davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Wins Wife Same Way.

ON the second occa SION went TO see a
young woman on a matter OF business She
asked my advice about some lands and after
pausing to scratch my head advised sgainst
building on that property. In two or three
other matters she consulted me and each
time had to pause and scratch my head.
She laughed merrily at me and remarked:
81 believe you would stop and scratch
your head and think before proposing to a
girl
Instead Of answering Immediately I
scratched my head long time and re-
marked:
Yes, I'm doing now, and I've decided
to ask her II she will have me-
d" She took more time TO it than I had but
finally said yes.
In everything that has happened to
me in the way Of advancement my expert
ence has been the same. I've scratched-nOt
for living but for wealth. and the higher
I climbed the better the success Of the plan
-Four years ago I saw my business, built
up by years OF scratching, endangered. A
great combine was being formed. and the
question was whether TO go into il or not
The figure mentioned to me as the buying
price OF my plants was small. I dared not
fight them If the combine was completed
e was summoned to a meeting Of the or
ganizers in New York. and they told me
their offer and demanded 10 know whether
I would sell. I was hard pressed. stopped
and scratched my head for a long time.
Finally one of the promoters said:
80 Look here, Schmidt, you can't afford to
refuse
d" He mistook my hesitation for a sign of
refusal and revealed TO me the fact that they
needed me. 1 sat there and scratched my
head over every proposition they made me
until they added more than half to the pur-
chase price they first mentioned.
Finally they offered me a position at
a salary running my own pl;-a.. besides the
purchase price and a bunch Of stock. and
after had tried to scratch them up few
thousands on salary I agreed and went in.
I've scratched a lot OF hair away, but
don't begrudge the bald spot, II was made
by scratching my way to success
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Ed Is His Own Boss, but Finds
His Job Hardest He Ever Had.
By AMOS ANDREWS.

r. D BAUER is doing well. In the ma
- chine shop where he was working
until a few years ago he is the topic
- OF conversation every noon ho=-
among the men with whom he fo--
merly worked
Some headpiece that man has got." says
Tom Flanagan, who is a great admrer of
Ed. Jumped up and started little shop
or Ills own and now he is doing well. Al any
rate, he has no boss to humor. no foreman
and superintendent to answer to-
Ed has always been as much Of business
man as he was a mechanic" " adds Pete
Stephenson.
Tom and Pete had often promised them
selves they would visit their former shop
mate. Ed Bauer. in his little machine shop
on side street few doors of a boulevard.
Toward the close of the third year that Bauer
had been in business for himself Tom and
Pete brought their resolution into action.
They hunted up Bauers little shop and were
given hearty welcome.
Well, Ed" said Tom aftef the first greet
ings were over with, " see you have at last
canned your boss. You are your own master
now. You are a lucky man. Ed. lucky man
Not many can do what you have done"
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
No Chance for a Day Off.

But my machine shop IS small one. I
am the only man working in it. | am boss
foreman. and apprentice in 1t. Yss an the
business manager. too. The jobs that get
are such Jobs that the big machine shop
does not care for much. l make my living
from tust such emergency cases from Just
such accidents
I cannot make an engagement with a
friend to spend the evening a his house.
cannot take a day OF. ! mus always keep
my nose to the grindstors. ! am my Own
boss and such l am imposing upon my
self tasks, am allottfng myself abuses which
I never would permit a man who hired me
to impose upon me. i am far harder upon
myself than any boss ever was to ne
Yes. Tom. with q certain king might
say. My kingdom for a boss "a good
humane boss and not a tyrsnt like myself.
over myself"
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

