The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-11-28
now ROCKY WAS REACHED
WHAT PLUCK AND DARING WILL
DO WHEN USED At RIGHT
MOMENT.
Engineer Outwitted the Great Stand.
ard Oil King and Made
Good Fortune.

/ One of the most successful engineers
| in the country who, for brevity, may
be called Smith, got his start in bust
ness, and grew rich as a consequence,
by outwitting John D. Dockefeller, the
oil magnate. The story furnishes an
excellent example of what little pluck
and daring will do when used at the
right moment with the proper diplo-
macy.
| Smith. few years ago, was young
fellow whose only capital consisted of
a useful invention for the regulation
of steam heat temperature. Perhaps it
should also be said that he is. COOL
headed, nervy, bold, but quietly so,
and possessed of an innocent, childlike
manner, which was, for the most part,
cleverly counterfeited, and which
amazed the persons with whom he did
business when they discovered the
shrewd mind and masterful tact that
lay concealed under his seemingly
boyish exterior
| When Smith started out to sell his
device he determined he would aim
high. If I can get my regulator into
the houses of a dozen of the big mil
lionaires.' he said, 1.-The rest of the peo-
| pie will take it up
| He was at that time living in Chi
cago, his native city, and, with the
Astors and Vanderbilts in mind, he
packed his grip, and went to New
York. He afterwards said that, for two
months after his arrival in that city,
New York was more unsympathetic
than the Sahara desert in the belt that
has no GASES. Nobody seemed to care
whether the temperature of his house
was high or low. Nobody wanted any
of Smiths regulators, and as for the
gatherings of the Astors and Wander
bits under his wing, why, Smith found
that to secure a personal interview
with an American millionaire was
about as easy as getting into personal
contact with the shah of Persia.
1t was his good fortune, however,
one day to be admitted into the private
office of Mr. b, one of the smaller
stockholders of the Standard Oil COM
pany. B had just come in from a
good dinner at his club and was feel
ing good-natured to the whole world
as a result. He was taken with Smiths
boyish way, ami owing, perhaps, as
much to caprice as to anything else,
fitted out his house on Fifth avenue
with Smith regulator. Smith did
the work himself, and made a good
job of it. Then he laid low for two
weeks, and at the end of that time he
again called on B. and with a bril-
liant idea in his head. He knew that
B and John D. Rockefeller were we'll
acquainted, and his purpose was to
use his first big customer as key
to an interview with the oil mag
| nate.
Now Smith had tried every method
he could think of to reach the great
millionaire, but to no purpose. He had
no hopes B. would give him letter
of introduction, or anything like that,
and, in fact, he didn't dare suggest
such a thing to B, for he knew that
| b wouldn't dare do it. His plan was
to get around the difficulty in an indi-
rect manner. He did not wish to tell
a lie, for that would have killed him
with Rockefeller, who, in that case,
would be certain to find it out He
therefore asked B. if the regulator
was working all right. B said it was
working fine.
Il wish 1 could sell one of them
sure he would like it."
He would replied B.. HE ought
to have one"
May I use your name for a recon-
mendation?' asked Smith.
"Of course" said B. DO. You have
got a good thing =.
This was all Smith wanted He of
ten tells his friends of his interview
with the oil king and what came of
it, and he told it not long ago while
he was on a visit to his relatives in
Chicago.
Il decided" said Smith, ito call upon
Mr.. Rockefeller in the morning at his
house, so as to be sure to find him IN.
1 now had the means to reach him.
When the footman came to the door
said to him: Tell Mr.. Rockefeller that
a messenger from Mr.. B is here with
an important message The footman
| went away and came back. Come this
/