The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

THERE is a man up In the Fordham
district Of The Bronx whose first
= names are Thomas Joseph and
whose last name rhymes with train
He is 60 years of age and for forty
three years he has reported for his days
duty with a large downtown paint and
varnish concern exactly at $3.50 a. NJ.
When the hands of the clock reach that
hour he is seating himself at his desk.
| He often arrives ahead of time, but
never has he arrived late.
At first glance the making of such
record seems an impossibility owing to
the many chances of accident and delay
in travelling. Yet when you talk to the
man who has accomplished this feat of
punctuality you find that he doesn't
consider it a difficult thing to do at all.
Here's what he says about 1t:
| Most people are tardy. II seems
natural for them to want to gamble
with time. If they arrive with only
second to spare they act as If they We're
| tickled nearly to death. These are
the same fellows--and this means al
most every body-who blame the results
Of hardness on inanimate things and
| circumstances, instead of on their own
propensity to throw dice against the
| clock.
when a man tells you that It's i'm
possible to arrive on time year after
year because of accident and forgetful-
ness he never seems to figure that mind
is superior to matter. First, make up
your mind that you will never be late.
and the battle Is Won If you don't
make up your mind that way. you are
already half way late. The trick Is in
the mind-in the resolution. When you
let your mind wiffle- waffle as to GER
tainty about making your objective
point. why, you've ahou; missed it al
ready.
Il have been with one concern for
forty-three years, and punctuality with
me is a passion. / call 1t a passion,
although 1t is an easy and simple life
rule with me- because so few people
seem to find it easy. They dodge pune
tuality whenever they are called upon
to bow to 1t.
"As for me, I feel so good thinking
that I have beaten a soulless thing like
"A clock that there's happiness every
day for me in my on-tmeness. Talk
about the JOY Of the man who has
boarded the water wagon and ticks off
another day and another year on the
calendar, why, it's nothing to my pride
in the record for punctuality | have
made. And mind you, I've made this
record with myself and for mysel
mainly.
It's n bargain that | made with my
strong side to bea, my lazy side Lazy
was beaten to a FRAGILE years ago-but
not to finish. 1t can't be beaten to a
finish until | die, for ! find the lazy
tendency is still sneaking around and
ready to give me "a plausible argument
why | should take it easy just for once
you know. That's the way lazy talks.
when | got my job with this con
Germ | made up my mind they'd nevel
catch me late. | was not getting mucl
salary, SO ! could have no reserve fun,
: against accidents. The reserve fund
had was an unlimited amount of tim,
in which to get work.
81 was up at quarter to every
morning. At half past ! was board
ing my car at Fordham. 1t was gener
: ally just A. NJ. when | got to tn
> office. But several times in those year
I was delayed by snow and accident
: The ample time ! allowed myself al
l ways brought me To my work within
} the limit for reporting ame.
2 'As the years went by and was pro
G noted | found that my reputation ha,
! spread and that made me more thai
i ever determined never To be late.
e kept my day systematized, and as IN,
= responsibilities and remuneration in
creased I arranged more thoroughl