The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-10-04
THE PRINCETON UNION: THURSDAY OCTOBER y 1905

But no advance of salary came to the
young man as a result. It was one of
Captain Hallam's rules never to pay a
man more for his services than he
must and never to advance a mans
salary until the advance was asked for
Captain Hallam was in no fiber of
his being a miser, but he acted always
upon those cold blooded prudential
principles that had brought him
wealth. It was not money that this
great captain of commerce worshiped,
but success. Success was the one god
Of his idolatry. Outside of his bust
Even in his business operations he
never hesitated at lavish expenditure
where such expenditure promised good
results. But he regarded all unneces-
sary spending as waste, of the kind
that imperils success.
In his cynical moments, indeed, he
sometimes said that IF you have a
valuable man in your employ you must
keep him poor; otherwise you'll lose
him." But in so saying he perhaps did
himself an injustice. He was apt to
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
~ proposed to himself nothing more
in the way of achievement than to
make himself valuable subordinate
private or at most a corporal or a
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
had risen to high place in commerce
and finance.
AS Captain Hallam came more and
more to rely upon the sagaclty and
character Of this his most trusted man,
be more and more brought young Dun
gan 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,
with railroad presidents, fnanciers,
bankers, capitalists and other men
whose positions were in greater or
less degree commanding.
At first he modestly held himself as
nothing more than the tool and servltor
of these great men, but presently he
began to suspect that they were not
very great men after ALTO see that it
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 diary. He regarded that
practice as a useless puerility and usu-
ally an indulgence in morbid self COM
AAAGAAA6 AAAA I'LL 4O4CoOAC Sc11 GULF
seriousness, but it 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 a new
thought into my mind. Why should
not I, Guilford Duncan, make myself a
leader, captain or even a 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 the combina-
lions 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
VERY we'll, then. shall proceed to
get money, just as I should study to
acquire skill in profession or just as
I should read up the law pertaining to
matter with which I 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 1t with only such honesty Of
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