Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-02
After 27 Years Toll He Has
a 81 Watch, buds, 10 Cents
Says He'll Stick Till He Attains
Mysterious Goal Set
in 1885.

living rebuke to all the nllsan-
thropes and pessimists VINO deem lheiF
lot cheerless and hard is the attitude
taken by william e.. Woodruff, VINO
resides with his sister on Sternhs
street. in East Orange. After working
for one firm for twenty-seven years. at
an average salary o2 IS a week, WOOD
ruff cheerfully admits that his enve-
lone each Saturday night now contains
axactly $13. and that all he has TO snow
for his ouarter-eentury of duo toll
il his clothing. a dollar watch and
seventy cents in cash.
woodruff is a small but compactiy
b,,ilt man of about 40 years, and,
though his hair is getting rather thln
On top, there is a twinkle IN MS piue
eyes which forestalls n sympathy
for what some may call his lack OF
success. 49,.
"Worried? Well, 1 should say not!
he said, in answer to a question py d
STAR reporter. Never felt better IN
nv life. / can't see why you tnlnk
that happiness lies between the sums
of $13 and $50 to $40 a week. l nave
lots of friends here, live comfortably
and help support my sister. what else
can n mar want? AS for the length OF
my stay here, twcnty-seven years isn't
so long in retrospect, and l expect TO
stay here that many more. You Know
I'm a firm believer in that old adage,
"A rolling stone gathers no moss, n l
intend staying right at this job until L
get what l started for in 1855.
He refused to say just what this was
and when questioned made a Jocular
remark to the effect that paving stones
neither rolled nor gathered moss, ne
simply smiled and said:
"Oh, I'll get there, all right. When
/ started here as II boy made up my
mind to accomplish certain things, ana
l know / shall do It,"
'Don't you think t~wenty-seven years
is q good try?" he was asked
"Ch, l don't think so. 1Ir. Pearson,
the other cler',, has been here forty
two years, and the boss has been in
active business in this enc spot nearly
sixty"
He has had several offers from New
York houses, said Mr.. Woodruff put
preferred to stay and strive for the
goal which he had set for hlmseli.
Each of these offers was for much
more than he was receiving. but that
did not alter his resolution. Besides
he did not need any more salary at
Out of the s13 he received
weekly Sc went for board for himself
and 81 for that of a younger sister,
and there was So left for him to
waste"
"When | stayed at the National
Hotel" he said 81 found that ran
pretty close sometimes. You know
those places are awfully expensive.
There are no parlors to sit in in the
evening, and everybody sits in the
oarroom. Naturally they start a game
Dr. roll for drinks or cigars. When a
nan is alone he can't help but join
hem, and in consequence he spends 30
,r 40 cents every evening. Why, some
my evenings there cost me as much
is a dollar, Now, however, / stay
rsysister, and in the evening we
70 to see a show sometimes"
Being of an exceedingly modest and
disposition, Woodruff resents
he publicity which has been thrust
lpon him and refused emphatically to
allow his picture to be printed.
II never had the money to spend on
kind of ~foolishness,' he said, land
q don't think 1 want one taken now
He persisted in this view even when
offered a handsome remuneration for
to publish h photo.
81 don't change once I've said any
thing. That runs in the family. 1
guess, for l know my grandfather,
on the grand jury, kept h a body
waiting twenty hours because he
change his opinion of a case.
When asked if he thought of being
married he smiled a little and then
said soberly:
Well, hardly"
Which may be some explanation of
his thorough content.