Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-21
HAVE YOU AN 1DEAa
Make Good Use of It and It May
 Bring You Wealth.

Washington, D. O., June 21.-It pays to originate an idea. The idea may not be great, but if 1t is original it is certain to attract attention. Robert J. Thompson now is reaping the fruits of an idea which occurred to him quite accidentally during the last presidential campaign. MT Thompson is Chicago man. the president of the National Recording Safe Go. manufacturers of device used largely by savings banks. He Is well-to-do and prosperous.
 During the campaign of 1903 he read several of the works of Presi- dent Roosevelt. He was attracted by the great number of phrases and ex- pressions in them which were odd almost epigrammatic. He went over the books again and marked the sen- tences and expressions which, to his mind, were striking and pungent. Looking over them afterward, he con- ceiyed the idea of incorporating them in form that would appeal to the public. Then he began to compile them. He communicated with Will liam Loeb, jr, the secretary to the president, and. without indicating definitely to him what he intended to do, requested copies of the presidents speeches which he could not obtain from any other source. The speeches were forwarded to him. He perused them carefully, making notes con- stantly of the phrases whicn attract ed his attention.
 He had considerable difficulty in locating one expression which he had heard attributed to President Roose- welt. That expression was "a square deal" Finally, he found 1t in speech which the president had delivered In Springfield. Ill, and in a later ad- dress, made by the president on his Pacific coast trip, he found 1t again. Having completed his examination of the presidents books and address es, he concluded, with the material he had in hand. to publish book of the presidents salient phrases and epigrammatic expressions. To get the work out in an ordinary form. Mir Thompson decided would not attract special attention, so he conceived the idea of publishing it as a vest pocket brochure-a dummy book" as 1t is called by children. He carried his idea into effect. An edition of the book. beautifully printed, was gotten out on very thin paper and attrac- lively bound. In size 1t was about two inches and half long by an inch and three-quarters wide, and, per- haps. a third of an inch thick. It was entitled "A Square Deal" and a sen- tenee or two in gilt letters on the cover told what the work contained. It was placed on sale at all of the news stands in the country and every | agent of the Union News Co offered [ 1t for sale on passenger trains It made an instant Init" Thousands of the little books were sold. the de- mand far exceeding. for a time, the ability of the publishers to supply 1t.
 The book was brought to the at- tention of President Roosevelt and he was much interested in it. Cam paign orators used ft throughout the country and partisans of the preei- dent quoted from it constantly M- Thompson received the thanks of the president for his work on the book and, incidentally. he coined a lot ot money out of it.
 Last autumn the president, after
 looking up the record of Mr Thomp- son. appointed him as United States consul at Cienfugos. Cuba. Mr Thompson said he would be glad tc enter the consular service. but wa,
 impelled to decline the post at Glen
 fuexos. Tn a few days the president
 will appoint Mir Thompson as United
 States consul at Hanover. Germany
 This post Mr ThompsO1 has accepted curi0usly enough. Hanover is the
 home of the parents of Mrs Thomp.
 son and no position in the consular
 service could have been selected that would have suited the Thompson. better. yet the designation of Nj Thompson for the Hanover post val the merest accident. the selection be ing made without consultation vftf him
 Until within fev years M Thompson. Tn politics. was a demo erst He is the secretary of the La fayefte memorial commission and ss