Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-10-20
AN .AFFAIR |.
O J B USINESS.
d b EMMA BRlNsLEY
Copyright BY American Press Assoc
.,l citation, 1911. III
\ b EMMA BRlNsLEY

55.s By EMMA BRlNsLEY
|llI Copyright BY American Press Asso-
III III a citation, 1911 y t{i33f Eiy III
Ned Thornton. even at the time he
was play ingS with toys, showed a bent
for mechanics. When he was I've
years old and was given a mechanical
toy dressed as man, that would turn
somersaults all alone by itself. he took
It to pieces to discover how it was
made. When he was ten he invented
a mechanical toy for his own especial
amusement.
.That boy must be a mechanical
engineer" said his aunt. ''Send him
to a college where they teach such
things, and I'll pay the bill"
So Ned was sent to college to study
mechanical engineering. He was
graduated with honors and was con
sidered genius. That was time
when the automobile was being de-
veloped, and he accepted position
with the Peterson Automobile COM
pany. ), s5
Mr.. Peterson, the president, was
self made man. He had begun life In
a blacksmith shop and worked his
way up to the presidency Of the auto
mobile company. He had conceived
an idea that his success was due to
q genius for mechanics. In this he
was mistaken. 1t was due to his abil-
ity to save money and drive a sharp
bargain. Mr.. Peterson knew that In
developing an automobile he needed
certain knowledge Ned possessed;
therefore he hired the young man
and set him to work, telling him that
them colleges that teach mechanics
Is humbugs.'' His own training was
practical. Ned was to do odds and
ends Of work and demonstrate auto
mobiles. teaching purchasers how to
run them when required.
Now, the old fraud really intended to
keep Ned for this purpose and when
he got stalled for necessary con-
trivance for his autos to pump it out
of him, taking the credit and the profit
to himself. Ned. who loved the me-
chanical part of the business and de-
tested the rest of it. was much dis
appointed, but he accepted the situa-
ton temporarily without comment
| His employer found in him the me-
chanical value he had expected. When
ever the president found himself cor
nered he would contrive to get q
! solution Of the problem out of Ned
!, and at the same time make it appear
that he was the originator Of the idea
used.
One day Ned was ordered to to take
| an automobile to an expected pur-
chaser and demonstrate it, selling it
IL possible Ned was no salesman and
had never sold an automobile since he
was employed. Mr.. Peterson, who had
got out of Ned all the mechanical
knowledge and efficiency in that direc-
ton he needed-or thought he had
told him that II he didn't sell the auto
he might look for another place.
! Ned made chauffeur of himself for
some time. but failed to make the sale.
He reported that there was defect
in 1t that rendered 1t undesirable to
the customer. Ned knew that the de-
feet was fatal to the machine and
knew a remedy, but he had got tired
Of furnishing ideas for $40 month
and resisted all efforts to drag the So
luton out of him.
Time passed, and the capital of the
company was slowly being eaten up.
The Peterson machine was rendered
unstable by the defect that Ned had
pointed out. The president retained
his services Notwithstanding that he
did not sell the machine, hoping that
at last Ned would solve the riddle for
him. But Ned seemed very stupid
about it. and one day Mr.. Peterson
told him that he must 60 At the same
time Ned learned that the company
was about to 60 under for want Of
capital.
One day Mr.. Reynolds called on
Mr.. Peterson. informed him that he
had heard he was in financial trouble
and tntimated that he would furnish
1t provided Peterson would resign as
president in his favor To avoid a
failure Peterson consented, and after
making an examination Of the COM
pany's affairs Reynolds concluded the
deal
At a meeting Of the directors Mr..
Reynolds was elected president and
at once astonished Peterson and the
rest Of them by appointing Ned
Thornton general manager. with full
control Of the manufacturing of
autos. Ned at once remedied the de-
feet that was running the company,
and prosperity ensued-
The secret on which this change
was based came out when everybody
concerned in the Peterson Manufac-
turing company received cards to the
wedding Of Ned Thornton and Ethel
Reynolds. daughter of the new pres.
ident. The machine Ned had been
demonstrating and on the selling of
which his position had depended was
Intended for her use. For his services
as chauffeur she had paid him with
her heart.
When Ned went to the young lady's
father to inform him of the situation
he told the story Of his connection
with the Peterson Automobile COM
pany-how the president had appro-
priated his ideas as his own, made
known the financial condition Of the
company and how the defect might be
remedied. Mr.. Reynolds, being cap