Arizona sentinel and Yuma weekly examiner., 1912-01-25
THE VALUE OF COURTESY
From Yuma Fxam1ner)

way and after moment or two MT Locke fished down in his pocket and
 brought out Bulletin No. 155 issued by the s. P. company, and which con tains an article on "The Value oi Courtesy" written by Vice President w. l.. Park, of the Illinois Central.
 In part the article says:
 Courtesy can neither be bought nor coerced, but must come spontaneous ly from those in charge of the com pany's affairs.
 The withholding of courtesy may apparently be ignored, but it is recog- nized, and reacts to the detriment of those who are deficient in this re- spect. Self-interest therefore, de mands that courtesy be practiced.
 The principles of courtesy are ab- solutely essential to a successful sales man; without them, advancement is surely blocked. Those engaged in rail- roading are selling transportation they cannot fill rcsponsib', positions if they fail to practice courtesy.
 Courtesy and affability do not re- quire one to be sycophant, nor to do or practice anything humiliating or re- pulsive to one of gentlemanly in- stincts; nor is it desirable that an em- ployee obtrude himself on the patrons of road indiscreetly or inopportunely. Ordinary discretion teaches the right methods.
 While affability, to some extent, is a talent, it is also, in some cases, genius-the one can be cultivated, but the other, if not natural, can be acquir- ed only by great effort.
 That courtesy is essential to those who desire advancement, must be ac- cepted as a fact It is essential, not only in the transaction of ordinary bus mess, as between employees and off cials, but as stock in trade in deal ing with the public; of valre not only to the ambitious employee, but to the company. Without it, men with other talents and qualifications, seemingly efficient, have failed. With it, those lacking in many other ways have made a success.
 Questions should be answered care fully and correctly, and with cheer fitness that does not repel or dis courage the queS'iUner. The questions may seem irrational or even silly; it must be remembered however, that the railroad with it's complex and chang ing rules and schedules, is, to a great CT or less extent, mystery to some eighty millions of people-even the experts are put to their wits ends to avoid mistakes or misunderstanding
 In sizing up' some particular per son for promotion, his disposition is one of the first things to be consider ed; in some departments it is the prime consideration-unles the man is mixer, no matter how well he may be qualified in other respects, he is passed up. In other departments civil ity might not be considered so essen tial, but other things being equal the man who is uniformly calm and cour- teous in his dealings with the public, is always given the preference when fAr or,.iu cancy occurs. This is only natural and obtains in every business and ev- cry walk of life. It indicates a strength of character and a previous self dis cipline that insures, calm, judicial con- sideration of important matters in emergencies. Losing ones head" is fatal to intelligent supervision Whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad"
 The question of courtesy is so i'm portant and of such mutual benefit to both the employer and the employee, l that it would seem only necessary to mention it to obtain full-cooperation.
 For his own personal good and the | strengthening of Lis character, e5ery employee should give the sof-- answer that turneth away wrath, and culti- vate the art of smoothing things out.
 Every victory over discourtesy is we'll worth the effort, and it makes the man bigger and stronger, and a more desirable employee. It brings him near CT promotion, and raises him in the | esteem of his family and friends.
 People may appreciate a double bill |