davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Spent Money Recklessly.

have made tne mistake most men make
after they are visited by success. 1 was in
toxicated with my success. I wanted TO live.
Clubs. societies were open to me. I was
attracted by the glamour and luxury Of So
ciety. Gradually gave up work, paying bu;
short visits 10 my elegantly furnished office.
Ny work. my whole fortune, was intrusted 10
the hands OF strangers. That was the begin
ming Of my end. did not know that 10 get IS
much easier than to hold. my lad
Il became a society dilettante. My dress,
my pleasures, required more time than my
business. was carried away by the luxury
and brilliance OF a new and strange word.
forgetting the work OF my life. Occasionally
/ would drop down to my elegantly furnished
office and look over the books. Everything
looked pleasing in books, figures are so de-
cefving For blocks one could behold the
huge electric sign procIaIming in fiery let
ters: John Parker Safety Device COM
pany.' I was a self-made man. 1 was OBJ
lvious OF the future.
Ny wife and I had Just returned from
southern California, where We had spent the
winter. We contemplated touring Europe
during the summer. when a great falling of
IN business was first brought TO my notice
life, / paid little attention to it. Ny mind
was preoccupied with my anticipated pleas
ures OF Europe;
Month after month We spent IN Europe,
visiting one capital after another. living a
life of riotous luxury. Little dreamed that
soon my pleasure would come TO a sudden.
abrupt ending; that l would be poorer than
the waiter whom l so generously tipped.
One afternoon while sitting on the gor-
geous veranda of our hotel. overlooking Lake
Geneva with its beautiful scenery, l was
startled by the voice OF a bellboy who was
struggling to pronounce my name. His voice,
theh uttersnce of my name. sort Of awakened
me from my dreams. bringing me back to the
world Of reality. l looked angrily at him.
l wanted to be left alone, hated TO be dis
turbed Prior to my leaving America l had
severed all connections with things mum
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Daily Expense Report Pays.

The daily expense report of the salesman
to the sales manager Is the best way 10 force
your salesman to unConscioUsy keep down
his expenses and raise his sales. By the daily
expense method the salesman naturally likes
to show something coming in as well as
going out. II he has no sales TO report he
will feel inclined 10 keep down the expense.
otherwise he will have need to be ashamed
OF the impression his work will make on his
manager.
Timekeeping is puzzle. A four story busI-
ness house in New England has worked out
a simple method OF keeping the time OF its
men. II the time keeping system were con
Centrated in one place. say In the entrance
TO the factory on the first floor. the work
man who got in on time could ring up. Ioiter
upstairs to his work and get TO it five or ten
minutes behind. yet be paid full time. This
New England house uses the brass check
system. The checks are deposited after the
workman reached his own floor. The checks
for one floor will not fit the tubes located
on another floor. and no man is allowed to
deposit his check until he is ready to start
work.
Argument is the business letter writer's
chief weapon. Evidence is wanted by the
man who reads a letter. not a mere asser-
llOH It VI IL you say l!idl Noul
encyclopedia is the best in the world. there
is no weight to It. But if you say that il
deals with $1,000 subjects, whereas others
have no more than .. 900, then there is some
thing which will attract the attention of the
reader.
The suggestion system is plan for encour-
aging among the employees the working out
of new ideas, economy and betterment in
the methods Of doing business. 1t usually.
takes the form Of a system which allows en-
ployes 20 send their suggestions to a central
office, where they are examined. invest-
gated. and, IL found applicable. a.e properly
rewarded. Many business houses have found
exceptions TO this rule on the ground that it
might encourage an employe to interfere
with the methods of a well established house.
but those that have tried It have found en-
tirely different results accruing
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Told Me His Story.

