Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-04-15
HASKELLISHONEST
Former Pastor Says Successful
Business Man is Not Nee
essariIy a Crook.
WHY HE LEAVES MINISTRY
Tired of Being Beagar For His
LiVing-Changes TO Escape
Pauperism.

Of Los Angeles, formerly pastor of the
Unitarian church in Moline, still
Knows how TO keep himself in the lime
light of newspaper publicity. This is
evidenced by the appearance of his
portrait in the midst of a sensational
heading in the Los Angeles Examiner.
Accompanying it is the article follow
ing:
~ man can be honest, and yet be
successful in business"
This is the opinion of Wesley Has
kell. who a month ago gave up one
of the best pulpits in Los Angeles to
apply his powers TO building up COM
mercial enterprises.
This man, new in affairs, was at
home 10 me for a half an hour yester-
day afternoon in the reception room
of the Hotel Fremont. | had seen the
gentleman in question in clerical garb
expounding from the pulpit of the
Church of the Unity about matters of
our spiritual concern. Yesterday
saw him in a brown business suit dis
GUESSING market conditions and fren-
Zied finance in the ordinary parlance
of commercial thoroughfares.
President Concrete Company.
Mr. Haskell has been in business
whole month. He is president of the
newly organized Concrete Construc-
ton company. and if it begins to real
ize by one-half the predictions of its
ardent and hopeful young president. it
will be one of the leading concerns of
the city.
Mr. Haskell is genuinely, naively
frank in his enthusiasm for the
game"
1T is simply great" he exclaimed.
Il enjoy every minute of 1.-THE COM
ing in contact with men of affairs, with
events; using all the fertile energies
of ones brain; forming plans almost
unlimited in their scope. 1t is fasci-
mating.
Il think il is mistake" he Contin-
ued. that a man has no use for his
ideals in business. OF course my eXper-
fence is rather limited" he laughed.
but rs far as | have seen. it is the
man with the ideals who succeeds in
business. OF course there are some
who have in view only the dollar. but
the greatest men in business are those
who had some great ideal. for public
benefit. and because of this benefit the
dollars followed.
Not such SOrdId Feature.
NO indeed" said the young zealot.
the business man, when you rub up
close 20 him, is not the sordid creature
he is painted. / have found him cul
tured, humane and possessing very
largely those qualities we term spirit
ual, and not nearly so interested in the
mere matter of making money as he
is in the building of his enterprises.
when | first went into the office of
our company | told them that | would
rather work for three or four years for
the smallest kind of a salary and have
the firm make a name-become an in
stitution-than have it accrue me 500
900.
How did | come to be a minister?
Well, ! was trained for the ministry
from the cradle up. My father was a
pastor of the Congregational church as
| was in my turn. and then | evolved
| by a very natural process into a
preacher of the Unitarian faith
And why did you give up preach
| ing, especially when you seemed TO be
doing so much good and your congre-
cation wanted so much 10 retain you?
For Health and Purse.
We'll, to tell you the truth, there
were two reasons. very simple ones.
| My health was one and my pocketbook
was the other. | was tired of being d
beggar for my living and then l
thought my abilities ought to at least
realize me enough to ward off pauper-
ism in my old age.
And then. indoor life was rapidly
telling upon my health. My time was
spent visiting parishioners and the
sick, attendance at church and the var
ious church meetings and socials. all
of which was rapidly undermining my
physical force. of which ! have not a
surplus quantity"
In the pulpit or in every day al
fairs. where can a man be most use
ful?" was asked
As for myself" he answered. Il
think / can do more good in the world
as a business man, but l am not saying
that that is true of all others. You
see. it is eQsy enough for a man TO
preach. Anybody can preach. but 1t is
quite another thing to put your preach
ing into practice. That is what ! shall
endeavor to do in my new calling
teach by example,
Mr. HaskeIls horse just then ap-
peared in front of the hotel.
This is my horse. Solano.' he said
by way of Introduction. when | am
once on his back forget everything.
Even busin ess'z I asked
Even business" he answered. as he
lTOde away.