The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-02-01
DIFFER In HABITS
CARE OF DESKS NOT AN iNDlCA.
TON OF ABILITY.
While Some Men Must Have Things
Just So, Others Do Much Work
Amid the Utmost Apparent
Confusion.

Curious about mems desk habits,
said man whose business takes him
about more or less into various sorts
of offices. II was in an Office yester-
day where ] had occasion TO write
something"
Here, sit down at my desk, says
the man. 1 guess you can find place
there
And ] did find place there after
moving 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 fiat top desk and, ex-
cept for that small, bare spot in the
middle, it was just covered with pa
pers and things of every description,
and these not folded or stacked os 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, Just pushed ii back
from The bare spot on the desk. And
so he had stuff piled up on his desk
overlapping and lying around any way
all around the top if his desk, and
actually slopng down from all around
TO that bare spot like a little fiat val.
ley, where he wrote in the center at
the front.
And this was a business man, too,
and, moreover, as was told a man
who has accumulated a comfortable
property in the pursuit of his business
And ! found him, in the dealings
had with him, not only personally ami
able in all things, as indicated by his
CHEEKY call TO use his desk, but fair
and exact in his business ways.
How he ever did business with his
desk Uttered up in shat way how he
ever found anything there that he
wanted, or how he ever remembered
anything I don't see; but as far as
know he never forgot anything that
was important.
1T made me think of something
minister asked me once. ! was saying
to this minister. talking about preach
ing eXtemporaneously, 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 he recall
ed what an experienced old clergyman
had said TO him in reply to the same
suggestion from himself, which was to
the effect that the things the preacher
forgot TO say were usually the things
not worth remembering.
And maybe it was so about the for
gotten things in the pile of papers on
that desk.
But he wasn't the only man ! have
met who kept his desk apparently in
the greatest disorder, but was never
thelesS successful; and then | have
known plenty of men who went as far
the other way aad who would have a
fit unless they could keep everything
on their desks just so.
The inkstand must be here and the
stamp box here, and the pen rack
here; all inst so, and kept So an6
with no litter anywhere, with every
thing free and clear and in order
And / haze known men who couldn't
write unless they had their paper
squared just right, and all that pre-
else men. who must have everything
just so before they could get to work;
all the very opposite of the man with
the Uttered desk. who has at least in
his favor the fact that he doesn't
worry himself over trifles, but keeps !
on serene through it all.
And while | have known men who
must have everything just SO neat
about their desks, fresh blotters and |
clean inkstands and all that, / have !
known other men who didn't care If
their desks were a foot thick with /
dust, and who only asked that their /
things should not be moved or shifted |
about; just simply and only that their !
desks be let alone.
LAS a matter of fact there is in |
these days less and less disorder in |
business methods and more and more !
system this in an age of system"