The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-24
THE UNPRoDUorIvE MAN.
Hc Who Hes Neither Imagination
Nor Ideas I'm Business.

II Is a commonplace that the real
,ly valuable man In business or any
thing else Is the man who has ideas
or Imagination. Mr.. Lorin II. De-
land. writing In the Atlantic Monthly.
tells OF a young man who went to
him for advice as to some way of
getting an increase of salary. He
( was even debating whether he had
not better give up his situation and
trust to luck to find something bet
ter. Il urged him at once against
such course" says the writer, "and
told him to look for something better
while he was holding his present sit
ustion. said TO him:
mills. the important thing for
you In this matter Is to ascertain
whether you are paid all that you
are worth and. that settled. whether
you can make yourself worth any
more Bue first Of all let us see II you
can make yourself worth any more.
whether you are paid for It or not. II
you can. you had better stick and
look for your raise at the first fair
opportunity He agreed. and I went
ahead with my plan.
First told him for thirty days to
put his mind on one thing--to devise
some method whereby his house
could sch at least 800 worth more
Of goods. 1t must be practical
plan and should be presented as any
intsrested employee would present
such matter to his superior.
Thirty days passed and Mills came
IN again. With all his thinking he
had found no method by which the
business of the frm could be extend
- even 800 year.
'T then put him to work on his
second months labor--to discover any
method by which the firm could
transact its present volume of busi-
ness with greater economy. so that
BY improved methods there should
be effected q saving of at least $50 a
year.
"At the end Of the time he came
back TO me with his report. He had
been able to discover no new method
whereby the firm could economize.
He had. however, discovered one
thing-namely. that he would not
need to go ahead for another thirty
days with our experiment. for he had
about made up his mind that he
\ would continue where he was.
10y boy said to him. just real
ise for q moment where you stand.
You ara not able. though you have
worked three years In this house. tc
increase the volume Of the business
800 . year. nor can you point out a
, way to save that amount. MY warn.
inG,. u lie low! Attract as little at.
tshtion to yourself as you can. Don't
lst the proprietors or the manager
|a~ss@s4s~cs ehot y0u nave oeen luTce
years in their employ II you can help
Il. n
You are an absolutely urproduc-
tive man. don't mean that you are
a bit inferior to thousands of other
young men who are In the stores and
wholesale houses OF this city. but you.
Hike them. are simply sitting upon the
head OF one of the bright men in the
counting room. He has to solve all
these problems. You and fifty others
In your establishment are Just sitting
on the top OF his head. like so many
dead weights. II the business pros
psrs you expect a raise of salary
when II is his headwork that has
gained every inch OF progress He
has to carry you ALL
THE Young man. went of. sadder
ana wiser than he came. For five
years thereafter. In which was able
to follow his course. he held the same
place at the same salary"
-