The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-31
SPURS TO FORTUNE.
Odd Things That start Some Men Up-Case
OF q Trolley MOt0rman.

Some men are spurred TO great endeavor
by one thing, some by another. said Mr.,
Gozzleton mo end OF men really owe
their success in life to insult or misfortune.
A good, hard Stumbling has stirred up many
a man TO a stern resolve to get ahead
of the snubber, and many a man in his
efforts to retrieve his losses has discovered
in himself strength and ability far greater
than he had ever dreamed himself possessed
Of, and gone on to greater success than
ever.
But things much less serious than these
things most unlocked for and trivial things,
perhaps, may start man up, as well.
know, for instance, a man, most prosper
Gus man he is now in a thriving Western
CITY, who owes his great success in life to
being left on a crossing by the motorman of
a trolley car.
He was man earning fair, living pay.
this Western chap, and well enough satisfied
with his lot and if this thing hadn't hap
pened to stir him up l suppose he would
have been working away for wages still,
but when he'd been left behind three days
in one week by one particular motorman,
who didn't seem to care whether anybody
liked il or not. but just scooted past and
left the people there, why, this young man,
to whom the action Of the notorman proved
a very sharp spur indeed, made up his mind
he was going to do something.
"The motorman was heap bigger than
he was, so he couldn't lick him, but what
he did make up his mind to do was TO buy
the railroad, and 80 get the power to kick
this motorman out, fguratively as to the
kick, but literally as to the result
Nor was this scheme by any means 80
visionary as it might seem. The stock
of this road at that time was selling for
nothing, or next to it; the road paid no
dividends, and nobody wanted it. There
really wasn't a very great amount Of money.
young man set to work earning it.
"He worked harder and he worked longer
than he had ever done before, and his zeal
and energy and ability soon got him better
ard more profitable work to do, so that
he began to earn double the money he had
been earning; and it wasn't very long be-
fore he revealed in the possession Of his first
hundred shares of the stock Of the road
whose indifferent motorman had started
him up to work for II.
This motorman, by the way, still on the
road, still occasionally gave my friend
chance To wait for the next car, all un-
knowing, of course, as he shot past him, of
what he was doing. And every time that
that did appen, of course, the young mans
resolve was strengthened, his purpose
made 'rmer than ever.
And now emitting the Details and com
ing right down TO the facts in something
less than five years lie had a majority OF
the stock o' the road and elected himself
it's president. That was making pretty
quick work Of il, you think? Well, I don't
know, that's the way fortune comes to
people who really work hard enough to
deserve it.
And then, you suppose, he promptly
fod the o'cnding Victorian? No, he
dt,':'t cXcdlN % that: - i'll put him in
,'e car lnrn ;or ', lie 'csninr ears,
bn before long le LIT him I'VE LIS old
cid job hark-theic was not ling mean
or vlndictive about tho new presir cnt
and tie notorman DIDN'T run past anv
boIy after q at for he J ad sense CT ough
to profit 10y the good, hard jolt lie had Lad
in II is experience. and in the course of
time he went hig.cr on the road. thanke,
again, to He man VINO owed his great good
fortune, primarily, to the comparat vely
trivial circumstance Of being lett lci.ind.
Iy thH inCtor'rar, on crossing.
You "&v you'd like to know of soTc
thriving Western town like that. W ere
, trolley roads could "" bought oic0p. and
whe'c Won could 50 and stand on n crcFs-
ing and have so'nC mctornan run JRct
YOU and make YOU 30 mad you'd 70 and
luv NE road and 60 fo,;',?
well. YOU might not fnd any rcaGs
ius' Exc that around now, in this year ,oC3.
pc hars. hu' l""rcs h's' as good o. ~
opDor1 uuities lying around cveryw,oic,
waiting for somebody TO grasp them.
In Tact t!c.c arc. now as ever. moro