He was slowly, aimlessly saunterfng along
amid the surging crowd OF people who hast
ened TO their daily tasks. when I caught up
with him. A sad smile played upon his
countenance when I approached him. He
looked at me and was recognized.
i. too. used to hasten to my work. like
these people he said, but that was long
ago" He gave a far distant look as IL to
calculate the time.
Il presume you think me an ordinary
tramp who just took your hard earned dime
for drink OF booze Listen to me, my
lad II was not 50 long ago that / was
welcomed with the greatest respect at the
most fashionable cafes of Paris and Berlin.
The homes Of the best people were open TO
me. took Europe by storm, money was no
object, and today look at me-today / am
poor ou;cast."
gave him a look OF surprise He con-
tinued his story
When l was Il years old l had left the
farm and come to the city to look for job
l did not want to be farmer Aspirations
Of something higher, greater, urged me on to
this strange city. I was attracted by the
large city with its huge buildings. There
was fascination in the noise Of the wheels Of
commerce, and l Ionged to be one of the
moving spirits. powers, in this great busi-
ness world.
My first position was with railroad.
cleaned lanterns for a whole year While
satisfied with my job looked for something
better and soon l started to work as sec
ton hand for the same road. 1t was hard
work. but I did not mind It. 1t paid more
l worked hard was enthused with my new
position. Greater possibilities doomed up
before me. saw in It something better, and
nile my work appeared simple, had my
yes open 10 all its intricacies, ready TO grasp
the next highest position offered. l studied
the men that worked with me. knew vino
did the best work and who did not. was
ready for the position of my superior when
opportunity presented itself.
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Got Job as Foreman.

One morning the foreman failed to show
up. He was i'll. That morning l directed
the work OF all the section hands. Every
thing went as smoothly as II had held the
job for years. l knew the game from be-
ginning to end and 1 directed the work of
my new position with the sagaclty Of age
and the enthusiasm Of youth. Two weeks
later l was informed by the company that
! would be retained in the capacity of fore
man.
That was a happy day for me. With
tears in my eyes 1 wrote to my old mother
informing her OF my promotion. She never
did approve Of my going TO the big city and
was anxious to show her that her boy could
make good. With pride l told her about my
new authoritative position. how I was in
charge OF several hundred men, many of
whom had sons much older than l. / told
her of my great increase in wages and the
possibilities of brighter future.
Ever since l was boy had an innate
desire to learnNthe mysteries Of mechanical
devices. When still a boy l used to take
our mantel clock apart, arousing, thereby.
the anger Of my father. For many minutes
l used to meditatively watch the turns and
movements of its wheels. listening to the
steady click-click of It, When l became
section foreman l used to contemplate with
the same curiosity the turns and move
ments Of the huge wheels of the locomotives
IS they sped by. I used to watch the work
in the repair rooms, envyIng the engineers
who so completely mastered the mysteries
Of the speeding monsters.
1t was while watching these men at
work, studying the machinery of the loco
motive and its devices. that first con-
ceived the idea of my safety device, which
is now universally in use.
set Immediately to work. not wasting
any time. gave to it all my spare moments.
Night after night worked necessarily. and
after three years of hard and diligent labor
I had invented something which was des-
tined to save the lives of thousands Of peo-
pie.
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Cableeram Told of Ruin.

90 Cablegr-r-am, monsieur said the boy.
firing a volley Of RS at me. Cablegnam,
1 repeated several times, rather surprised.
Leisurely l walked to the office, thinking
it a mere trife. AS reached the desk the
Read It. looked al it again. I dared not
believe my own eyes.
Cashier embezzled 100000 Has dis
appeared Factory closed. Ceditors took
possession OF It," read the Cablegram. II
was signed by the banker at whose bank
my first fortune of $4,000 was deposited
Il hurried back to America, only TO find
that l was left a pauper. penniless. For
several weeks l was buried in q maze Of
books. statements. letters from my creditors.
When I was through with my examinations
I found that everything was gone-nothing
left. NV creditors took possession OF all my
property: my home, valuables. even my
clothing was taken away. I was left in my
street suit.
1T was a hard blow, my lad, from which
have never recuperated. 1t is hard to climb
upwards. but easy to descend. l had mort
gagged my future by throwing the burden
of my own shoulders and trusting entirely to
strangers l had sacrificed my future for
the present-and here l am.
Three months later my wife died I
turned gray. aging without years. I have
paid the price OF my folly. And now-I
wander the streets friendlessly-depending
upon the generosity Of strangers"
Yes" thought, " 1T is hard to climb up
wards, but 1t is easy to descend
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
EazsM Among Men Who Work with or H51A
Wcrds Of Wisdcf1.

