davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
Ads Fail to Bring Response.

For several days after that l advertised
In the papers Tor information concerning the
Tropic Bird, the Ocean Wave, and the East
ern Star but received no. answer also
advertised for Z the captain even printing
the challenge and the passwords, but evil
IDENTIFY the captain was not reader of the
papers.
was no wiser at the end OF two weeks
than In the beginning Of my Investigations
1 then determined would make one last
attempt and ii that failed would keep the
money. i needed 1t. My last effort ended
IN failure. The money decided. was mine
] left San Francisco, settled in Chicago, and
invested my money In q few teams. pros
pered, added to my business until had
100 teams, and then sold out. THAT was
five years ago, With the proceeds went
into the contracting business and built brick
fats Today I've got as good a game as I
want and IL / could find the parties that
own tho money I started with would pay
II back with interest"
What was Your last effort to trace the
huslness?' asked one OF the party,
Why" responded the prosperous man.
came to the conclusion that the Tropic
Bird. the Ocean Wave. and the Eastern Star
We're ships that had been wrecked or other
wise manipulated and ! consulted all kinds
OF registers 10 identity them. II they were
ships could find no trace OF them, and
wasn't the, kind OF q fool that would bring
the police into the AFFAIR. l hope the cap
tain, whoever he was, did not miss his share
of the yellow boys. They were certainly
good boys for me-"
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
By @. Is. Mather.

the remaining twenty-three it becomes APP
parent that man who is going to be sue
cess must do 1t in a hurry If he wastes time
as I have.
And yet am not an extraordinary case.
know hundreds of men who waste infinitely
more time than I do-and who wonder why
they are not brilliant successes.
Just as in my case. they might have been
If they had not wasted so much time
1t Is just like gambllng-and the waste time
represents the /" percentage " in favor Of the
winner. The person who avails himself Of
that percentage wins, and the others lose.
Costs More to Loaf, Too.
There is just one other feature to this
wasted time which 1 stroye to impress upon
my son, and which would like to impress
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
By w. F. Harmon.

progressed and LIE has become more and
more complicated there has arisen O. practical
impossibilIty Tor any ono TO know evrything.
and an age of specification has come
It'll in this specialization that The one idea
MANTLE fellow who does not know but one
thing-has come to the front. From the be-
ginning no has been the natural specialist
He knows but one thing. and, in his dull.
plodd!ng way. he knows it thoroughly. me-
chemically, and therefore, perfectly. The
wise man. hampered by knowing thousands
OF other things. has found It difficult for him
to limit his knowledge and his application to
one thing. and the one idea fool has been out
stripping him in the race for honors as spe-
cialist.
It is true that the man who does not know
how TO do anything but white shoe pegs
will in the end achieve prominence as shoe
peg whittier. while the man who knows how
TO build great ships. read sanskrit al sight
weigh the universe, and win LII. DIS from
every university probably has hard time
making a living for himself and his FAMILY.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
Walks Out Loaded with Gold.

can't imagine what would have done
If I had been on easy street. but in my then
circumstances finally decided to take the
gold and retire. trusting to the future to
clear UP the mystery. I gathered up the
bags and had hard time carrying them,
they were so heavy. Making my way to
my cheap room In Fourth street locked
myself in and counted the gold. There was
in all nearly $4,000 In twenties. tens. and
fives. double eagles. eagles. and half eagles.
and the American eagle never looked so
good before. I returned the coin to the
bags, hid them In my bed, and then went
and got needle and thread from the land
lady. Keeping out ten Of the double eagles
for current expenses. sewed the rest OF
1t in my clothes and then got out and took
better quarters after good neal had
decided that would investigate the mys-
terry at my leisure, letting the owner Of the
gold pay the expenses.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
Clerk Must Be Diplomat i'm Leading On Customers.

