The Washington herald., 1912-05-08
b FRANCES sHAFFER.


lust because ii is something Of nov,
city and because she happens TO b
doing exceptionally well In her profes.
sion. II is interesting to note the advent
Of the woman builder In the world Of
big business.
Il may be that Miss Alice NJ. Durkir
is not 'sthe only woman in the world
who has invaded the field. but Il
chances that she is the first In New York
70 undertake the erection OF big build
ings, although there are several women
Architects in that city. The Board OF
Education recently awarded her the con-
tract for a new school building. and
It seems that that IL only one Of sew
eral to her credit. the contracts going
TO her by virtue Of being the lowest
bidder.
There is nothing particularly remark
able about Miss Durkin's career as q
builder except as It demonstrates once
more that II is not always the big op-
portunities that open the door OF busi-
ness success. but. rather taking advan-
taRe Of lesser chances as they come,
just in the way of the days work.
chances that might be given another
name by a woman less discerning.
And II is interesting to note her man
ner of getting in touch with the details.
OF learning the intricacies Of an enter
prise which needs real knowledge be-
fore one can enter claim for useful
ness.
How She Got Her start.
II was about twelve years ago when
she got her first start in a builders Of
fee. She kept her eyes wide open. her
hands busy and her mind always alert.
The once was an unpretentious one. and
she was nothing but a helper, just en-
played for the hundred. and one little
things that nobody else wanted to do.
But. fortunately for her. she had lik-
ing for the work and wanted to learn
more about it. And so. as carpenters,
plumbers and masons came to the shop
she piled them with questions. gaining a
little knowledge and experience all the
while.
Then she began to study the building
regulations Of the city, just that she
might the better understand the workings
OF the ONCE where she was employed
Incidentally, there may have been an
ambition back in her young head-for
she was only eighteen when she started
the work-and that study may have been
part Of long. long thoughts ahead, look
ing to the time when she would deal
with carpenters, plumbers, masons and a
lew ollGTsf AT uIeL nduQ. At any Tdlet
she Kept her eyes and her hands very
close TO the steerins-wheel-and IT paid.
Another thing for the would-be busi-
ness woman 70 remember is that she
cut adrift from her own specified line Of
work and assumed responsibilities
wherever ard however she could. II was
her good fortune to want to. her better
fortune, perhaps. TO be allowed to, for
the trick of taking on her shoulders new
surely weighed in her favor at the last
count
Figured First en- Small Job.
she asked for an opportunity to figure
on small jobs-schooI alterations that did
not involve much work or money. Then
she tried larger contracts. some of them
secured on her figures; and in time she
became the right hand man. of the
little ONCE.
Then she branched out for herself, or
ganizing a company and looking around
for big jobs, finally dropping the COM
psny and coping with her male COM
petitors, single handed. and very sue
cessfully.
She has erected some fine buildings in
her own State and elsewhere, and has
made good" 50 good that she has been
invited TO join the Building Trades As
sOciation, which is pretty good proof
that she is quite worth while as a
builder.
Made Her Own Chance.
And the significant feature of it is
that she made her chance. Because the
average young woman who starts in the
business wor1d.pif ever so humbly. can
generally learn a lot more than the work
prescribed for her. IL she tries. She can
make herself very useful. If she tries;
and many times can earn and receive
promotion. also. II she tries.
II does require a bit of pushing and
a bit Of Independence, and sometimes It
happens that tempersmentally, a woman
Is held back; at other times, she is not
given the least bit of encouragement;
but the fact remains that as 1t runs. a
young woman who has II IN her to try
10 learn more and still more Of the
work around her has the potentialities OF
business success and will make her way
somewhere, and it VIII be a telling way.
And Il is not because Of big oppor-
tunities. but Of making the most of
little things right at hand. That is the