Al real talent is tGet-H. Tairs
Haste is the negGtion of fdignity.-Fineent OSaHiuan.
Whatepn fou fell to be goodFriedrieh
Niefssche.
Art much wih thinking and feeling ah SEEING
WWiGm ShGcklcton.
The ideal function of criticism is to discern the true character Of the
thing erhicised.-Sewyn Mage.
The wOrld dGHgof ordticm, OF scientific instead OF
religious tyranny.-John Davidson.
indeed difficult kill gHiHs but there hundred
of killing its pOsscSOr-VernOr Lee
The life fred and nature admits Of its being but in
ray, and only onee-Cieero.
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08

Three German chemists claim to have
manufactured cows milk synthetically.
Rubbing with raw cut potato will re-
move most mud stains from dark garments
The exhibition of motion pictures show
ing the dangers from insect pests has led to
a large increase in the demand for sticky
fypaper'in the interior towns of Mexico.
cement that will bind rubber-to metal is
made Of one part powdered shellac II ten
parts Of strong ammonia. the mixture being
allowed to stand several days before it is
used.
Apparatus for direct connection with
city's water mains by which its water supply
can be sterilized by ultra violet rays from
mercury vapor lamps has been invented in
France
Fish refuse, granulated TO resemble cod
roe, is being used in France to bait sardines.
which rise to be caught in nets as it is
spread upon the sea-
When sugar first was made from beets It
took about twenty tons Of beets to produce
one ton Of sugar; now it requires but six
tons, due TO scientific breeding Of the beets.
Exhaustive tests by Belgian chemists
showed that the purest water that it was
possible to obtain by dIstillatlon still re-
tafned its blue color.
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Notes from the World of Science.

The thirtieth anniversary Of the beginning
of commercial incandescent electric lighting
was observed in New York in September.
One Of the worlds largest electric plants
is planned to develop power for nearly all the
mines around Johannesburg. South Africa
Leading American jewellers have adopted
the metric carat as the standard weight for
diamonds, the change becoming effective
next July.
A million shilling fund has been inaugu-
rated by the Aerial League OF the British
Empire to further efforts to make aviation
more safe.
A little salt sprinkled on an incandescent
gas mantle when lighted will burn away the
carbon deposit and produce more brilliant
light.
ItaIy's war on the maIarial mosquito has
reduced the percentage of fever cases in In
fected districts from SIP in 1880 to 1876
last year.
By the introduction of boron as an alloy
1t has become possible to cast copper OF high
conductivity and density and freedom from
blow holes
In Germany scraps of arc hgnt carOohs'
which are discarded by lamp trimmers IN
this country, are carefully saved and ce-
menteS to new carbons.
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08

permanent growth. The employer who has
the personality makes his organization live
and his employees unified force.
There are three things to believe in dealing
with customers who approach you With
grievance. III That they are honest beyond
reproach. ri That they believe they have
a grievance. G3I That they are unfamiliar
with the systems and methods OF your store.
Working up a pay roll at the end Of the
week is a tedious piece Of work. especially in
places where men register on time clock.
The weeks Fay is figured on the basis OF
every fraction Of an hour registered. This
necessitates a multitude Of figures, as very
few men ring in and out exactly on the hour
every day in the week. The use of the log
arlthm!c table in computing pay rolls is the
best and easiest way. Multiplying hours
and fractions by rate Of pay per hour is the
logarithmic method of computation. The
vertical columns should represent the hours.
and may be arranged in the way most suited
TO any particular establishment. The horI-
zontal lines show the rate per hour paid
With the established working day and Gus
tomary wages to base these tables upon. 1t
will be found that only few tables need be
provided. Once these are worked out the
only computation necessary in making up the
pay roll is to find the number Of hours
worked each week by adding the daily rec
ords and refer to the table for the amount
due each man
Sales. profit. money-these are the end and
the aim OF the retailer. Show the retailer
that he can secure sales. increase profits.
make money by dealing with you-he will
come to you. Show him that he will shrink
sales. decrease profits lose money by pass
ing you by-he will run TO you.
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Helped bv Other Writers.

