The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-22
One Brainy Chaps Climb
A Big Institution Learned His Value and
Quickly Picked Him Up

he was faster than other stenographers.
de got leave to go to the tournament 10
try his hand. There were FrenChmen,
Englishmen, Spaniards, Swiss, Italians.
Hungarians and Swedes there. MIR. Wren
back in the attic Of his home over on
Staten island has slowed away a silver
mounted typewriter which was awarded
to him for winning the first place in that
contest.
Sometimes, to folks who know him well,
Mr.. Wren will explain that he went into
that contest because he wanted to know
whether he was giving his employers the
best that they could get. He knew that
they were not dissatisfied, but he wanted
70 satisfy himself. He did.
From the BOissevain house Mr.. Wren
came back to this country and was en-
plOyed by Carnegie, Phipps &, Co. He
stayed with them through the various
changes that were made in the form of
the firm until it was merged into the
United States Steel corporation
While he Was with the Carnegie COM
pany in its offices in this city Mr. Wren
went into the national guard and StayeU
there six years. He learned how to obey
orders when they came from proper au-
thOrity and to obey them quickly and to
take suffering and hardship because he
had promised to take whatever came his
way. The Brooklyn street car strike lana
him out with pleurisy for months. But
II what his friends say is so, he isn't
sorry Tor the experience.
One day. after the Carnegie company-
had been merged into the United States
steel corporation. and after Charles NJ
oOliF' az lleu Dttn MADE president of the
new Dig concern, Mr.. Schwab sent for
Mr.. Wren.
Mr.. Wren" he said. I've been going
through this concern with d fine-tOOth
comb I've been looking for a man to
take with me into the new concern. I
guess you are the man ] am after from
what they tell me-"
So Mr.. Wren. who had not been assOci-
ated with Mr.. SChWab at all in his work
in the Carnegie company, and had never
known pull that he could call his own
found himself secretary to the president
ever knew.
Mr.. Wren had left shorthand far behind
him as an active practice years before.
But shorthand had put him where he was
II had taught him the confidence which
must exist between the head of the firm
! and the man who is the hands and eyes of
/ that head. 1t had made him familiar wit n
| the general principles and processes of
/ law as far : IL is worth while for a lay
man TO know anything about law 1t
/ had made him quick and aCcUrat e in TAX
I ing 10 heart the exact text of what those
/ above him had to say.
As his employers found these qualities
/ in him they had more use for him than as
a mere mechanical repTOduCer of words
/ They had big business for him TO DO So
/ now he has not only a cOrys of StenOg-
raphers working for him, but a confiden-
tial assistant of his own.
! Some time ago Mr.. Schwab found that
/ he was overworked and that he must have
4 a period Of entire rest far from Wall
! street and PittSbuTg- When he went
/ away he gave Mr.. Wren his power OF
| attorney.
There is nothing that Mr. Schwab could
! do that Mr.. Wren cannot do today. His
] check on Mr.. Schwab's bank account is