- S much diplomacy and cleverness are
N needed to make a successful clerk
salesman AS as manage the bust ,ss,
enter the retail stores to buy have
a definite idea OF what kind Of an article
they want, and an Indifferent. unsympa-.
.thetio clerk Will have the effect of sending
them out without making any purchase.
They. drift from store to store TIL clerk
gets hold Of them who knows his or her
busIness-wh!ch is managing the customer.
man employed in one Of the biggest
1ewelry stores is good instance of this
special talent. and the way his sales book
registers success speaks we'll for the sense
of his argument. For example, woman
came to him the other day with request
to sec cuff pins, the cheapest gold ones he
had. He spread out an assortment at 70
cents, calling attention to their good points,
showing interest In her selection, Then he
added: It's too bad, seeing you are buy
Ing cuff pins. that you didn't happen in half
an hour ago, for sold the last Of one de-
sign that has been going like hot cakes.
a dollar and a half-but they were beauties.
I don't know when I've had anything that
sesmedit to catch peoples fancy sol''
Dear mel' said the woman, G wish 4
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

drive twenty others from taking like chance
at an order.
How to advertise economically and effec-
lively Is something necessary to tho best
conduct OF the mali order business For ex
ample, n man has an article for sale which
brings 81 and which may be shipped 500
miles for 10 cents. He discovers, however,
that before he can get the thing to the Pacific
coast the carrier charges have eaten UP every
possible margin of profit, perhaps entailinS
loss on the sale. Manifestiy 1t is no adj
vantage for him to have the article exploited
In coast publications-he couldn't afford to
have the advertising free Of charge. In this
game manner. considering express and
freight charges on mail order stuff. the car
rier charges affect the field of advertising
and limit It: It is only where the article can
be sent by mani in the United States and
Canada that an order from one place Is as
good as an order from another.
There are failures in the mall order busl-
ness-plenty of them Only per cent of the
new businesses that are established on per-
sonal relationships with the customer are
successes in marked degree. Naturally. the
mali order business in It's small way numbers
Its failures The causes of these small mail
order failures are many. but one of the chief
causes is competition, as has been sug-
gested. Another of these causes of failure Is
lack of capital. There Is barely enough to
have started the business had everything
possible to Its success gone as was expected.
Naturally not everything went that way.
The adventurer into the field suddenly found
himself short of money and could not raise
enough to tide him over.
Yet after these causes in detail have been
listed, there is still another greater cause
nf fry tj,n fni pf fnn ,af
order houses and side lines. The beginner
has got the idea that. having his stock and
having arranged his facilities. all else neces-
sary is for him to advertise somewhere and
then sit down patiently and wait for business
to come In!
Hundreds OF these adventurers into the
mail order business are still sitting. wait
ing. and they never have to get of their
chairs. either!
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
Fool a Natural Specialist.

The fool Is the natural specialist. All
he knows is cente-ed on one thing.
The old Sanskrit sage wrote:
He who knows not and knows not that
he knows not-he is fool. shun him.
He who knows not and knows that he
knows not-he is ignorant; teach him
He who knows and knows not that he
knows-he is asleep; wake him.
He who knows and knows that ne knows
he is wise, follow him"
That was good advice then. but not so
good now. Now. in this age of specialization
the man who knows not and knows not that
he knows not Is still fool-but he goes right
ahead and wins. Possibly he only knows
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

E-~. ooLs are coming to the front in the
s.--. world.
Since the world began the fool has
been looked down upon and usually
imposed upon. and It has taken CEN
turtles OF development for the intelligent peo-
pie OF the world to realize the commercial
value and possibilities OF the fool.
As n matter OF fact 1t Is becoming more
and more apparent 10 the wise people of the
world that II pays to be fool.
Every day we have instances OF men great
IN the worlds affairs doing something that
causes the wise people to stop and say:
/" He was fool" We have multimiIlIon-
aires going Wild over actresses: rich. cuI-
tured members Of leading society wading in
and giving dog parties: persons OF
extreme wealth trying TO ride five miles
minute in automobIles-and then we realize
that they are fools.
AS matter OF fact It is the fools who are
In the lead almost everywhere. The brilliant.
talented fools are at the head of great indus
tries and In possession OF vast fortunes.
They arrive at their high positions because
they rush in where angels and wise persons
fear to tread, and reap the rewards of daring
in business. IN society, everywhere.
For a long time after they have reached
these high positions the world is prone to
look upon them as extremely wise persons.
Then they do something-run away with an
actress or so in for airships-and reveal to
the astounded world the fact tina. they were
fools all the time.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