Mr. G Trevelyan in the life of MacaUlay
SAYS in reference TO the great minds of all
ages: " He has told us how his debt to them
was incalculable; how they guided him TO
truth; how they filled his mind with noble and
graceful images; how they stood by him in
all Observation-Disclosures in sorrow, nurses
in sickness companions in solitude the old
friends who are never seen with new faces
who are the same in wealth and poverty, in
glory and obscurity Great as were the
honors and possessions which Maca ulay &C
quired by his pen, all who knew him were
we'll aware that the titles and rewards which
he gained by. his own works were as nothing
in the balance compared with the pleasure he
derived from the works Of others"
Old Thomas Fuller said: History maketh
a young man old without either wrinkles or
gray hair; prfvileEng him with the expert
ence of age without either the infrmities or
the inconveniences thereof
These quotations, with different introduc-
tons, are taken from one of the chapters.
A Song of Books, in Lord Avebury's The
Pleasures of Life" which has sold by the
hundreds of thousands. No man ever had
more connections with honorable institutions
than the Right Hon Lord Avebury-it takes
about eighteen lines after his name to give
rectly that his book has been so enormously
read. Perhaps his chapter on % The Choice
of Books it like the other chapters in the
books, was delivered as an address-was the
first writing in which it was suggested that
one might pick out hundred best books and
live with them. After his List of hundred
many others were proposed. differing from
his Every year or two we have some dis
cussion similar to the one aroused SO widely'
by him
Lord Avebury gives us many sorts Of IN
formation about books and how to use them.
Among other things he says: Many readers
miss much Of the pleasure of reading by fore
ing themselves to dwell too long continuously
on one subject. In a long railway journey,
for instance, many persons take only single
book. The consequence is that, unless it is
story, after half an hour or an hour they are
quite tired of it. Whereas If they had two,
or still better, three books on different sub
iects, and one of them of an amusing char
acter, they would probably find that, by
changing as soon as they felt at all weary,
they could come back again and again to each
with renewed zest, and hour after hour would
pass pleasantly away"
Montaigne who is sometimes described as
that easy going old Frenchman, said, " seek
in the reading Of books only to please my
self by an irreproachable diversion"
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08

r. LYMAN ABBOTT has written re-
Gently in reference to decision of char
acter, saying: " My decision OF char
- acaeu has been laboriously built up by
conscious, deliberate efforts persist
enly continued since the days when. as boy
1 read Fosters Essay on Decision of Char
acter..'
Numberless such biographical testimonies
are to be found in the writings OF lives OF
sreat men Read the life Of William Cullen
Bryant. and see what the reading OF the
biography of man of character did for him.
Fathers of superior judgment have been
wont to put the lives Of great men into the
hands Of their sons for their reading
One off theI earliest English treatlses on the
delights OF literature was written about 1874
by a bishop of Durham. who said: " These
are the masters who instruct us without
rods and ferules, without hard words and
anger, without clothes or money. If you
approach them they are not asleep; If inves-
tigating you interrogate them they conceal
nothing: if you mistake them they never
grumbie; If you are ignorant they cannot
laugh at you. The library, therefore, OF wis
dom is more precious than all riches, and
nothing that can be wished for is worthy to
be compared to It. Whoever. therefore, &C
lnowledg4s himself to be a Jealous follower
of truth, of happiness, Of wisdom. Of science.
or even of faith. must Of necessity make him
self lover Of books"
The much quoted passage from Petrarcb
will never be stale in this connection. .He
says: - 1 have friends whose society is ex-
tremeIy agreea Bile to me; they are of ALI ages
and Of every country. They have distn-
guished themselves both in the cablnet and in
the field. and obtained high houors for their
knowledge of the sciences. 1t is easy to gain
access to them. for they are always at my
service, ard ADMIT them to my company and
dismiss them from It whenever I please.
They are never troublesome, but immediate
ly answer every question I SIX them. Some
relate to me the events Of past ages, while
others reveal to me the secrets Of nature.
Some teach me how TO live and others how to
die Some by their vivaCity drive away my
cares and exhilarate my spirits; while others
give fortitu6e TO my mind and teach me the
important lesson how to restrain my desires
and to depend wholly on myself. They open
10 me. in short the various avenues or all the
r4s and sciences. and upon their information
| may safely rely IN adj emergencies. In re-
turn for all their services, they only ask me
TO accommodate them with a convenient
cha ureer in some corner OF my habitation
where they may repNse in peace; for these
friends are more delighted by the tranquility
of retirement than with the tumults OF So
CiefV.'
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Easier to Climb Up than Stick;
How John Parker Lost Fortune.
By BERNARD GALLANT.

