The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-13

property, she said, was TO be handed
down 10 her children, and they. in turn.
guarding it carefully as honest and pru-
dent trustees. were 10 hand 1t down to
their children. So as boy. of course, I
supposed I should have something TO do
in the line Of business"
In your early instruction and train
ing. l inquired. TO what principles and
+ conduct did your mother give emphasis
First OF all. to self-reliance. Let me
give you an Illustration. 1 went to Texas
in 1898 TO look after a railway in which
Mrs. Green had become pretty heavily in
terested. Desiring her judgment. / would
telegraph that we needed certain things
You are on the ground she would wire
back Immediately. One day. losing pa
thence. l started for New York.
A" Mother. I said on entering her Office
when / telegraph you for advice l wish
you wouldn't CURLY tell me to mind my
own business.
But she said suppose were not
here? You remember Mr.. - Well. he
was captain OF his own ship, as I am cap
tain of my ship. His sons were his mates.
They wore uniforms and looked very
spruce. But they didn't take their turn
at the wheel or stand watch. Finally, the
captain died. and no one on board being
competent TO navigate the ship, 1t went
on the rocks. l sent you to Texas TO
learn the railway business. 1 can't teach
you by telegraph from New York. Go
back and do the best you can. After
that" Mr., Green added, II ran the road
as 1 pleased. l went into banks. a cotton
gin mandatory, and other enterprises.
all of which, am glad TO say, have been
successful.
"Once my mother sent me TO Chicago
with a package OF very valuable papers,
as l imagined. I was young man and
stayed awake every foot Of the way, puts
ting the package under the mattress in
my berth and watching for robbers all
night. On reaching Chicago I learned
that the papers were FIRE insurance poll
cies long since expired Besides self-ren-
ance, my mother taught me to pay and
demand the odd cent
IF a man owes you SS56.l7. she often
said. don't accept S95615 If you do. your
books will not balance. nor will they ball
anee If. owing him S956.l7, you only pay
him $S56l5. After your business is over
you may take him TO dinner and the thea
ter, but don't invite him until the trans
action has been closed and the money
paid
Before going to Chicago, with a num-
Der Of mortgages on real estate that had
fallen in value, my mother said: Get the
exact sum due on each mortgage, inter-
est and principal. fixed in your mind. If
any one is fool enough 10 offer you the
full amount, take f. II you are offered
less. tell the man you will give him an
answer in the morning Then think the
matter over carefully in the evening If
you decide that it will be to our advan-
tage 10 accept the offer, say so the next
day. In business generally. don't close
bargain until you have reflected upon it
over night
Not Much on Dress.
did Mrs. Green asked. give you
any preachments on economy"
Much has been printed about my
mother that is untrue. She has been rep
resented as being a parsimonious woman.
Such is not the fact However. the
Greens care very little about dress. II
prefer. when the weather is warm 10
wear an unstarched shirt and a belt. But
the Greens want 10 be neat. II they are
old-fashioned. The other night mother
came to this hotel and found me talking
with two men.