ASTER minds Of our age are believing
MI that no era was more disturbed, In
f more of ferment, 30 much In melt
ing pot condition. as that through
which we are passing.
Most Of these masters believe that some
thing wonderful and new, perhaps something
hitherto undreamed of, is to come. Less
hopefuI thinkers see everything going 10
wrack, without much hope ofensuing good.
But truly It Is a good time this in which
We are Hvins! Opportunity TO see, to know.
to do was never greater. The opportunity
for men to make the most OF themselves IL
they have 1t in them. was never so great as
now.
We are living in a nightly stimulating time
We have examples Of the greatest acuVi's
about US. We see men reversing the con-
cIusions of centuries. We see men disprov-
ing some OF the economic doctrines about
the decrease OF wherew1thals 10 live with
the increase of population. We see per
formances that make US think creativeiy'
heIpinr us to realize ss never before that
there is more than one way to light or sweep
a room. more than one way to run vehlcle,
more than one way to ma mage our lives. II We
choose to light our rooms with candles and
run our lives at the same tempo we must
abide by results.
One thorough way Of knowing about the
great things that are being done Is through
the printed pages OF the day. 1t takes an
enormous amount OF intercourse and of a sort
which but few men can command, for man
TO learn as much as he can learn in half a
day by reading. IL he is a trained reader
or what the world is doing, The newspapers
will give him the news Of these things. and
often more besides. of what is being worke
out, thought out. discovered, hoped for.
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

prosperous business man OF the
old school. who has grown up with
the city and who has seen the city
and his own business rise from a humble be-
ginning to more than gratifying proportions.
shook his head in the negative in reply to
this question.
IF your capital is too small to go into
the business you have set your mind on, wait
until your financial condition improves" he
said. IF you are anxious to open dry
goods store, but your capital will only permit
you to buy a pack OF goods and become a
huckster. by all means do the latter. Be
come a huckster and stay a huakster until
you have accumulated sufficient funds to
open a store with your own capital The
same is true in the manufacturing line.
d" Borrowed money seldom brings success
The reason is obvious II the man were sue
cessful in his previous venture he would
have saved money in It. If he had not saved
il Is a sign that he either lacked the expert
ence or the business sense to make good.
Now II he failed in his previous occupation
whatever 1t was, when he was not harassed
by the thought Of risdng other peoples
money he Is all the more apt 10 fail to make
good when having upon his mind the worTy
and responsibility for money that does not
belong 70 him.
The man who is established in business,
who Is successful. but who finds himself IN
need OF extra money, has ali the reason in
the world for borrowing money now and
then to tide him over certain period or sea
son. But for the beginner to borrow money
and go into business with 1t Is like building
a house OF cards. There il no foundation TO
it Il is bound to fall The men who have
succeeded have been men who worked every
inch Of their way Themselves"
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

q n USIC has been used an aid to al
MI most everything from a cure for the
F blues to the softening of hearts, and
now It comes as an aid to business.
The old idea that the person who
works must think OF absolutely nothing else
from morning until night is gradually fading
away Now the wise employer finds he can
get better results by introducing divertise
ment now and then.
Ny first intimation of this came one day
in Chicago when was wandering around the
bookbinding shops. It was at the noon hour
and from outside there came the notes OF a
hurdygurdy. The hundred or so girls eating
sang with the music. None of them, how
ever, tossed any money out of the window to
the busy italian, and 1 wondered bit when
he kept on playing piece after piece.
'' 1t seems to me-" said to the manager.
d" that fellow is working mighty hard for
nothing. I should think he would wander
on somewhere else. some place where the
proceeds were better"
He'd better not said the manager. IL
he did he'd lose about the best job he has.
You see, we're not all work at this plant
Eight TO ten hours a day in q place like this
is pretty tiresome for a girl, and the first
thing We knew. IL we didn't watch ourselves,
they'd be going dead on us and becoming
poor workers. And 30 one day I adopted
this little system OF bringing a bit Of amuse-
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

be Obliged to fight every conceivable brand
Of booze until sot back from my trip. Now
it's hard enough to do business in these swift
days of competition without having your
brain muddled. and believe as this compe-
tftion has grown keener and keener there ha,
been less and less drink consumed along with
business deals.
Ny house once upon time entertained its
out of town customers with hquor when they
came in TO buy goods. Now they would hesi-
tate about selling goods to a drinking man
even though he had a lot Of money, because
they would fear that his success would no,
last
Believe me. the travelling salesman with
booze on his breath is becoming an almos,
extinct species"
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Another View. and an Example.

