The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-11

quire the presence of anybody to enable
me to secure from the man who sold
that wood good measure.
There were many other such like
things l was taught to do, and when
l was a little older my father commits
stoned me to build a house, and he
said: My son, here is the money
want you to build a good brick house
that will make us home.
Il employed an architect; we made
out the contracts, and we built the
house. We had no trouble with the
architect or the contractor. That gave
me great deal of confidence. Every
thing came out all right. l have the
evidence of that in a little mahogany
box that / treasure. 1 have all those
receipts, all those statements that were
made. That was a valuable experience
for me.
Il could hardly enumerate the many
experiences of that kind that my IA
Their seemed to think it was very desir-
able for me to have. Soon afterward
he began to allow me to loan sums of
money for him, and meanwhile 1 was
saving a little money from what
earned myself. l always had a little
money. L know that some people espe-
cially some young men, find it very
difficult to keep a little money in their
pocketbook. l learned to keep the
money, and, as we have way of say
ing, it did not burn a hole in my
pocket.
L was taught that it was the thing
to do to keep the money and take care
of it.
Interest and Labor.
Among the early experiences that
were helpful to me that recollect with
pleasure was one in working a few
days for neighbor in digging potatoes
Ia very enterprising, thrifty farmer,
who could dig a great many potatoes.
was a boy of perhaps Is or IA years
of age, and il kept me very busy from
morning until night. 1t was ten-hour
day.
/ sAnd as was saving these little sums
l soon learned that 1 could get as much
interest for $50 loaned at per cent
the legal rate in the state of New
York at that time for a year-as l
could earn by digging potatoes ten
days. The impression was gaining
ground with me that it was a good
thing to let the money be my slave and
not make myself a slave to money. 1
have tried to remember that in every
sense. ] think money is good thing
to have if we know how to use it prop
erly. l think it is very harmful to
many people, because they do not
know how to use it properly.
ut was in school, my father had a
number of children to take care of; he
was not a rich man, but he kept me in
school all the time until l was 16 years
OF age. l had expected to go through
college and enjoy the advantage that
many of you gentlemen have enjoyed,
and l congratulate you, but 1 cannot
say that I regert that circumstances
seemed to require me to begin to take
care of myself.
Il left school at Is and entered a
commercial school, where l remained
for two or three months, and then, in
the year 1856 began to look for some
thing to do, and all those years from
1855 to 1860 were very trying to us in
business. Many of you gentlemen are
too young to know about that dreadful
panic we had in 1857. 1t left a blight
that we did not recover from for
many years. After many days and
weeks of earnest endeavor l succeeded
in getting a promise one morning that
if would come back in the after
noon they would see if they would
give me situation.
Kept First Position.
81 was there in the afternoon early.
I happened to meet an old gentleman
last summer. and he said to me: l
was there too, when YOU came OH the
sidewalk that day-that 26th of Sep
TENDER, in 1856 l was there and
know you. and 1 know that firm--a
forwarding and commission firm want
ed a young man in the office. And
1 spoke to the gentleman
"This is a circumstance l had never
known before. 1 was very grateful
to get that position. l was very CRATE
full that 1 could keep it, and did
keep it until two years from the fol-
lowing April, when l engaged in bust
ness on my own account-then boy of
less than nineteen years of age.
could not have done for myself better
than l did for my employer. How /
wish all young men could know th-t
the way to hold a position is TO do
just that thing.
"They who employ young men know
that some young men expect to do
just as little as they can and are much
troubled all the time that they do not
get an increase in the salary. That
does not make a very permanent rela-
tionship with some business men. They
look for some other to fill the place
l was very fortunate in my employ
ers, especially the man who had the
accounts in the office and under whom
1 worked as an assistant bookkeeper
Tor the space or year and three
months, and then, as he desired to leave
the position, it was rendered to me.
Il should have said that, in respect
to the question of the salary that l
was to receive. l knew nothing about
that until the first of January / cared
very little about that. 1 wanted the
position, found myself so much inter-
ested in the work. l enjoyed my work.
1 was happy in it. had been taught
to work from early boyhood. and this
was delightful to NEAL the method
and system of the office. And then, as
l say, / was fortunate in the FORUM
ate in the association in the office.
Life of Amos Lawrence.
II remember one of the things NV
employers did for me. They gave me
a book. The Life of Amos Lawrence. ;
and that made a great impression
upon me. Many of you have read that
book-the successful Boston merchant.
who was such a useful mans who made
such good use of his money.
AT the end of the second year OF
my service with this company l de-
sired salary OF $500, and the man
who had filled the position had received
$1,000, NV emuiOveY was x..fltfp1 -