The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-04

The year was 1876. An uncle took mo
to the Centennial Exposition in Phila-
delphia. The journey broadened my
view. Pittsfield, I realized, was q small
place. I got letters of recommendation
and set out for New York. Letters.
found, were of little account I lost
faith in them then, and up to date have
never changed my. mind. Paper, boast
ed, was my speciality. Beekman Street
was the habitat of the trade. I hadn't
much money and got busy at once My
letters, / was sure. would soon gain me
a place. No. 1 Beckman Street looked at
them langudly and motioned me toward
the sidewalk. No. was discharging
and not hiring men at the time. No. 3
had no vacancy and might write me
in the sweet bye and bye. I had zig
Jagged the street up to and including
No. Is by noon with no results. Then
/ rested my legs-nobody had asked me
to sit down-and refreshed myself with
a ten-cent lunch. 1 couldn't understand
1t, considering the letters l proudly
showed at each shop.
AT 1 o'clock / assaulted No. 10 and
was repulsed. No. % looked at me criti-
cally quizzed me at length and hired
me at 50 week. / was to travel and
my expenses were to be paid by the
house. A letter went to Pfttsfield that
night. / had captured New York, but
didn't say SO in just that many words.
My first trip took me into Northern New
York and Eastern New England. The
country everywhere was getting ready
for panic. Merchants eyed me coldIy
and refused to negotiate. The excursion
was not a mountaineering success. Old
statesmen whom / met said they had
never seen times so bad. My employer
20, rod ho nd
would break a bank IL paid long enough
with nothing coming back. He sug-
gested q new arrangement on a COM
mission basis. L returned to Pittstield
holding a poor opinion of my boss. 1
thought him a mighty unprogressive
man.
AN officer of a big insurance company
in Hartford formerly lived at Pittsfield.
L happened to think of him. Busting
into his office, / showed him my samples
and sold him an immense bill of goods.
L took the order to New York and laid
it on the desk Of my employer along with
a letter resigning all connection with
his concern. He rubbed his hands and
patted me on the back. But / demanded
my commission and walked out. That
winter 1 worked at odd jobs In the
spring 1 went to New York as an &C
at So a week. Pittsfield saw
no more of me after that except as a
visitor.
Il was employed by r. Hoe and Com
pany, the printing press manufacturers,
when L heard of j. H. Williams. who
made drop-forgings in Brooklyn 1 went
into his service as an accountant at
81 500 a year. His business then was not
very large. 1t increased rapidly, how
ever, and the company was Incorporated.
We manufactured tools for different pur-
poses and forgings for automobiles. which
we shipped all over the world. 1 resigned
the presidency of the corporation after I
was elected to Congress. For more than
thirty years l was engaged in manufac-
turing machinery and other iron and
steel products. Grover Cleveland ap-
pointed me director of the Equitable
Life Insurance Company. i am not -ac-
lively interested now, however, in any
kind of private business"
Copyright. 1913. BY James B. Morrow