Across the street from the successful mer-
chant who was so dead against going IN
business with borrowed money was living
contradiction to this mans views. Across
the street was little cigar store which was
doing a rushing business. The owner Of the
cigar store opened up the place with money
h, borrowed from friends. He has since
paid off all his debts and has a comfortable
bank account.
Going in business with borrowed money
is entirely proper" the cigar dealer said.
provided all other things, such as business
ability and a good business location are not
wanting Take my case as an example.
was working in a downtown cigar store and
was a successful salesman. l saved up a
few hundred dollars. But ! married. All
the money went in furnishing a hone for
my wife and family. After married my
salary did not keep pace with the cost of
living l found it impossible to pull my
bank account up to more than hundred
dollars
"Of course had no means OF going into
business for myself though often thought
about 1t and made all sorts'of plans. 4 few
Years ago several buildings were torn down
in this neighbOrhood. New buildings were
put up: stores were opened. l passed by
this place one evening on the way from
work, and while casually studying the
neighborhood the thought came TO me that
it would be a good location for a cigar store.
l told my wife about 1t. She agreed with me.
The more we thought out this place the
more convinced were We that II man got
a hold Of II and opened a cigar store here
he would be fixed for life. 1 lost several
nights sleep thinking what I could do.
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Scratching Got Him Raise.

a few weeks later friend OF my fathers,
who was in the ship chandlery business in
Jersey City, wrote asking me 10 call at his
place He had heard OF the plight in which
I was left by the death Of my father. had
sought work everywhere that / thought l
might he needed. No one wanted me, and
the offer was in a way a godsend to me,
responded the next day He talked for
some time, then offered me position at Sc
a week ] was about to thank him CRATE
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Products of Inventors Genius.

To hold flower upright in a vase or other
receptacle a New York woman has patented
a perforated metal tube, into which its
stem may be inserted.
From Switzerland comes a recently in
vented head covering for women which can
be worn as a simple hood or twisted into
nearly a dozen forms of hats.
A small fan. revolved by a motor or
clockwork features a new respiratory he'll
met to draw air expelled by mans lungs
away from his face.
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

In England there has been patented a COM
bination of opera glasses and sound in
tensifier for the use OF playgoers whose
hearing is impaired.
Though only one-tenth of an inch IN diam
eter. a new steel wire for aeroplane guys
has tensile strength of 3J0OOO pounds
TO the square inch.
After twenty years of experimenting a
Philadelphia scientist. has succeeded in
Matching eggs Of diamond backed terrapin
= an incubator
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Es.ssM Among with Hand Brain HE7&Hz]
Chance Never So Great as Now
to Make the Most of Yourself.
By c. S. MADDOCKS
By c. S. MADDOCKS.

viii read 30 as to have some general knowl-
edge or intelligence about them all A lot Of
general knowledge Is rarely a hindrance to
a man Of sense, one who knows how to use
It, His blood will run quicker many and
many a time II he has It and. as he grows
older. with the inevitable retarding of the
circulation, this latter service alone is worth
something
suppose the reader Is a man who Is finding
age somewhat OF a tribulation. with no chance
OF getting much comfort for the fact from
tnose around him. Then he may in current
literature hnd much that Is both help to a
gaming OF philcsophic resignation and sug-
sesaons as to how he perhaps may help to
soiVe what Is certainly one Of the great
problems OF our day. The solution Of this
ore problem OF the old man In industry may
require revolution In educational methods.
y
Problem of the Old Man.
Current literature. not only Of our own
country but that Of other countries, is con-
sidering this problem OF the old man. 1t is
just now felt to be vital in Germany Per
haps both France and Germany have come
10 little later realization OF this problem
than We have, because in both those coun-
tries there are certain rewards government
and other. that a man can get only by the
passing OF years, just as now there are small
recompenses. not always desired, connected
with the reaching OF a certain age. In France
a man of ambition must work long years
to get the highest recognition-a recognition
symbolzed BY ribbon or medal-and II Is
naturally quite unreasonable that, having
gained this, he should Immediately be set
aside as being past service, too old TO exer-
else his long earned skill, a skill perfected
through years Of discipline and effort.
In Germany the problem is just now a
vital one because men Of so or 90 are beins
pensioned OF by the state. often set aside
when they feel themselves most capable
Of rendering eminent service and advancing
themselves in business or profession, while
they have before them some recent exam.
pies of men winning fame when 20 years old
This action on the part OF the state seems
the more unreasonable in that country be-
cause a man may become an authority in-his
line, a privy councillor. only after twenty
FIVE years spent in doing the ope thing in
which he becomes a recognized and practiC
ing authority.
There are constantly splendid things in
current literature, proofs that our civilizs
tions have previously. We are not the frs
TO try many things, but we are first master
ing SONS OF the great problems OF the ages
and our literature tells US how We have done
IL.
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Friends Offer Various Loans.