NE day last week four prosperous,
successful business men were smok-
j ing their after dinner cigars In q
~ high priced restaurant. They were
comparatively new friends, but at the
same time intimate enough to be "a little con-.
fidentlal with one another. Three OF them
had told how they got their start In life; and
when the third had finished his recital all
three turned to the fourth, stout. solid.
well dressed, healthy. and thoroughly pros
porous looking man. whose face had during
the stories OF the others presented a strange
appearance of embarrassment. The man
apparently was put out by the turn the con-
versat1on had taken. When 1t was =" up to
him" however. he plucked up and said:
Gentlemen, IL left to myself never would
tell how got my start, because am afraid
you would not believe me. sometimes
think, even now. that the whole thing was
q dream. and thought when 1t happened
1t was q dream. But it wasn't a dream, for
money is the biggest fact in the world, and
I've got the goods. That's what said then
and that's what say now. I'll tell you the
story and let you Judge for yourselves.
Broke and Far from Home.
This preamble put the curiosity of the
Others on keen edge.
Ten years ago." he said. Il was in San
Francisco and beggar. I was not only
reduced to my last cent but the last cent
itself had gone. The fact is. was hungry.
There was no work in sight anywhere. I
tried to get work as sweepout, as avalet, as
a street car laborer, as digger in the ditch,
and failed. One day Iclimbed one of the hills
and looked out over the wonderful bay that
sparkled in the glorious. golden sun. The
great ferry boats were plying to and from
Oakland and Saucelito and for moment
thought 1t would be good to go on one OF
those boats and jump into the bay. But that
was only passing shadow. Iswept 1t aside
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

how to pound sand into a rat hole, but, by
steady pounding he becomes the best pound
er OF sand in the community. He knows not
that he knows not, and, therefore. he does
not die of nervous prostration. Neither does
he suffer social aspirations, or. II he does, he
knows not when he is snubbed or sighted
and generally lands at the top.
Knowing not that he knows not he always
can look extremely wise without having that
Objectionable air of the man who knows and
knows that he knows.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

left me with the people in the room. There
were three of these, all of them shrewd.
quiet looking fellows. rather commonly
dressed and not at all Ill looking. One or
them spoke up.
Hello. captain, how are your
g had sense enough to repeat the answer
l gave the little man in Market street. only
left out the last part of the remark.
=. It's long time since I've been a cap
tain said
I" Sit down.! said one of the three. ana
1 took fourth chair at the table. around
which the men were disposed.
-. Least said. soonest mendcd.' remarked
the man who had challenged me. 'rhIs
here and he drew out a bag from under
his coat-'is the yellow boys from the Tropic
Bird job. You don't have to count EN- and
he placed the bag on the middle of the table.
Alone with Stolen Gold.
"'This here said the second speaker. is
the goods from the Ocean Wave Job and he
placed similar bag on the middle OF the
table.
THE third man drew out another bag
and placed it with the two others.
"'This.' he said. is the gold dustfrom the
Eastern STAR
The three got up and quickly Wlthdrew,
leaving me alone with the bags.
II had long since realized that had
fallen in with some crooked work, but OF
its nature could not form the slightest
notion. I knew that II tried to get any
thing out OF these fellows they would know
they had made a mistake. and could sec
pecks Of trouble ahead. Now that they
were gone was torn up with fifty differ
ent emotions. Would leave the stuff where
it was and get out? Would L take 1t to the
police?
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

