The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-06
NALNL Y personal

In the commonplace existence of
every day life there are no accidental
successes. Follow every successful
man to his source and you will find
there the evidence that he was not like
his associates. There are two qualities
he will be found to have possessed
energy and persistence. No one who
depends upon his own efforts ever
makes success without them.
The other day there appeared at the
farm house Of Theodore Anthony, near
Cummings in Jefferson county, a man
who now is making his headquarters III
Topeka but who is famous the coun-
try over for the success he has made in
business. He is man with a stalwart
body surmounted by a massive head
covered with gray hair. His face has
no hard lines, his eyes are kindly and
his voice mellow as the rustic of leaves
in a summer breeze. 1t is plain to be
seen that he has taken the world as he
found it and solved the problems Of
life as he met them for his square chin
and wide, straight mouth tell of a de-
termination that nothing could turn
aside. His large brawny hands ind
cate that he is able to use them for
the purpose they were created-man-
ual labor.
The man was we'll received. 1t was
plain that he was regarded as no ordi-
nary visitor and when Anthony called
to his wife, Mother, here is Otto
come back" a gray haired woman
rushed out of the house and greeted
the visitor with an effusiveness which
was unusual. Then came the intro
auctions to the children of the fam
ily-seven of them-and though none
Of them had ever before met the Wis
itOr their greeting indicated that they
regarded the stranger as no ordinary
person.
Twenty-eight years before. the Wis
itor had lived at the Anthony home.
He was employed as a farm hand at
SIS a month and since the fall morn
ing when the seasons work was done
and he was told he no longer was
needed and had taken his grip contain
ing all his personal belongings in his
hand and walked down the road to-
ward Atchison, they never had seen
him. They had heard of him as had
thousands of others and they rejoiced
in his success and when the farm hand
of % years ago came back his welcome
was as warm as that of the prodigal
son. After the visitor had gone into
the house Farmer Anthony turned to
a Topeka man who had accompanied
the former farm hand and said:
Yes, Otto worked for me on the
farm when we were both young. Since
then my family has grown up and we
have prospered and he has prospered,
too. 1 have had hundreds of men
work for me but never one like Otto.
He is the only man, 1 ever had, who
did more work than 1 thought he
should. He was up before any of us
in the morning and stayed in the field
longer There are no more farm hands
like Otto"
This little talk of the farmer fur
nishes the clue which explains the sue
cess this man has made of life. 1t
is the man who doesn't listen for the
sound of the whistle when he is work
ing for another who will succeed
when he is his own boss. This case
is not an isolated one. 1t is given
only to prove a theory. This mans
name is o. H. L. Wernicke, and he
is the president of the Smith Auto
mobile company of Topeka, as well as
being one of the wealthiest manufac-
turers of Grand Rapids. Mich. 1t is
not necessary to say that the Topeka
automobile concern is in safe hands.
Sam Hanks is5la itraveling man who
comes to Topeka. He sells cigars. He
is handicapped with an uneuphonious
name as we'll as handling what might
be considered one of the less impor-
tant lines of merchandise Neverthe-
less, if you ask any dealer in Topeka
who is visited by this class of sales
men who is the most successful drum
mer in Topeka he will unhesitatingly
say sam Hanks" Hanks is not only
popular, but he is successful in bus
mess, and he wins success by work.
ing. The general public is of the
opinion that a travelling salesman has
what usually is called "a soft snap"
The people believe that he Wis
it's a city, calls on his customers,
lounges around the hotel corridors or
makes love to the mattresses until he
is ready to leave and then passes on
to the next town to repeat the ex-
perience The fact is that this type
is the exception rather than the rule
and that Sam Hanks is typical of the
successful salesman. When he comes
to Topeka he doesn't waste any time.
Dealing with customers who do not
close their places of business until late
at night, he takes advantage of this
fact and works light on until his work
is done. The other night near clos
ing time a friend met Hanks in a
suburban drug store. 1t was nearly
II O'Clock but he was waiting until
the proprietor had satisfied the wants
of a belated customer, to talk business.
The friend was surprised.
What are you doing way out here
at this time of night?" he asked.
I'm just trying to finish my round, >"
replied H ks. "I might loaf around
the hotel, but what is the use? AS
long as the stores where 1 do business
are open 1 keep going. By following
this plan / am able to make the To
peka stores in day or two. I might
spend a week here but I would not
get any more business anC while I
might have a better time I wouldn't
do any more for the men who hire
me-"
Sam Hanks gives the best there is
in him to the company that employs
him and of course he makes a sue
cess sof his work. Energy and per-
sistence are the twin factors in his
life. That is why the people point to
him as the successful travelling sales
man.