e Then an idea came to me. 1 had made
hundreds of friends in the years that had
been a clerk. Many OF them would go out
of their way to buy box of cigars from
me. They knew they could rely upon me.
Why not take these friends into my con-
fidence? The next day I told half a dozen
Of them of my proposition, that knew
OF a place where, II 1 could get in would
have a soft berth for life compared with my
job as clerk.
Each of these men offered to loan me
money in sums ranging from $50 to $500
borrowed only as much as I thought was
necessary for Vne 40 open the store with
respectable stock of goods. The men who
loaned me money came around several times
in the first months / vas in business for my
self, asking how I was getting on. Each one
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Salesman of Today Is Temperate.

/THE travelling salesman's job has
" changed a good deal in late years"
said drummer of the old school in
the lobby Of the La Sale hotel the
other day, " and it is certainly for
tunate for him that he doesn't have to hit
the booze all the time he is on the road any
more in order to get trade.
Why. i can remember in a certain terri
tory not great many years back when 1
never dreamed of landing an order unless
asked my customer out to have drink. In
nine cases out Of ten nowadays such an in
vitation would be suflcient in itself to crab
a sale.
1t used to be that went out good deal
as soldier goes to war. Iknew that would
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

shop and take his visitors into the house He
lived in the same block and his wife would
be delighted to meet old friends
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
What $50 Did for an Aspiring Boy.

There is a physician in this city who has q
good word to say for borrowed money. When
he had finished his first year in the high
school his father suddenly died and he was
thrown upon his own resources. He tried at
first to earn his livelihood by working aft
ernoons and evenings. This soon began to
tell on his health and on his work. The
teachers constantly asked why his work was
so poor. This still more unsettled the boy.
lie was about to quit school when one day
he observed in a neighboring house a man
manufacturing leather novelties. There was
not much to the manufacture of the novelties.
All that was necessary was a machine, few
tools, and material. The whole cost would
come TO about $50. But where was he to get
the $50?
As he was sitting in the class one day think
ing where the $50 was to come from he re-
ceived call to come to the principal office
The principal again told the boy his work
was bad and asked what the matter was
The year before he had been one Of the best
pupils in the school.
The boy told the principal who was a sym
pathetic woman. his financial troubles He
also told her about the leather novelties
which he could manufacture during the week
and sell Saturdays and which would pay his
way through school. The only hitch was
the SSD.
There was business sense in what the hoy
said. During the noon hour of that day the
principal took the boy to the bank where she
kept her accounts and signed a note for him
for $50.
A week later the sophomore was a manu-
facturer Of leather novelties. The little en-
terprise. started with the cash and credit
supplied by a sympathetic principal, enabled
this boy not only to so through high school
but to make his way through a medical school.
And even in the first years after he became
an NJ d. he used to work nights at the
machine making leather novelties to pay his
Office rent.
Now as a successful doctor he still has faith
in the man who starts with borrowed money
provided he is sure of his proposition and of
his own ability to master the proposition.
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Hesitancy Mistaken for Wisdom

