Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-11-07
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS.

ways listened to the mllllOnalre. lie
was the main man in all that region.
He had risen from farmers boy to
president of the lumber trust, and any
one who could do that certainly must
be worth listening to. OF those present
he was the only one who did not have
an exalted opinion of his powers. What
he had done seemed very easy TO him
once he was launched in the money
making stream. From his own point
of view he could not help making mon
ey. One of his guests asked him to tell
the story Of how he got his start.
How did 1 get my startE' he said.
Il must first give you preface. Few
OF us realize when some ordinary thing
happens what an influence it may have
ON our lives. But this is not remark
able since perhaps but one event in
million is of any especial Importance to
us. That one in million in my case
was missing a train. If l had caught
that train. as 1 should have done, in
stead of dawdling through the town
looking at everything l passed, l would
have been today farmer.
But i missed the train i had come
to town TO buy horse. L was the
greenest kind of a country gawk. No
cabbage patch was greeDer, though L
was strong as an OK and good ut Il bar
gain. The only amusement / had ever
known was wrestling with the boys
after the days work was over and the
stock was fed. But l didn't enjoy that
very long. for I was strong that they
gave up trying to throw me.
We'll, when l found l had missed
the train / started to walk back TO the
farm; but, passing along the street. l
stopped to cape at q handbill of a
show that was TO take place that night.
The admission was a quarter, but that
didn't stagger me, and l resolved TO
see the performance. l went to the
hall, paid my money and waited an
hour before the fun began. When it
did. / furnished more merriment TO the
audience than the performers. | haw-
hawed at everything funny and gasp
ed for breath at everything remarka-
bic. 1t wasn't long before every one
was looking at me. Finally some ath-
letes came out on the stage, and one
fellow gave performances involving
feats of strength. When he had finish
I'll he invited any one i'll the audience
TO come UP and wrestle with him,
promising that he would pay SO if he
was downed. The challenge was more
than l could stand. 1 jumped up from
my seat and said, III go you
There was a roar of laughter from
the audience Some of them tried to
stop me, telling me to sit down and
not make Il fool of myself; that the man
81 .
me. But there was one old gentleman
beside whom l had been sitting who
told me TO go ahead. | couldn't have
been stopped, for l had got my mind
dead set on throwing the athlete and
making the $50, which was more mon
ey than had ever seen in my life. So
up / went, and in n few minutes we
were locked, arms and legs.
I'VE furnished amusement for the
crowd for ten or fifteen minutes before
we came to crisis. The fellow had
more science than l, who pretty nearly
equaled him i'll strength. But L had
the advantage of him in never having
drunk Il drop in my life and not hay
ing a pound of superfiuOus flesh on me.
He got winded at last, and, getting d
hold on his hip, / threw him. He came
down with a thud, and wild cheer
followed my victory.
Il suppose you'll think all this can
have very little to do with start in
life. but it has all to do with it. Where
is the connecting link? The old gentle
man who egged me on. When the
show was over he asked me to come
with him and, taking me to his hotel.
told me he was in the lumber bust
ness and that he had a great many
men under him who were very hard
to control. He said that if he could
get boss who could thrash the most
insubordinate of them he might main
tain discipline. He offered Inc a good
salary TO try ii, and / accepted. 1 new
er went back TO the farm, but the next
morning accompanied the old man to
his lumber camp.
The men laughed when they saw a
country lout put over them, and within
a couple OF days they mutinied. / said
To them that / would like to have them
put up their best man against me, and
if he whipped me / would resign. If /
whipped him they were to obey my
orders. They accepted the challenge.
put up their strongest man, and we
set to. i was pretty strong, but the
champion vas stronger. He had no
skill at wrestling, while l had fair
amount of 1t, besides a slight knowl-
edge of how TO use my fists. landed
blow that staggered him, then rush
ed III and, catching him by one leg and
his waist, threw him SO hard that he
couldn't get up.
That settled the matter of my au-
thority, and not a man disputed 1t.
had a good deal of bulldog energy
and made myself valuable in various
ways where energy was required. On
one occasion when we were behind
with a contract I saved the day by
standing over the men and getting