Evening journal., 1907-09-04
What | Know About
Delaware Politics and
Other Things
EIGHTH ARTICLE.
By Washington Hastings


reader may interest people future After
this will dismiss the ego as far as is possible in
relating story about matters and things all of which
saw and part of which In the spring of 1864
Mr. Gibbons sold his rolling mill and business Henry
- Sedel of Berks County Pennsylvania, succeeded
him in the business On the day Of the conclusion Of
his purchase Mr. Seide employed me in the same capac-
ity in which had before been employed there and in
addition, TO assist him IN the management
ness wish to here that in all long
and association in business which followed, we never
had single serious disagreement He a good
business man." a better natural mechanic in which
capacity he had remarkable ability for who had
never served apprenticeship in mechanics. had
shop experience. lie possessed in full the
proverbal "Berks County thrift" well how
OF his interests and with quick eye for the
main chance" but he a sincere honest upright.
Christian gentleman, with whom It a pleasure be
associated Afera stop Of two days to take account
Of stock the mill started up again under the new
auspices. Mr.. seide had been engaged in the
rolling mill business before he having been in the forge
or bloom making branch Of the iron business and he
entirely inexperienced in the management a MILL
or the manufacture of boiler plates had had four
OF opportunity under Mr.. Gibbons learn something
Of this detail, which l had tried embrace and in
less than month Mr. Sedel commenced he placed
the management of the men and the manipulation and
hing Of the orders-a somewhat intricate task for
inexperienced person-excusvely in hands, and those
duties remained there during all the years. and amid
all the changes and vieisstudes those years from
that day In eighteen hundred and sixtyfour until the
winter OF nineteen hundred and
In later years l delegated many OF those duties to
done without my sanction approval nothing
ever occurred good bad from first TO last that
not responsible for and only. never had but
strike and, after that any difficulty
with the employes-save only The casual annoyances
which will always occur long human nature
mains as IL IS In both employer and employe, but which
can usually be prevented from becoming serious by
little tact and judgment on the part of the employer
My strike occurred In week after the
management Of the mill won was obliged to!
knew that II didn't the subsequent proceedings would
interest morer / / must, then and
there, make spoon spoil horn" 1t in this
way Young and to large extent inexperienced re-
garded merely boy by the men, the evening Of
the first payday, three Of the employed into
the office and, in perempory tone and manner,
demanded twenty per cent advance of which l.
promptly and equally peremporily, declined TO grant;
They said they would strike" II grant
that the mill would not be running the next morning
They represented nobody but themselves but knew that
their threat II carried would stop tetoporariy
nevertheless. with heart beating hard somewhere
in the region of my ankesI replied as brakey as COULD
all right strike, and be hlanhed! And the next
ing sure enough the mill was standing still; with
time, bpt on his return he fully sustained meas he
always did in everything. lie that sort OF mani
In three days had supplied their places and were
running again not quite smoothly 1 could have
wished, but stil we running; and that good
That the only strike" semblance Of one that
ever had in all the fortytwo years OF experience
that incident when reading Hosea Bigow."
"Ef you want peace. the thing you've gut du,
Is jes' 70 show you're up TO itin, tu"
But that is the whole of the problem by any
have always found that fair treatment due oonsdera-
linquencies confidence that they will get justice any
and every event. wi in most instances peaceful
relations faithful service, devotion TO an employers in
terests. and affection from employees. in return.
There old men in this city to-day who working
for me when went out Of business recently and had
been, continuously for than thirty years.
whom and myself believe there exists mutual esteem
and afeetionate regard know that it exists on my
part
continued in Mr. seidels employment FOR two years.
until the spring of 1866 when 1 bought from him
fourth interest his business paid full,
with cash; besides lending him money that
time. II anyone is curious to know how poor man
could do that. will say that l borrowed the
money from Of the best friends l had,
of the best women that ever lived, my wfes mother.
And so, embarked in business for myself"
The concern'was prosperous: it had been in the
two years lust past and earned great deal Of money
for many years Not such earnings fashionable
now-a-days to be sure, but sufficient support two
famies--and part of the time three-in comfort and
provide, in addition money to invest outside II
through the storm of the panic OF three" and
all the subsequent ones and met obligation
maturity II tried build up a reputation
friends and enemies alike might always know where to
find IT, and, especially reputation for the production
of good material And believe that it succeeded in this
least
him. been robust went TO Europe for his health and
mained for over year He never afterwards took
principal owner, and his position and pay senior
partner of the and its president after its
major part Of his stock retired.
Everything in this world, good bad, has an end
fifty. it flies and if OF it is lost flies away
forever: and be recovered So with oppor-
once, and only II knocked at twice while
was IN the in which spent all my business
life as an employer. Two opportunities afforded
me 20 engage in business In much larger ap
parenty. more important establishments, declined
them ! thought that I would rather be the
mouse than the tail Of a rat, stayed was
Whether this wise otherwise. sufficient time
has not elapsed 10 determine; large
concerns are still lin the air." their future yet being
accomplished
As the years went by times changed. Competition.
always sharp became relentless Large estab-
lishments combined and became larger sti and soon
Il he hig s. 10 1tffI.
fsh IN the water do Our staunch vesselgood many
safe voyage yet under proper management and owner
ship-began to act IL she had large a cargo or
too numerous crew, something She seemed TO
be water-logged and she was; on the fifteenth OF
February of this year. after weathering many a fnan
oia storm safely, she went down and captain went
down with her Fortunately he could swim, and man
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