Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-24

/tp ~ lumber yard, not con-
sidering the cost of
putting it together
and removing it afterward. This alone
would cost twice as much as the actual
wiring work itself, and after making care
full estimate 1 found the cost to be fifteen
hundred dollars for the tower part alone,
which left no margin for profit. knew that
we could never expect to get the contract
at such figure.
But what was 1 to do? As usual, I
blamed my limited education for my appar-
ent inability I thought that with college
education and the degree of engineer I could
have solved this problem easily. Just as 1
was about to give up remembered how the
head Of our firm had once told me that in
genuity and commonsense we're worth all
the diplomas in the world.
This gave me new energy. / Immediately
scheme, and two hours later when looked
up from my desk wore the smile that won't
wipe off.
lost no time in putting OUR proposal into
proper shape, and at the appointed hour
sent it to the offices of the A. B. Com
pany.
The following morning I arrived at our
Office early. l had just begun verbal re-
port to my chief of the progress of our work
in Philadelphia when he was called to the
telephone. A few minutes later he re-
turned with look of CONSERVATION on his
features.
what sort of blunder did you make in
that estimate of yours?" he demanded.
NThe A. B. Company tells me that the con-
tract has been awarded to US, and that our
price of twenty-five hundred dollars is lower
than the six Others, which ran from thirty
five hundred to forty-fve hundred. Well
be the laughing stock of the entire electrical
trade"
Eyes, probably now; but wait until this
job is DONE" l then told him what pro-
posed to do.
We lost no time in beginning our work
on the building, and after several days were
ready to start the wiring of the tower
ton of our work l met one of Our COMPETE
tors, who sarcastically asked me when we
expected to start wiring the tower.
This morning. 1 replied, 3and if you
have time, come along and see the fun"
3But," he said, u passed there last even
ing, and there was no timber or scaffolding
in sight, except length of six by six that
was being unloaded."
That's my scaffold," said; but before
he had chance to reply we turned a corner
and we're in full sight of the tower, cleaning
III Lie IuOI1l1IlS Su1l Anu away up LucIc,
three hundred feet above us, my friends as
tonished eyes saw that piece of six by six
stuck through the stationary crown of the
cupola, the one end extending three feet
beyond the vertical sides, with stout piece
of rope attached to it by means of a block,
and suspended from it a chair arrangement
in which sat one of our men calmly wiring
one of those big letters. And as he was still
gazing upward he heard the faint sound of a
signal bell, and the next instant the cyIn-
der under the crown slowly revolved until
the next letter came in front of our man.
Another bell, and the cylinder stopped.
The wiring on the second letter had be
gun.
@You deserve the job" was all my COM
petitor said as he left me.
The day the final payment for the work
was made the head of our firm called me
into his private Office, and after commencing
me for my ingenuity asked whether had
ever gone to college. l told him that I
hadn't been that fortunate, to which he re-
piled that certainly had not lost anything
by it, and that if he was college professor
he would recommend me for the degree of
A. B. said l didn't quite understand him.
He explained that this particular degree