The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-05-23
CHAPTER XVII Continued.

announcer way Tor the cnange
~ which had taken her out of the
old life where such qualities
were lost and brought her down here
where they counted for SO much.
These people stripped of convention live
with their hearts very near the surface
They don't try to conceal their emo
Ilohs, and so you are brought very
quickly into close touch with them
Ruth herself was a good deal like that,
and so her influence for a day among
them counted for as much as a year
with the old crowd
In the meanwhile l resumed my night
school at the end of the summer Yaca-
ton, and was glad to get back to 1t.
had missed the work and went at II this
next winter with increased eagerness to
perfect myself in my trade.
During this second year, too, l never
relaxed my efforts to keep my gang up
to standard, and whenever possible to
Every month 1 thought l increased the
respect of the men for me by nv fair
dealing with them.
u don't mean to say 1 fully realized
drear expectations IONS. of which ! hal
dreamed a bit wildly. There was very
little sentiment in the relation of the
men to me, although there was some.
Sun l don't want to give the i'm
preston that made of them a gang
of blind personal followers such as some
religious cranks get together II was
necessary to make thenr-see that 1t was
Tor their interest to work for me and
with me, and that l did do
/ made them see, also, that in order
to work for me they had to work a little
more faithfully than they worked for
others. So it was a straight business
proposition.
What sentiment there was came
through the personal interest l took in
them outside of their work. 1t was this
which made them loyal instead OF
merely hard working.
1t was this which made them my gang
instead of Corkery's gang-a thing that
counted for good deal later on.
The personal reputation l had won
game me new opportunities of which
took every advantage this second year.
1t put me in touch with the responsible
heads of departments. Through them |
was able to acquire much broader and
more accurate knowledge OF the bust
ness a. whole.
I asked as many questions here as I
had below. l received more intelligent
answers and was able 10 understand
them more intelligently.
I not only learned prices, but where to
get authoritative prices. AS far as pos
stble. ! made myself acquainted with
structors and for those working for
firms whose speciality was the tearing
down of buildings
used my notebook as usual and en-
lGI Gu the HdHltS Oh every nan "IlO. ia
his line, seemed to me especially valu-
able.
And everywhere found that nv ex-
perience with the gang was we'll known.
] found also that my tendency for ask
ing questions was even better known. It
passed as joke in a good many cases.
But better than this. I found that I
had established reputation for sobri-
ETY., industry. and observation-disclosures.
can't help smiling how little those
things counted for me with the United
Woollen. or when I sought work after
leaving that company. Here they count
ed for lot.
I realized that when it came time for
me to seek credit
In the meanwhile didn't neglect the
fight for clean politics in nv ward
I resigned from the presidency Of the
young mems club at the end Of a year
and we elected Young lawyer who was
taking a great interest in the work
was a fne selection. The man was
fresh from the law school and was full
of Ideals which dated back to the May
flower He hadn't been long enough in
the world to have them dimmed and
was fully Of energy.
He took hold of the original idea and
DEVELOPED It until the organization In
city He held rallies every month and
brought down big speakers and kept the
sentiment of the Youngsters red hot.
This had its effect upon the older men.
~
chine that looked like a real power in
the whole city. Sweeney saw it. and so
did the bigger bosses of Doth parties
But the president kept clear of alliances
with any of them.
He stood pat with what promised to
be a balance of power. ready to swing
1t to the cleanest man of either party
who came up for office.
made several speeches myself. though
1t was hard work for me. | don't run
to that sort of thing. l did 1t. however.
Just because l didn't like 1t, and because
/ felt it was the duty Of citizen to do
something now and then he doesn't like
for his city and his country.
The old excuse with me had been that
politics was dirty business at pest
and that 1t ought to be left to the law
gain from 1t. The only men ] ever knew
who went into it at all were those who
had talent FOR it and who liked It,
OF course, that's dead wrong. A man
about the men UP for office. and who
won't bother himself to get out and
hustle for the best of them. isn't good
citizen or a good American.
and deserves all they hand
out to him. And the time 20 do the
work isn't when a man is up for Presl-
dent of the United States: it's when the
man is up for the common council
The higher up a politician gets. the
less the influence Of the single voter
counts.
It was in the spring that some of my
ideals received a setback. The alder
man from our ward died suddenly and
Rafferty, was naturally hot after the
vacancy.
He came to see me about it. but be-
fore he preached this subject he laid
another before me that took away my
eeeath.
N was nothing else than that should
go inc partnership with him under the
firm name of Carleton & Rafferty," l
couldn't believe II possible that he was
in a position to take such step within
a couple Of years of digging in the ditch.
But when he explained the scheme to
me, II was as simple as rolling off a
log A fir13 Of liquor dealers had agreed
to back him-form a stock company and
give him a third interest to manage II.
He had spoken to them of me, and said
he'd do ii II they would make 1t a halt
interest and give US each quarter;
But good Lord. Dan, l sa1d, wed
have to swing a lot OF business TO
make IT. CO. :,
Never YOU worry about that, mon"
he said I'll fix that all right If I'm
ELECTED to the booTd."
You mean city contracts?" said.
I began to see. The liquor house was
looking for more licenses. and would
get their pay out of Dan even II the firm
admit make a cent. But Dan. with
such capital back of him as well as his
power. was sure to get the
contracts.
and my men.
how this crowd