The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1914-12-30
PERSISTENCE IN
BUSINESS WINS
How Miss Cleo N. Gibbs Mas
+. tered Her Difficulties.
TELLS A THRILLING STORY.

Rose From Obscure Clerical Position to
Chief Clerk In Big Business Concern.
Attributes Much of Success to Doing
the Little Things Well and Sticking
to Her Job.
Birmingham, Ala.-The story of sue
cess, no matter who the individual or
what the field, is most always thrilling
and Interesting and commands public
attention. That story must be more
interesting and thrilling If the nara
tor happens to be an obscure cclored
girl, who in the very nature Of things
starts out in life handicapped by rea-
son Of meager opportunities and ad-
vantages.
Miss Cleo M. Gibbs, the chief clerk
Of the Atlanta (Ala) Special Benefit
company, of which Mr. e. w. Howell
Is the president and manager, is one
Of the most efficient clerks in Birming
ham and assumes with entire satisfac-
uOn much OF. the harassing details Of
the management Of the big company.
She is young woman who in her own
way tells how she rose from mere
machine in the work to one of the
really dependable characters.
Miss Gibbs says:
"When | first entered the work as
an obscure clerk the outlook for sue
cess seemed unusually dark. ! could
not see my way clearly. always
looked for the: road to success, what
ever Il might be. worked hard In
school and succeeded In finishing with
class honors and came to Birmingham
from Meridian. Miss. Jan. 20, 1910. |
was in the city about month before
I applied for work. Then | applied at
the office of e. w. Howell, who was
at that time the secretary of the At
lanta Mutual Insurance association
In about two weeks there was va
cancy to be filed, and my application
was accepted.
AT first ! did not like the insurance
work and experienced difficulty In
keeping all the details straight-such
as the difference between lapses and
transfers, life schedules, what to do
when one name appeared on the lapse
and transfer sheet at the same time.
making up Office books, showing the
cash, the arrears. the advances and
30 on.
THE first week seemed. enough for
me. was ready to give up, but my
people insisted on my sticking to the
Job and making good. I fully decided
to quit and did so. I did not remain
away from work long. however, and,
summing up new courage, reported for
work the same day quit
Starting off again. Mr.. Howell
would send one Of the agents or the
special men into the Office to show me
what had to do Each day it seemed
that one would show me in different
way from another, always telling me
that the other was wrong. When the
state inspector came all Of my work
was wrong, and I had to stand the
consequences because it was in my
Everything seemed to
work at a disadvantage. only knew
that was sticking to my job. and |
was then fully determined to stick
until things went right.
~ did not get the work right until
Mr.. Howell told me to make no
changes until he directed me to do 80,
Finally I was given orders to make
out the summaries. I had never made
any summaries. nor had seen any
made, but the secretary did not have
much patience. and when he gave an
order usually meant for that thing to
be done. The time came for the sum
maries. Mr.. Howell was out Of town
and there was no one In the Office from
whom l could get the necessary infor'
nation. The otner clerk was stenog
rapher and absolutely of no use to me
In this emergency. I decided to look
up some old reports which had been
made out previously and use them as
q sort Of guide. This worked fairly
well, and I succeeded with the task"
Step by step Miss Gibbs tells how.
by application to duty and through
and energetic service. she be
came more and more trusted and how
later when the secretary, E. W. How
al. organized new company she be.
came the chief clerk. She Is at the
head Of large Office force, directing
every detail of the smooth working
making no mistakes and
broOking none. 1t Is said Cf Miss Gibbs
thaf sha haa uayar had A uuarral with
4 fellow employee and has never been
ate to work. She has only missed