Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-19
DAILY STOR
A LEGACY.


[Originall
My SON. said the old man as he lay
dying, Il have nothing to leave YOU
but a recipe for gaining the confidence
of your fellow men. Confidence is the
basis of all that leads on to fortune,
and if yOu follow my advice explicitly
you viii be prosperous and perhaps
prominent. The advice is this:
Don't expose Your ignorance or stu
pidity. Never give an opinion. Look
wise and say nothing"
Irving Shadrac, the ie..atee to this
meager fortune, was impressed. In
deed, he began to act on tie advice at
once. His father iIad but one intimate
friend. man doing a large business
He called upon Irving ana asked him
to express his wishes concerning the
funeral. Irving looked at him as
though he had been asked tie question
of his life. He made no reply. He
seemed to he considering.
IF YOU like" said his queStioner. az
will attend to everything for YOU"
Irving pressed his hand without
speaking
The funeral arrangements were well
attended to. and John Andrews of the
firm of Andrews " Go. was proud Of
his success i'll having arranged Il very
impressive ceremony. When he met
the son after it was all over and asked
how he was pleased with his manage
ment, Irving looked unutterable graft
tude. 1t occurred to him to tell Mr.
Andrews why he 50 approved of the
arrangements: but lest he should not
hit on what Mr. Andrews considered
the principal feature. he held his peace
There's good stuff in that boy" said
the merchant. Il must get him into
my counting room. He'll never 90 OFF
half cooked. He'll never Stop over"
Irving became one of the lowest or
der of clerks in the house Of Andrews
x Co. Whenever it was necessary for
him to 30 into the private Office of the
head of the firm he did what WAS
necessary, but did not speak. He Look
ed as if he We're carrying III his head
a solution of all The various problems
that beset the welfare of the business.
Noticing this. Mr.. Andrews on one or
two occasions. in order to test him.
submitted to him some business qucs-
ton and asked him what he would do
in the matter. Irving ut once put on
his visible thinking cap. Mr. Andrews
asked him Il leading question, which
gave away his own opinion. Then
Irving told him the way the thing
should be done-Mr. Andrews own
way
Shadrac was made chief clerk and
then became Il partner Meanwhile ha
| was following his fathers bequest in
every department of life. If Il gath
| ering of citizens met to discuss the
water supply. he appeared to be doing
| the thinking for the meeting. but nev-
| er opened his mouth. If the veStry-
men of his church discussed a ques
ton of finances. he. member. looked
at the ceiling thoughtfuily and if ask
ed for his opinion said, I'm thinking
Before the meeting broke up he had
| learned what the ma jority wished and
advocated it with every appearance OF
having reached the conclusion by pro
| found deliberation
| When it was proposed to send Try
ing Shadrac to congress he really
thought for the first time in his life
| the subject of his deliberation being
whether he could best serve his owl
purposes by remaining in business oil
going into politics. He decided for the
! latter and went TO congress-. There be