One afternoon the head of the house
stopped at the desk where I was checking
of a shipment and asked me IL thought
the new branch would pay. hadn't thought
of II at all, but I scratched my head while
trying TO thSrk Of an answer.
go Maybe you think the other location bet
ter he said.
Now. l hadn't heard OF any other pro-
posed location, but scratched my head again
and said, Yes That is
" Four months later they closed the Ho-
boken branch and opened further up and the
manager remarked to me:
80 Well, your judgment was right, George;
the other location IS best
When they sent me to take charge there
I commenced to see what father had meant.
He understood that when any one asks your
advice he wants you to agree with his own
opinions. and IL you wait long enough he'll
show what they are.
" The habit Of scratching my head before
replying to an important question. or before
deciding anything of any Importance. grew,
and, oddly enough. 1 discovered that could
think more clearly and decide with much
better judgment by doing It. 1t Increased
until discovered that instead OF being
dullard and numskun was considered a
man Of Conservative and sound judgment.
The habit won my wife for me- and before
that prevented me from making a marriage
with woman who. it aftFwaTds proved.
would have been the worst possible wife
for me.
81 had decided to ask her to be my wife
when I was p years old. l called at her
home to propose. I had reached the point
OF asking her when my fathers advice sud
denly came to me. stopped and scratched
my head. She snickered and did not ask
hnr
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
Shoe Man Succeeds by Borrowing.

A prosperous shoe dealer on a busy street
traced his success to borrowed money.
opened a shoe store in the fail seaSon
five years ago with my own money" he said
e Business was bad that winter and by spring
left the store penniless. was not in a con-
tition to go back to my former employment.
The business trials and troubles that winter
had 80 unsettled my brain that could think
Of nothing but business.
In spite Of all warnings from some Of m y
friends not to venture into business again.
at least not for some time. decided to start
another store at once Moreover l decided
to start II In spite of the fact that had not a
cent OF my own.
What did was to approach every one Of
my friends and ask him for a loan. knew
their financial condition and / never asked
for more than l knew they could spare. In
ten days 1 had enough to make q start.
began hunting for a location ] was more
careful than ever this time. For I was no
longer risking my own money. but money be-
longing TO my friends. With the money l
was also risking my reputation.
when l finally located 1 worked with a
determination and desperation such as had
never known in all my days. The borrowed
money was squirting me on l felt as IL l
were fighting for life. l stuck to the store
like watchdog. I invented a thousand
economies. 1 discovered a thousand new
business and advertising schemes.
e For four months my fate seemed unde-
oided. Then the wheel turned, business began
to pick up. In a year had paid my debts
could not have stuck It out, however, II It
had not been for the borrowed money " hich
lashed me TO feverish activity while at the
same time developing my patience"
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

fully for his kindness when ! remembered
fathers request. Instead of speaking ]
stopped before the first word was out Of my
mouth and scratched my head for almost a
minute He watched me for time. then
he said:
well, George, IL you think that lent
enough We'll make IT IS to start with. and
more II you earn it,
81 scratched my head shorter time.
thanked him, and the next Monday l went to
work 1 worked hard and slowly mastered
the details OF the business.
Il had been there six months when the firm
was opening a big branch store in Hoboken
I knew some one would be sent from the CEN
tral house to take charge, and had secret
hopes ! would get a chance there, although
I would not have dared suggest st.
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09

) it advisable to go into business
with borrowed money"
A prosperous business man of the
The Washington herald., 1913-02-09
How to Succeed in Business
by Borrowing Money to Start.
Bv ANDREW B. ERDMANN.

Of them was ready to offer me more money
until put the store on a paying basis. But
1t was not necessary. The store paid from
the start. The location was excellent. As
for the cigar business, knew il 10 perfection.
This combination enabled me to pay of my
debts in less than two years.
Ny experience. therefore. teaches me not
to be afraid to go Ito business with borrowed
money. provided YOU are sure OF the place.
that It is the right location. and you are
sure Of yourself that you know the busi-
ness and are the man for it."