The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-08
A6T|IzTIES OF 6N6LAND'S
CHAMPION HUSTLER
HE NOW HAS FOUR DAILY IN LONDON ALONE And 50 MANY OTHER
PUBLICATIONS THAT HE CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER THE NUMBER
Office Boy Who Calmly Asked for the Editors Job

lish public school boy. When was in
Winchester three quarters of an hour
week was all that was given to mod
ern languages whereas two thirds of
my time had to be devoted 20 getting
a superficial knowledge of Latin and
Greek that was never of any real use
to me. so far as have been able to
see. The English public school boy was
in my day taught almost nothing he
needs to know, and a rich assortment
of things he doesn't need to know,
Pearson pere was country clergy
man, and was taking the finishing of
his boys education in hand himself
when the youth amused his family one
day by announcing that he was going
in for a competition started for circu-
lation making purposes for penny
weekly called Tit-Bits. Whoever turned
in the best answers to weekly series
of ten questions for thirteen weeks
was to have a job ON the staff of the
paper at $40 a week, providing he
seemed likely to be worth the money.
Was to Have Been a Parson
"I, was supposed to be going into the
church., said Mr.. Pearson, when L
talked with him about this turning
point in his life. Ny grandfather was
a clergyman. My father was a clergy
man. My father had five sisters, and
four Of them married the curate-not
the same curate. So. of course, I was
supposed to be going in for the church;
but l did not care for the idea. I just
happened to hear of this competition
thing, and went in for it because had
great liking for general information,
being of an inquiring turn of mind.
Every week when Tit-Bits came out /
bicycled thirty miles from my fathers
house to consult reference books in the
county library at Bedford. That made
a sixty mile round trip-and made
everybody laugh at me. All my people
thought me very stupid
There. We're more than 5000 competi-
tors and the Pearson boy came out
ahead with Ala marks, the next COM
petitor getting 362. When he turned
UP at the Office of Tit-Bits he found
that no special work had been set apart
for him other than to draw his salary.
1t is significant that he promptly found
work for himself. Whenever any de-
partment was short handed there was
Pearson fitting himself into it At the
end of six months he had acted as un-
derstudy to about everybody in the
office, and knew all the details of man
agement. Then the proprietor and the
manager had row, and who should
turn UP promptly with an application
for the position but the new boy, who
had just celebrated his nineteenth
birthday!
Sir George Newnes laughed at me-
said Mr. Pearson, 1"and was not even
going to listen to me; but I held on and
told him that I meant it. Why, said
he, it's absurd for boy to imagine he
can manage a business like this
Well said I, will you promise not
to appoint anybody else for a while,
and give me a chance at it meantime? %
No. said he, I shall do nothing of
the sort
Just the same. he did not appoint a
new manager and / did the work with
out getting the appointment. Three
months later 1 tackled him again and
said: If you are satisfied think it
is only fair to tell me SO and will
manage your business This time he
thought so, too, and l was made man
ager.
An American Idea
IF had not gone to America when
was tWenty-fou years old probably
should have been earning salary of
say, $4,000 a year from George Newnes
at this moment. You do not know how
your life may turn out. went over
to the United States for George Newnes
when I was getting a salary of $1,000
year as manager of Tit-Bits. came
UP against men there about my own
age, and not noticeably more intelli-
gent than l was, who were either run
ming businesses for themselves or get
ting very high salaries from other peo-
pie. That made me think, and when I
got back tackled George Newnes, and
said: This, business is making $780,
600 a year. have been here for six
years: 1 think I ought to get some
thing more
How much?' said he.
Il said: $4,000 year salary, and a
slight percentage on all Increase of
profits from today up
No, I think not