|Mk3 AM GO years old.
y M@ 1 have been at work. more or less regu-
|MR larry, since was 20, and part OF the time
ava ] between 10 and 90 years OF age.
URV I am a failure, a medIocrity rather.
HY which probably Is as bad II not worse than
vh& utter failure.
kM Sometimes, years ago, used to kick and
MN blame others because was not a brilliant
AN success In fact, without boastlng. should
INN have been a success am quite clever.
kNA know my business. can sell stuff and can
INV hustle hard any one. am q fairly
IAN faithful worker, and have the experience and
INN have had the backing. Yet have failed
kN The day was GO years old made some
KIM calculations based on solid. sober fact. SIM
VAN ply to show them to my boy, who is growing
'NS up, hope at least, to be bit different from
AIN his father. had found out several years
I'm \ before why failed, and made these calcu-
Uk\ lauons to make it palmer to him. Perhaps
I'M the figures may help some other young fell
IhM low.
\MN Plainly, as found out after blaming every
,hX thing else was not fairly successful man
VIM because wasted too much time.
Am Wastes Eight Years in Fifty.
INN In fact wasted over eight years of time
mn out OF fifty available for work In which I
INN should have been doing something to adj
.MH vance or improve myself. I was and am
kM( moderately we'll fixed had awaited N.Y.
hN\k self OF that time which I wasted carelessly,
W! and added the results to the small things that
IN | have achieved, my family would have had a
sAA little more than my life Insurance to depend
MN upon
W These are the figures that prepared FOR
BNg my son,
y nfa a.s n asy
" ra a9E % S yeais: 80 Minute. oloo
Waffle iars Far cars Is mints. 100
sgSe eRrIa iexcss;; 40 mimi $40
rsS eaTs dss;:; ID MINT: $500
c years s,,;ia,ii. .ri n,,;c 1880
uors day for %as 20 Years stc 1880
Barroems 10 minutes day for 10 years 1s9
!: !;
77s counted all wasted or all used. The fact
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
most expensive and dangerous things in

the most expensive and dangerous things In
the business world.
The enthusiast today who has the mail
order Initiative in him has need OF thinking
before he takes the step. He is like the
prospector who goes out into the beaten
tracks of some of the old miners of the west.
expecting to find gold in paying quantities.
Two or three such novices may find gold. but
10000 others will fail. Today the young
man who goes into the small mall order
business with 81 few dollars needs to make
sure Of his market. There Is no surer gauge
of the control OF his market than In having
control of the commodity which he is to dis
pense. In this manner the possession OF the
patent papers on some invention is at once
an assurance that he will have the market
ing OF this thing to the extent that 1t is de-
serving a market.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
Exception Does No, Establish Rule.

This Is the story OF one young man. Al
the same time. in contrast. It might be ven
turod as n fact that n thousand other young
men In Wisconsin since that time have had
ideas quite as valuable which not only have
not become the bases of mall order bus-
nesses but which have not even gone through
the patent office at Washington. thus Civ
Ing the benefit of the ideas to the world in
practical form. It might be possible tina:
there are two or three other young men in
the country who had this hatp!n idea itself
before 1t was worked out and the Invention
put on the market. But they didn't do any
thing 81 they did. They hadn't the business
ability OF the young man who acted
Action is not everything. either. Acting
hrs. and thinking atterward may be one Of
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
Simple Minds Build Real Success.

