The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23
DESK HABITS.
Business Men VINO Surround ThcmScl,es
with Order Others Who Don't.

Business Men VINO Surround Themselves
with Order Others Who Don't.
Curious about mems desk habits said
a man whose business takes him about
more or less into various sorts of Office.
Il was in an Office yesterday where | had
occasion to write something.
Here, sit Town at my desk says the
man. I guess you can find n place there
And I did find a place there after NOV.
ing one or two things, but that was all |
found-a place just big enough TO write in,
and that square in the middle of the desk.
This was a fiat top desk and, except for
that small, bare spot in the middle, it was
Just covered with papers and things OF
every descrip ton, and these not folde4 "
stacked or set up about in any orderly
manner but all apparently in the utmost
confusion.
The desk looked as though its owner
when he had got through with a document
or bill had just pushed it back from the
bare SPOT on the desk. And 30 he had
stuff piled up on his desk overlapping and
lying around any way all around the top Of
his desk, and actually sloping down from
all around to that bare SPOT like a little
fat valley, where he wrote in the centre as
the fro mt.
And this was a business man, too, and
moreover. as l was told, a man who has ac-
cumulated a comfortable property in the
pursuit OF his business. And | found him
In the dealings l had with him not only per-
sonally amiable in all things, rs indicated
by his CHEEKY call to uHe his desk, but fair
and exact in his busines ways.
How he ever did business with his desk
Uttered up in that way, 10Y he ever found
anything there that he wanted, or how he
ever remembered anything | don't see;
but a. far "a | know he never forgot any
thing that was important.
1T made me think Of something q min
ister said 10 me once. Il vas saving 20 this
minister, talking about preaching eNtem-
poraneously, that | should think when a
man got UP in the pulpit to preach without
any notes that he'd be apt TO forget some
OF the things he wanted to say, and the
minister said that sometimes you might
forget things in that way. but then ne
recalled what an experienced old clergyman
had said to him, in reply TO the same suggea-
ton from himself. which was 10 the ef'est
that the things the preacher forgot 10 say
were usually the things not worth remeIn-
bering.
And maybe il was so about the forEotten
things in the pile of papers on that uesk.
"But he wasn't the only man hay" met
who kept his desk apparently in th" grra''s,'
hl1DIhrE Dul "uT utNtTI NflfSN NN'' re ~
and then | ave known plenty OF men VINO
went as far the other way, and who wo'Iiu
have a 1T unles they could keep everything
on their desks just so.
The inkstand must be here and the
stamp box here. and the pen rack here al
just so, and kept SO; and with IA Htter
anywhere, with everything free AMI clear
and in order. And | have known men vino
couldn't write unless they had their naper
squared just right, and all that; pr"clse
men, who must have everything 1T 20
before they could get 10 work, all ~" very
opposite of the man with the litter" Irsh,
who has at least in his favor the i.,' that
he doesn't worry himself owe tribes, OUT
keeps on serene through IL all.
And while | have known men W. mus
have everything just 80 neat aho' theI
desks, fresh blOtters and clean i~nn-tand'
and all that. | nave known other MAJ "p"'
didn't care il their desks were a fU"' inIcN
with dust. and who only asked thar 'heir
things should not be moved or shifted dbolu
just simply and only that their deske >AoHu
be let alone.
AS q matter Of fact there is in these az
lese n less disorder ia business methOs
and more and more system; this IS an aV'
Of system.'