Evening journal., 1914-09-03
New News Of Yesterday
The Man Who Would
Not Break His Word
By Holland.
By Holland.

Some years ago. a good friend OF
John d. Rockefeller recommended,
not entirely as joke, but half seri-
ously. that Mr.. Rockefeller incorpor-
ate himself, so that thereby he could
more conveniently direct his person
al business affairs. When this ad-
vice was mentioned % another of Mr..
Rockefeller's friends he said that he
thought that perhaps Mr. Rookie
fellers best course would be one in
imitation of that adopted all his life
BY the late Daniel Drew, who was
REPORTED never to have kept any
books. He made few memoranda and
he frequently utilized the palm of his
hand as a deposit place for these
memoranda.
happened to be speaking of this
incident to Asa Potter, formerly a
bank president of Boston, now retired
from active life, and | observed that
the anecdote had reminded Mr. Pot
ter amusingly of something which fell
within his own experience, for he be-
gan to laugh heartily.
81 have recently told you two or
/ three anecdotes associated with the
/ late George e. Norman, who, when he
died, was esteemed one of the richest
men in New England-a real multi
millionaire" said Mr. Potter. Nov,
Mr. Norman would never have part
ner He built many water works sys-
TENS with his own capital exclusively
and after he had done so he would
dispose of these works to the COM
munities in which they were located
He gained national nOtoriety by con-
structing the great water works at
Newport after some of the engineers
had reported that, as the city was
situated on a little island where there
was no watershed, it was impracti-
cable to build a reservoir and aque'
duct there.
when you spoke of Daniel Drew
as not having kept any books / was
instantly reminded of Mr.. Norman
Magnificent as his business opera
tions were, he never kept any books
He had a little memorandum book il
which items were jotted down, bu
that was all. He knew to the las
cent what was owed to him and HI
knew to the day and hour when h
had payments to make.
"One day Mr.. Norman called upol
me TO ask me to send our CORE
spondents I'm New York a block of 1,
GOO shares of the Western Unioi
: Telegraph stock with instruction
that my correspondents sell thes
shares at the market price that da
quoted, which was Sc 1-2.
"I agreed to do this, and an hou
! or so later Mr.. Norman brought tn
, block of stock to my office. I re
member his conversation perfectly
q He said
/, 81 hate to part with this stock tn
: worst way. It's going higher, I al
p sure
! "'Then why do you sell ito
n asked You don't need to! If yo
= need some cash We will lend yo
!. upon a margin of 10 per cent. whs
. you want, with this stock as security
r I'M / have got to sell IT, / mad
y a conAact to sell it at Sc 1-2.' HeI
: Mr.. Nkpan pulled out his littl
a memoiE. fum book and showed me a
n item eE Eed on it that 1000 share
of WesH \ Union were to be sold b
Y him va ever the stock reache
# "'YoUt te some one an optio
: then. onk stock, l said.
y "'I don = sare what you call it.
e made a 1tact with certain pc
n son to sck NJ he Western Union stoC
.e wheneverN WAS quoted at Sc 1-2.
K have mad \eoRny contracts with thi
IF man and Cadve never broken one
\ them, andt ever shall.
~ "I suppol looked at him curiou
IS ly.r said potter, for that was
somewhat et@0lal statement to max
r. He noticec n look OF surprise al
ID he said:
he "'The pc \ with whom ! mat
sr this contrs lBfas myself AT Il
'e time mad put a memoranda