The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-03-30


ward H. Hartman told me So
And l guess Mr.. Hartman ought
to know, IL anybody does.
I got the secret direct from the
railroad king himself, In an inter.
view on the porch of his pretty
cottage during his visits here. In.
cidentally he told me that IL he
hadn't been a railroad king he
would have been a missionary. But
I'll come to that later.
| OF course Mr.. Hartman didn't
put it that way, Patience is the
keynote of success" No, indeed
Mr.. Hartman is not a newspaper
writer, neither was he reading me
sermon on "How to Succeed in
Railroading."
You see. every day since he ar
rived In Pasadena, Mr.. Hartman
had constantly been surrounded by
railroad officials, friends and re-
porters. To these latter, from
stars" to CUBS" his secretary
was forced to explain, day after
day, that Mr.. Hartman was in
Pasadena to rest, not to be inter-
viewed, and that he could not see
the reporters separately. And SO,
every day, the representatives of
the press interviewed Mr.. Harri-
man In groups or punches" Then
the railroad king talked railroads.
railroads, railroads. l began TO
woner whether this great man
could talk anything but railroads.
determined to find out. That's
how l got his secret of success.
1t was only after four attempts
tnat l secured four or five min
utes, alone. of Mr.. Harriman's
time. l didn't know how much.
per minute, Mr.. Hartman makes
but l imagine I was pretty rich
while those minutes were mine
Mr. Hartman looked at me
quizzically through the thick
lenses of his glasses.
1 wasn't nearly as much afraid
OF him as 1 had thought I would
De. In fact 1 was a little out of
patience.
Mr.. Hartman" said, "I have
been here four or five times to
see you."
Just the ghost of a smile flick
ered at the corners of the mag
mates mouth.
"Yes?' He was evidently wait
ing for more. knew he was
waiting for questions, not state
ments. so I asked:
!. What would you have done
mad you been in my placer" This
was not in accord with the line OIL
Interview I had planned but I'll
really wanted to get his view
Just what you've done-wait-
ed I'LL L got what I wanter," he
said with a nod of approval. And
the ghost of smile was gone.
You Know" he added, 'there are
a dozen newspaper men waiting
now to see me that are Iamentine
Just as much as you"
I'm not lamenting," I said.
II was just patient"
well, there you've got it.v he
sara. patience. That's what al
person needs to get on"
is that why you have been
successful? Aren't there more|
things necessary" 1 asked.
isn't that enough?" II a per.
son has patience he can get what
he goes after"
Then, abruptly, he closed fur
their discussion along that line.
"YOu wanted to see me-on
II thought maybe you'd talk
about the value OF a college edu-
cation as an asset in a business
career" 1t was an awful bluff
but one had to say something.
think that when a man has
had a little practical experience.
then gets his college education. IL
gives him q broad outlook unon
NE and good mental discipline. W
Where did you get your mental
Mr.. Hartman? Att
Hartman turned quickly in his
chair and regarded me intentIy
Finally he said, as though salts
fled that there was nothing flip
pant in my question: "What> an.
plies to one does not apply TO
ALL" he said. "You can't match
all kinds of men any more than
you can match a horse and this
CHAIR"
So. evidently Mr.. Hartman
does not consider colleges essen
tial to the mental discipline that
makes railroad magnates.
What is your idea concerning.
women in the prof essions and in
business?" ! asked.
This time the ghost became a
broad, genial smile.
sT've never found it necessary
to think about them. They seem
to manage themselves beautifully
without any interference ON my
part"
Suppose you had not devoted
your life to railroads, Mr.. Harri-
man, what do you think you
would have done?"
81 think I'd have been a mis-
he chuckIed. II believe
we are all more or less missions
aries and I'd have made a very
good one"
But you're glad you chose rail-
roads instead of missionarying?"
Eyes, I'm very happy. I enjoy
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