The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-04-24

II had my chance many years ago..
said Fargo business man, nieditatiye-
ny, and I was not wise enough to take
advantage Of it. A little wisdom at that
time might have brought me success.
Il was made director Of the little.
Fargo Southern railway; that after
wards became part of great system.
| As a matter of fact, the. great system
owned the little road from Its inception,
but there were reasons why it should
be managed temporarily as a separate
property So / was given the necessary
stock, which was allowed to be in my
personal possession long enough for me
| to indorse it in blank, and an annual
lpass over all the roads of the great
system / knew nothing about the
dummy director business at that time,
/ and took my railroad director job as
a great joke. ] knew about as much
about railroads as COW knows about
gunpowder, You see, all great promot-
Iers and hnanciers need directors in
their business. When they get good
| one, who has the technical knowledge
that enables him to do the right thing
in the right way at the right time. they
glue to him and make prominent and
successful citizen of him. 1t is right
profitable profession in some instances,
and it might have been in my case
| The great system needed "a director,
and. if I had made good, I probably
would now be on the inside in many
great undertakings, and on so many
hnarIz of Ji,sootr~." Ehof I. ,,yo,t15 ba,ra
to have a clerk TO- keep track of them.
But l was young and foolisll--and the
pass was my undoing."
81 never had a pass before" he
sighed; II always had had to pay cash
for everything, and this seemed too
good a chance to lose | began travel.
ling. The great system ran trains to
many places that wanted to visit, and
| visited some towns that didn't care.
about just for the sake of using the
pass. The conductors and the porters
were so deferential that it flattered
me- ! just hunted for excuses to go
somewhere on the great system.
Meanwhile, the business of putting
things in shape to. merge the little road
with the great system was going merrily
on, but / was not attending the direc-
tofs' meetings, Somehow, they always
seemed TO hold these just when had
important business with the pass, and
the meetings were duh. while the pass
gave me great advertisement. AS /
didn't know anything about railroad,
ing, anyhow, ] couldn't see why my abb
seilce should make any difference. But
one day l received formal notice that
my pass had been cancelled, and a re-
quest TO return it. did SO in person.
= Isn't a director entitled to passp
demanded.irr ~ arr ates1 $tyH tft
d" But YOU are no longer a director,
| was informed. ..z
'@'How is that?' | asked, indignant
" My term hasn't expired, and /
certainly have. written no letter Of res
ignation.' 4 Il. i u a.>gs iss IA .'s5.s .'s5.sss h
"tQuite true was the suave reply,
but a man must be a stockholder to
be, director. and you naturally ceased
to be director when you ceased to be
a stakeholder. The stock that YOU sign
ed in blank was filled in and transferred
to another. You didn't seem to be
much interested in the road
And that, added the business man,
"is how / stumbled on the threshold
of career. i Ell d l.5s