The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-06-08


him" But in so saying he perhaps did
himself an injustice. He was apt to
J feign a heartless selfshness that he
did not feel
Little by little Guilford Duncan had
| learned all this as he had learned bust
ness methods He had at first modest
| ly proposed to himself nothing more
in the way Of achievement than to
make himself a valuable subordinate
a private or at most corporal or
sergeant-in the ranks Of the great ar
my OF work. But before many months
had passed his modesty was compelled
! to yield somewhat to an increasingly
clear understanding Of conditions and
possibilities. Somewhat to his own
surprise he began to suspect himself
| of possessing capacities superior TO
those Of the men about him and even
! superior TO those of many men who
I had risen to high place In commerce
and finance.
AS Captain Hallam came more and
more to rely upon the sagacity and
character Of this his most trusted man,
D
can into those confidential conferences
with the leading men of affairs which
were frequently necessary in the plan
ming and execution of important enter
prises or in the meeting of difficulties
! and obstacles In that way Duncan
was brought into personal contact with
the recognized masters, big and little,
l raf
bankers, capitalists and other men
whose positions were in a greater or,
less degree commanding.
At first he modestly held himself as
nothing more than the tool and servitor
of these great men, but presently he
began to suspect that they were not
very great men after ALTO see that ii
was usually he himself who devised
and suggested the enterprises that
these men undertook, and he who saved
them from mistakes in the execution
of those enterprises.
Guilford Duncan had never in his
life kept a diary. He regarded that
practice as useless puerility and usu-
ally an indulgence in morbid self COM
muning and unwholesome self con-
seriousness, but 1t was his practice
sometimes late at night to set down
upon paper such thoughts as had in
terested him during the day for the
sole sake Of formulating them in his
own mind. Often he would in this way
discuss with himself questions con-
corning which he had not yet matured
his opinion.
1--WE been in conference this day"
he wrote one night, with half a doz-
en- nabobs-nOt great nabobs. but sec
ond rate ones. All this has put new
thought into my mind. Why should
not !, Guilford Duncan. make myself a
leader. a captain or even Il command
ing general of affairs? But the man
who would do things of any conse-
quence in business ways must have
money. The bank account is his tool
chest
Il suggested some combinations to-
night to those nabobs, and they are
going to carry them out They would
never have thought of fhe combina-
tons but for my suggestion. But they
can and will carry them out. with
great credit and profit to themselves,
because they have command Of money.
! could not even think Of conducting
such affairs. simply because | have no
command of money
Every we'll then. shall proceed TO
get money just as | should study to
acquire skill in a profession or just as
l should read up the law pertaining to
a matter with which must deal"
Duncan was greatly admired but lit
tie understood by his fellows in the
service Of the Hallam firm or by the
similar people who thronged the town.
His fellows in and out Of the office
were commonplace young men, all
looking to the main chance alone and
pursuing ii with only such honesty OF
conduct as business prudence requir-
ed They felt no further interest in
their work than such as was necessary
to enable them TO retain their places
and their salaries
Therefore they did not understand
Guilford Duncan. Neither could they
They regarded with amazement and
almost with incredulity his manifesto
tons OF sensitive honor and Of I'M
selfish loyalty to duty. They thought
OF him as a sort of freak or what we
should nowadays call a crank.
or course they could not fail to rec
ogniZe his ability but they thought him
a good deal of a fool, nevertheless, for
not taking selfish advantage OF the OPP
portunities that so frequently came to
him They could not understand why
he should go out of his way. as he
very often did, to render services to
the firm which were in no way requlr-
ed or expected Of him. Especially
they could not understand why, when
he had rendered such services In a
way to attract Captain Hallam's pleas
ed attention, he didn't strike for
something better" as they phrased
their thought.
In one especial case their amaze
ment over his neglect of an opportu-
nifty bred something like contempt Of
him In their minds. II was the prac-
tice OF the Italians TO keep a feet OF
heavily laden coal barges in a bend OF
the river above the town, bringing