proved my device successful beyond all
doubts.
After a consultation with the stan of his
engineers the president Of the road turned
to me and said: Sir. have you enough
money to manufacture 5000 Of your safety
devices?' 1 looked amazed.
why. no. SIR stammered, IL have
not
well. SIR continued the president Of
the company. IL We were TO advance you the
necessary capital, under contract, of course.
that We be the first to be supplied with your
device. could you set to work at once?
why, most assuredly, responded as il
in dream.
Two days later S25O,OOO was transferred
to my name at the First National Bank Of
Commerce. Ten days later the John
Parker Safety Device company was formed,
Of which l was president l gave the com
pany a mortgage on my plant and upon the
patents Of my device. engaged my men, and
under my personal direction We set feverish-
ly to work.
My fortune was made. I was no longer
a section hand foreman. l was president OF a
company whose products were greatly in
demand. Contract after contract poured in
from various railroads and traction con-
Germs, and before I had my first order de-
Ilyered, 1 was compelled to increase my fac
tory space"
He stopped for a moment as II to linger on
the happy thoughts Of his successful past,
the only thing in the world left for MIN.
gave him a doubling look. Ny eyes betrayed
my thoughts.
You don't believe me- he said. Yes,
nobody believes me now. Ihave even ceased
to believe in myself"
How did it happen" l asked with a nod
at his shabby figure. / did not care to hurt
the feelings OF a man who had been struck
already so low. l waited few seconds and
he resumed his narrative.
The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
Go to Books for Best Help in
Making the Most Of Yourself.
Bv c. S. MADDOCKS.

words they have left as III the battles tney
fought and won over chaos. THESE men
made humanity Theis spirit cries TO US yet
in clear, articulate tones, laying bare the
heart. pleading for the morrow py tle
achievements Of yesterday. They conquer
death. The gold in their books is an elixir
OF life, STEPPED in Immortality.
A new. high class English magazine which
has just been started, called Every man. and
which has as its contributors the greatest
living writers and philosophers, says In its
message, given in the first number, that Its
purpose is to interpret the best thought
of English literature and world literature
and to voice the ideals'and aspirations Of
progressive democracy" The publishers
have found by some Of their previous work
that there exists among the rising geRra-
tion keen, unsatisfied hunger for the purest
and most substantial nourishment, and that
the more people have been debarTed from
their natural opportunities al school the
more keenly anxious are they to obtain
their intellectual and spiritual culture
through the ministry Of books and through
the direct communion with the master minds
OF all ages"
Everyman will not only open these
treasures but offer guide to them. 1t says:
" There never was a time when such guid-
ance was more earnestly needed We are
living in a wonderful age, when every land
mark is being swept away, when every belief
is being questioned. when every established
institution is on its trial, when reform is the
order OF the day, when almost every writer
is herald of revolt Whether that unrest
and revolt will lead to a peaceful and or
Derby reconstruction OF human society. or
whether that reconstrpction shall be preced-
ed by revolutionary catastrophe, will en-
tirely depend on the wisdom of the people,
and that wisdom will largely depend upon
the light and leading which they will re-
ceive-which, again. will mainly depend
upon the sense of responsibility OF those
who by their writings are molding and d.
recting public opinion.
People Of today are even going back to the
Greeks Of the great age OF their history.
whose memorials aTef but a few pieces Of
architecture and sculpture and some books
for practical help in every day affairs. An
authority on this subject has recently said ::
q" Yes, certainly. Greece achieved on a
very small scale the very kind of life We want
today We want a permanent revival Of that
on bigger scale.