Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-15
From Porter to Proprietor.

From Porter to Proprietor.
persistence, determination to rise IN
the face of rebuffs and failures, 13sted
one western man from the post ~
r,rfer In an electric-fxtare house To 4
membership In the firm and made him
the associate Of millioIIaires-
ffe seemingly sensational rise Of this
man from sweeping floors and carrying
IA reels to the directing OF business
that amounts to millions in a year ia
simpIy a story OF logged determination
no refused to fail and refused 10 BE-
"ared" Three times he was dis
charged, but each time &c returned b
work. insisting that the firm needed
him. and each time he was taken back.
The firm did not need n Porter but It
needed a man Of determination. He
managed to stick to the position until
b,s chance came; then he seiZef it AMI
won his way upward rapidly. This
mans story is thus told for him by
Msude w. Rogers:
ct came from England in 1879, lai
Of eighteen. / had a few hundred do.
lars when l. arrived IN New York, which
CITY I left after a two weeks stay |
then Travelled through Canada doing
odd iobs-anything / could get to do
hut did not make a fortune, and when
T landed in Chicago I mad twenty-five
cents and my trunk, and considered
myself fortunate.
ct found a fellow who helped me-
carry the trunk to lodging house on
Clark street. The place is still there,
and whenever / pass now stop and
look at 1t while it brings back memories
of days that were worse. With the
quarter ! bought my supper, and then
began selling off my good clothes for
money to live on. At the end of two
months found myself actually
busted In my inside pocket l had
letter OF introduction to 4 man in Chi
cago, but l would not use this until all
other resources had been exhausted.
Now appealed to him. He secured me
a place as porter in the house with
which 1 am now member of the firm.
They did not have much use for por-
ter. l was there as a iavor to the man
who introduced me.
"One night the command came tn
me: Get your money tonight and don't
come back here any more 1 got my
money. but I went back in the morning.
I resumed duties. When the boss
came down / was working as usual
Joe. what are you doing i:ere?' he said
sternly. Dustin, sir told him.
thought 1 told you to go and not to
come back. You did sir. but 1 did not
suppose you really meant it. SIR And
he smiled and went on working, and
q the ny,d 0f hnA 7
"They did not need me and did not
want me, but 1 saw it was a great
business, that it was my future field.
I saw that this was my opportunity,
and made up my mind to stay where
/ could catch it. So when my second
dismissal came, l was found the next
morning completing the things that
others should have done long before
and when again my boss said: Joe.
told you we did not want you l said
politely: Yes, sir: but you need me
and do not want to 60 and the third
performance of this kind proved the
charm, and they decided that one who
could collect a job so well would be
able to collect money from thei.' debt
ors. and SO I was sent out to col ect.
Il retained my qualification of per-
sistence, and. with it. cultivated the
ability to take gracefully anything else
that was given me besides money, and
bred within myself a real desire to go
back again when l did not succeed the
first time. I governed my temper.
and in the end always came back with
the coin
Next 1 was made solicitor for con-
tracts. Now 1 knew that every one
had to have lights. and l knew that
this business was one that was coming
in on the full swirl of revolution. Oil
was going out and electric fixtures
were coming in to stay, and SO 1 went
forth to battle and to win. I called
on a millionaire who is now a good
friend Of mine. I was admitted He
spoke cordially-thinking he knew me
and when began: 4 understand you
are in the market for electric fixtures,
he interrupted in words that froze as
they left his mouth, We'll. 1 am not.
l have bought mine; they dre not sat
isfactory, but 1 am no. going to be
bothered with you l said smiingy'
I am sorry. In case you should change 4
your mind. please let me know. l am
here in your block
1.-TWO weeks later 1 presented my
self again and was again received
cordially-he had forgotten me. Wei.
the two weeks are up aren't they
asked. What two weeks did you
not tell me to come back in two weeks
and you might want some electric nx-
tures?' by Jove.' he said. you are
just the man I want to see. You kno"
have had a quarrel with that otnei
fellow Then and there l got an or
der for $4,000 worth of goods. | was ~
that amount just as easily as mls"'
have been out Of it. After a fe" Or
ders Of this kind 1 was asked 10 Jo..
the firm, without money and "it"'''
price. l did not refuse"
This man of ways and means aiM"yS
spells business with capital b. nc =
full of the haste that does not man
waste, but makes sales. Ooea'n ,.,,
generosity and usefulness is the 'r'"..'
he wOrships as bestowing final sue''
Sig. Puccini has induced Siss. o''"
sa and ELISA to write a libretto ioi an