-23

had made him familiar with the general
principles and processes OF law as far
as it is worth while for d layman to
know anything about law. Tt had made
him quick and accurate in taking to
scarf the exact text Of what those
above him had to say.
As his employers found these qualities
in him they had more uses for him than
as a mere mechanical reproducer Of
words They had big business for him
TO 90. So now he has not only CORPS
Of stenographers working for him, but
d confidential assistant OF his own.
Some time ago Mr.. Schwab found
that ne was overworked and that he
must have a period of entire rest far
from W all street and Pittsburg. When
he went away he gave Mr.. W rem his
power of attorney.
There is nothing that Mr. Schwab
could do that A1r. Wren cannot do to-
day. His check on MI Schwab's bank
account is good for every cent that
Mr.. Schwab has on deposit.
At the time of his going abroad Mr..
Schwab had under charter for the
summer the yacht Safa- FL Bahr, which
had been built most luXuriousiy for the
khedive of Egypt He refused several
offers OF large amounts from men who
wanted to take over the charter and
lett the yacht for the recreation Of Mr..
Wren and his family, indicating there
by the high estimate he put on Mr..
I Wren S personality
Yet mr. Wren comes down to his
office every day just as though Mr..
SchwaD were going to arrive u few
minutes after him and he sits in the
j ante-rOOm TO AlF. SchWabs room and
looks over papers and signs them just
as though Mr. Schwab were in the
other room ready to approve of each
step as it Is taken and when folks
( come in to talk about the affairs of
the company he looks at them benign
! ly through his glasses and talks to
them with his low-pitched calm voice
as though he were deferring to the
final opinion of somebody in the next
room. although he knows, and his Wis
itor knows. tnat what he says goes and
there is no one in the next room to be
referred to.
Mr.. Wren is like Mr. Schwab in that
he viii not talk or write about himself.
But he has a number of good friends
+ VINO do not share his reticence. They
are fond of pointing to MI Wren as
a living reputation Of the fool notion
that big consultations Of corporations
have destroyed all chance for the young
man without pull.
Everybody VINO ever had anything to
do with Mr.. Wren knows that in the
thirty-four years of his life he has
never been one VINO worked his friends
When he has gone up peg ne has
climbed and has not been pushed.
He has been the best stenOgra pher
and typewriter and messenger and con-
hdential clerk and manager that he has
known how TO be all the time He has
made the utmost effort to assure him
self and his employer that he Is always
TO be relied upon.
When he was in Amsterdam, where
every body drinks his employer used to
guy him because ne was too good to
drink with the crowd But when he
left, Mr.. Boissevain gave him gold
watch, with an Inscription which some
of his friends have seen, and said.
u may have made fun OF you, young
man But [ want you to know this;
That I was always sure that even
though no one else in all the house
was sober. and would be sober today
and tomorrow and the day after, you
would be-"
mr. Wren is a great believer in short
hand as the basis of Il business educa-
ton. He feels that it is not only a
means by which a worthy young man
can teach his employer to nave conf
dsnce in him. but that it gives an in
valuable training in observation and
accuracy and neatness and not seldom
comes in with critical Importance long
after the business man has abandoned
it as a means Of earning living
New York Sun.