The Denver star., 1914-12-19
PERSISTENCE IN
BUSINESS WINS
How Miss Cleo N. Gibbs Mas
tered Her Difficulties.
TELLS A THRILLING STORY.

Attributes Much Of Success to Doing
tho Little Things We'll and Sticking
to Her Job.
Birmingham, Ala.-The story OF sue
cess, no matter who the Individual OF
What the field, is most always thrilling
and interesting and commands puDhc
attention. That story must be more
and thrilling If the MARIA
tor happens to be an obscure colored
girl, who in the very nature of things
starts out in life handicapped by rea-
son of meager opportunities and ad-
Miss Cleo NJ 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 Birmfng-
ham and assumes with entire satisfac-
ton much of the harassihg 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 l first entered the work as
an obscure clerk the outlook for sue
cess seemed unusually dark. l could
not see my way clearly. l always
looked for the road to success. what
ever it might be. l 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
1 applied for work. Then l applied at
the office of E. w. Howell. who was
at that time the secretary Of the At
Ianta Mutual Insurance association
In about two weeks there was va
cancy to be filed, and my application
was accepted.
cat 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
so on.
The first week seemed enough for
me. l was ready to give up. but my
people insisted on my sticking TO the
Job and making good. 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 OF 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 l had to stand the
consequences because 1t was In my
handwriting. Everything seemed to
work at disadvantage only knew
that l was sticking to my job. and l
was then fully determined to stick
until things went right.
"I did not get the work right until
Mr.. Howell told me to make no
changes until he directed me to do so.
Finally l was given orders to make
out the summaries. l had never made
any summaries nor had I 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 could get the necessary infor'
nation. The other clerk was stenoS-
rapher and absolutely Of no use to NE
in this emergency. | decided to luok
up some old reports which had been
made out previously and use them as
a sort of guide. This worked fairly
well. and succeeded with the task,
Step by step Miss Gibbs tells how.
by application to duty and through
faithful and energetic service, she be-
came more and more trusted and how
later when the secretary, f. w. How
ELL organized a new company she be-
came the chief clerk. She is at the
head OF a large office force. directing
every detail of the smooth working
machinery. making no mistakes and
brooking none. 1t is said Of Miss Gibbs
that she has never had quarrel with
IeflO" &c uuu hoS hS'S' o>>''
late to work. She has only missed
two and half days In the time she
has been with the company. one day
on account Of Sickness and the other
on account of death in the family. She
Is really unaware Of the great success
she has made and sums her remarka
BILE story up In this language:
II had to watch the little things. for
in this business 1t Is the little things
that count. ] firmly believe uow that
I could succeed at anything. am not
ashamed Of working-in fact rather
like It and would be lonesome without
something to do"
High Recognition For Joseph Douglass
A well known photograph com
oauv haa An1a Ce6 fhe, aeryiCS,0 Of Mr.