The Washington herald., 1907-03-10
The College of Hard Knocks
Leaders in the World Who Have Fought Their Way the Front

Thomas F. Ryan. owner Of the Equi-
table Life Assurance Society, head of no
end of great corporations. and in whose
pocket any number of relatively big finan-
ciers are supposed to rattle about like
peas in a gourd, is generally as reticent
as he IS reported to be, and he never
talks about himself.
II he could be induced to tell about his
school DAYS, the story would be well
worth reading and comparing with the
story of the school days Of J. P. Morgan,
the original reorganizer, so-called, whose
work IN the world Mr. Ryan has come
nearer paraHeling than any other man.
The two men were born almost half a
generation apart-Morgan in 1887 and
Ryan in island by 1870 when Ryan ar
rived IN New York, Morgan was well
started on his career. That was thirty
seven years ago. Morgan had already
begun 70 make for himself a reputation
through having won a noteworthy vic
tory over Jay Gould in a night over a
New York State railroad, while Ryan
was just beginning his struggle to get
into Wall street; yet. measured in money
Ryan has made a longer journey than
the older man; the Ryan millions ar"
much more numerous than M0rgans-
When you remember how much fur
Their Ryan has had TO travel than Morgan
the contrast is startling, for Morgan was
bOrn TO wealth. while Ryan was born 20
poverty Morgan was educated regardless
81 expense, as rich mans son should
be. Ryan had to work through every
summer and to set along with few
weeks elementary instruction each win
ter in a country schoolhouse built among
the hills on the eastern slope of the
Blue Ridge. in the Old Dominion State
But he read every book of every kind on
which he could lay his hands.
At about the age that Morgan was dis
putting with the most learned doctors OF
GoeUiugen University over the most in
tricate problems Of the higher mathe-
mates and besting the doctors, Ryan
WAS studying his little dog-eared arith-
metic and arguing over the best ways e
do the examples" between its covers
with the rural mathematicians of Mel
son County. Va At the age when Nor
gan was trying TO decide whether 10 ac-
cept a place in his fathers great banisine
house, Ryan, seeing clearly that he could
not win the goal to which he aspired il
the country. was planning to seek his
fortune in some great city.
You may know the story; how he got
enough money together TO 90 TO Balti
more. his idea of \ great city; how lac
tramped from deer TO door asking fol
work and finding none day after day
ill all his money save one lone twenty
Ive-cent piece had disappeared from hi,
pocket and how at last he got q $3-a
week job on trial. with instructions Il
begin tomorrow morning at ..
His new employer WAS John u. Barry
dry goods merchant The manager was
attracted 10 the country boy at once bl
his response. Almnst before he had
stopped speaking Ryan had hung his car
on a convenient nail.
IF You are willing said he IN start
right now. / won't charge you for my
work to-day. but / don't want 10 lose any
time"
Figuratively. the boy had gotten through
prep school, was now about &C. enter col
lege. and was eager to begin Nobody will
charge him with losing any time since
he entered.
Ryan managed TO graduate from the
Barry commission dry goods house in two
years. and in 1870, at nineteen, began his
postgraduate. course in Wall street Con
tinulng the analogy, he may be said 20
have secured the degree OF doctor of
finance in 1874. when. a year after his mar
riage TO the daughter of his first employer
he bought seat on the stock exchange
and set out on mis- own career.
Thomas Fortune Ryan is not the only
one OF the men DOW in the toomost ranks
IL heir respective callIngs whose educa-
ton. aSiur frc-1 that gained In the "col-
lege OF hard knocks was gained mainly
under the roof OF a baCkWOOds district
schoOlhOuse-
Eminent Men of Little Schooling.
It is rather interesting that the scholarly
William Dean HoweIls, by common con
sent the leading American novelist and
Mark Twain" most widely read anc
most widely appreciated humorous writer
in English now living. both belong to that
class Howells did not so to school at
all after he was seven years old.
Thomas \. Edison. recognized as tbs
most eminent practical electrician in the
world to-day, despite the achievements OF
younger men in his line. didn't attend a
country district school, because his boy
hood was passed in and about Detroit but
his attendance at school didn't aggregate
eight weeks altogether, and he never
reached the grammar school grade.
William 3. Allison, whose service In tho
United States Senate has been the longest
on record. and who also holds the record
as chairman Of the Senate Committee or
Appropriations, did manage TO get tive
years of college training, one at ALLEGHENY
College. MeadviHe, Pa, and the other al
Western Reserve College, Hudson, Ohio
But ne had to work his own way in boil
cases. and he got whatever he acquired
of preparatory schooling in a log scchSol
house at Ashland, Ohio, and a decidedly
primitive academy at Wooster, in tn,
same State.
Andrew Carnegie. the steel master ant
library giver. went 10 school less than an
OF the others mentioned. Even more thar
Edison. perhaps. Carnegie had TO hammer
out his own training as he went along
Both did much of the early hammering OF
the telegraph key. Judging from the ma
ture Of CaTnegie's numerous benefactions
all of which, except his gifts of churcl
bells and organs, have been made for tn
spread of education, he regrets more thar
any Of the others his own lack of earl,
schooling
IT would be hard to find a more typ'ca
half dozen Americans, or a more emineU
half dozen. each in his own line, thai
these six. If the names of Z. H. Harri
man. the wonder of the age in railroa,
extension. and J. J. Hill. his great oppO
nent in Pacific railTOading. be added t
the list. the eight will include admittc
leaders in half a dozen important walk
of life
You might not think of including Harri
man. because he wasn't a country boy
but he belongs among the self-educate
all the same He went first 10 a c0untr