Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-14
FROM OFFICE BOY TO $4,000.


IT
FROM OFFICE BOY TO $4,000.
Harrison B. Riley has been elected
president of the Chicago Title and
Trust company, one Of the most i'm
portant financial institutions In the
city. His salary is $4,000 a year.
He began his work as an office boy
Just as thousands of the most sue
cessful business men in the country
began, and just as thousands OF them
are beginning now. Not all Office boys
are successful. as we know. and the
reason for Harrison B. Riley's advance
ment is thus given:
He was not heavy-heeled office boy,
who spent his time converting small
bits of paper into projectiles and di-
verting himself otherwise after the
manner Of Office boys in general. He
thought the work he was doing
all the time, and 1t was not long until
this knowledge he gathered was put
to good use by his employers, and his
$3.50 became SIS, and $40, and $25 a
week. Always acquiring information,
and doing more than he was paid to do
Riley eventually was made vice pres
ident of the Title Guarantee and Trust
company. after that concern absorbed
the firm Of Handy & Co. He took that
office in January, 1901.
His own explanation of his success
is that he kept still and plugged
along" He evidently did not regard
1t as any part OF his business to crit
icise the general management Of the
institution which employed him, to find
fault with its methods Of doing busi-
ness, to complain because he was not
pushed ahead fast enough. He simply
did what he was told to do and did 1t
promptly and we'll. He went about his
work quietly and performed his tasks
faithfully. So, when promotions were
to be made. he was remembered.
Doubtless had he been curious about
such matters, or had he felt that his
time was all his own. he might have
listened and heard Bill saying to
jim:
That Riley fellow has been pushed
up again. Everything comes easy to
him. Did you ever see the beat of 1t
Why, he's ignorant, that fellow Is.
said something to him about going to
the ball game the other day and he
didn't even know what team was play.
ing.
Or Jim saying to Bill:
The way fellows like Riley get along
is this: They make friends with the
superintendent or with one of the d.
rectors or with the president. They
get pull and then they have no trou-
BILE. Now, If only had pull
Or Charley saying to Henry:
That theer Riley fellow never lets
up. If he'd only quit in decent time
we could all get off earlier. He acts
as If he had an interest in the business.
He is chump. That's what call him.
a regular chump.
Or Henry saying to Charley:
What do you suppose? They've rails
ed Riley's salary again. And here we
are, me and you, working for what
we got two years ago. Well, it all
comes from favoritism. Every once In
a while you'll see Riley talking to the
vice president, and I'll bet he's telling
things about us to make himself solid.
He's a dub. He don't know nothing.
If had his chance I'd
OF course the reason why Bill and
Jim and Charlie and Henry did not
have Harrison Riley's chance was be-
cause they did not make it for them
selves, as he did. While they were try
ing to find interest in anything else
than their work and watching the
clock and figuring out how they could
squander the next hour or two, Harri-
son B. Riley was working along, say
ing nothing and doing nothing but bust
ness.
He probably had help-that is, he
probably succeeded in getting others
to help him after while -but 1t was
help which he secured for himself, as
he secured his chances, and the kind
Of help that every man secures who
is able to convince others that he is
entitled to 1.-THE Chicago Inter
Ocean.