El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-07
Spare Moments Valuable
Men Who Put in Idle Hours Trying
to Learn. Achieve Success in
Business and Professions.
F. BY MndiaOn G. Peferr-

J NOME years since a Yale professor
noticed while getting his shoes
: shined that the young fellow
] stopped occasionally and cast a glance
at a book on a sill near by. II was
an algebra The professor happened to
/ occupy the chair Of mathematics, and
! he offered to help the young man out.
The professor gave him his card.
promising to help him out any time.
His spare moments got him into other
mathematical difficulties which the
( professor helped him to solve The en-
! terprising lad used so well these frag-
ments of time that he laid the founda-
ton of a thorough course in mathe-
MATES which fitted MIN to occupy a
position at the head of an electrical
| establishment with salary of $4,000
Retires Rich Mt 20.
Heinrich Schlieman, the foremost
Archaeological Of his day. at II was
selling sauerkraut and herring in a
small German village At 40 he re-
tired from business not only with a
princely fortune. but the master Of
Hebrew, Arabic. Latin. Greek, Russian,
Swedish, English, French, Dutch, Span
ish. italian, Portuguese, Polish and
modern Greek all Of which he ac-
quired in the spare moments left him
after attending to his business.
Sir John Lubbock made himself the
highest English authority on prehis-
tOric archaeology by odd moments tax
en- from his mercantile pursuits.
Hugh Miller found time while pur-
suing his trade as stone mason not
only to read. but to write, cultivating
his style until he became one OF the
most brilliant authors of the day.
Banker Writes History.
GrOte, whose history of Greece Is by
far the most trustworthy, was a banker
snatched from business
Sir Walter Scott when employed as
quartermaster Of the Edinburgh Light
cavalry was accidentally disa bled by
the kick of a horse and was confined
some time to his house. He had so
trained himself TO find spare moments
for self Improvement in every pursuit
that he turned even an accident TO
good account The sworn enemy to
idleneSS, he set his mind 10 work and
in three days composed the first cantO
of The Lay of the Last Minstrel" his
great original work.
An hour every day. taken from your
frivolous pursuits and prOfitably en-
plOyed would enable YOU, even If Of !
mastering complete sclence-one {
hour Il day devoted TO one subject I
would make an ignorant man well in I
formed in ten years
George Stephenson. who could mel Z
Their read nor write at 90. taught him 4
self arithmetic and mensuratiOn while Z
working in an engine room during the i
night shifts. and he studied mechanics ]
during his spare hours at home, thus 4
preparing himself for the invention OF I
the passenger locomotive.
Elihu Burritt, who mastered IS an
cient and modern languages and % /
European dialects. attributed his first
success in self improvement not to
genius. but simply TO the careful en-
DlOyment OF odd moments while I
at his trade as a blacksmith
If YOU are really anxious to do any
thing. YOU win find time or make time I
for IL. Failure to accomplish only
demonstrates not the lack Of time but (
the feebleneSs Of your will
Teach Valuable Lesson.
These examples of the employment I
IF those invaluable moments called /
Of time should carry the
lesson that even spare moments con-
;titute a part Of the imperial high 7
way 70 success
To the indolent the happiest opDOr-
unities avail nothing. but these odds
ntO results of greatest value
In she gold working room OF the
-nited States mint at Philadelphia ]
here is a singular floor. a network
# wooden bars so arranged as to catch
III the falling particles OF the precious
METAL At the close OF each days labor I
his floor. which is in sections, is taken
ID and all the golden dust is care
Ully swept I'D and recOined. and even
IOthes at night and leave them there,
20 that the dust may be shaken out.
.Wept up and saved if YOU would
ucceed YOU must treat your odd mo-
neuts as the golden dust Of LIES
working room