That class of fools, however, build on I'M
stable ground. The fools who are winning
the real successes in the world are those
simple minded souls who know but one thing.
For long ages the person who was wise in
all things looked down upon the plodder who
knew only one. and justly and rightly ac-
counted him a fool. But as the world has
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

value for 1t If you want to dispose oft. The
design OF the bracelet is more exclusive, too
you won't be apt to run across its mate the
next day after you get 1t. BY the way, that
is fine little stone in this bra celet better
than usually find in the $50 assortment.
This plain gold one. though. is a pretty
thing"
And the customer pays the $50 and takes
the diamond bracelet.
Keen Judge Of Men.
The good retail salesman Is keen judge
of men and women. and experience has
taught him, II he has any brains whatever
to gauge how much he can do with an indi-
vidual how far he can influence him and
direct his purchase by the time the customer
has addressed him. He must know how far
he can go, and. above all,when to stop. 1t
is fatal mistake. to let the customer sus-
poet he or she. is being gently led along BY
the nose.
Even customers WHO have succumbed and
bought somethlng,they feel they really could
not afford, or could have got along without
are comforted II the salesman makes them
feel they have a good bargain ana their
moneys worth These are the clerks who
do not stay clerks--they rise,
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
On Track Of a Job.

~ haven't got any jobs said the rough
nan, but think can stake out job for
you up in the mission. Here's a half a dollar.
Go to the Lithuanian restaurant around on
California street and get 10 cent meal. Then
go to John Blanchard's place (and he gave
me an address on the back of one of his
business cards) and he'll be waiting for you.
Ill telephone him YOU are coming and you tell
him your own story.
took the money and started for arket
street, determined to go Mt once to Blanch-
ards and to eat afterwards. was standing
on the corner waiting for car when funny
looking little man approached me. held out
his hand and said
Hello, captain, how are you?
q took his hand and replied: It's long
time since was a captain. but who are your
for had been a captain Of militia away back
in Missouri.
The little man returned a mysterious
answer to my question,
Who are you was not n part of the
password, but guess you're all right. Come
on he said, they're waiting for you at the
Pearl of Tahiti. The place was not settled
on until this morning. Old Rogers is pretty
square. But least said. soonest mended.'
I never even figured on the chances OF a
Aoiuup' iot &iooheu lHy part OF a man OUT
of work. What was in the wind could not
figure, but thought l d go through with the
game and let the mistake rectify itself; for
there was no doubt in my mind that I was
mistaken for another man. So I plodded on
with my funny guido down along the water
front. saw the sign of the Pearl of Tahiti
half a block away. 1t was a water front
saloon and eating house of the kind where
you can get good eating and drinking at
workingmans prices. We entered and
noted few sailors and dockmen standing
at the bar. My funny little man led me
through the large. breezy bar. back into
passageway and up small flight of steps.
He Knocked on dingy door.
a.. Come I'M said voice.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
One-Fifth Of Time Slips By.

That is, wasted nearly one-ffth of all my
time since was 10 years old. Islept sixteen
years out of those fifty, SO they were una
valuable for profitable work was forced
to eat for i ,l4O days and 10 hours. or about
three years, during those fifty, so there Is
nineteen out necessarily, and adding eight
and q half years that wasted there are
over twenty-seven Of the fifty years gone.
When you deduct the time man spends go
ing and coming to his work, the time he
spends with his family. and in legitimate
work and recreation outside of business, from
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

Some small tool. necessary to the shop and
the household. is an excellent line for the
small mail order business. 1t will be some
thing which. II manufactured economically.
can be sold at tremendous profit. The owner
of the patent can put this profit on the goods
as deeply as the demand for It will bear. He.
controls the article and the business done
with 1t. There is young man in Cincinnati
who began with such an invention, using a
81 pine table as the sole office fixture for his
new business. Already he has cleaned up
$4,000, and more Is coming in every day.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
BY Geo. f. Tyrone.

water front Perhaps by trying again could
pick up a job in the shipping.
Something prompted me to enter the
office of a tug company and ask for a job.
Almost as put foot inside the door. a tall.
do YOU want?
al want Job said I. I'm work at any
thing
! :. You look like a square hobo said the
rough man. You've seen better days. I'll
bet
I'm not Dragging about what I've seen.
said I. 4 want job
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07

remains that in fifty years that should have
been used wasted absolutely 31S6 days and
81 hours-over eight and half years that
might have been used advantageously.