Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-02
KILLING PACE IN
BUSINESS IS
DEPLORED
"SIaves to Industry" Better OF
Seeking "ReaI" Things in
Life, Says Forbes,
By 3. c. FORBES.


OF an important railroad system who
laid down his business burdens a year
or more ago.
"Fine-it gives one time to think"
= replied
Then you enjoy it,"
IS answer is worth recording 1t
cause some men to stop in their
Wsh daily struggling long enough
to Nstfwn a plummet into their souls
and tai their bearings
''Weil-it-it7--"
There was an uneasy pause. a mo-
fnent OF doubt and hesitation. Would
he lay bare tho secret that was press
ing on his mind? Or would he pass
the question off with brief evasiye
remark?
He decided to tell.
ITS like this: Our rule was to take
as much as we could get-all we
could get off within every case If
we could get more than our share for
handling a shipment we took it. We
didn't bother about the other road or
the other fellow that might get the
short end Of the stick We regarded
that as their lookout We thought
DDS all right
But since ] have had lots Of
leisure TO think things over, when
look back upon our policy, have been
wondering a lot--well-we rye been
wondering whether II was Just-well
whether IT was Just right, you
know"
I ia 49,
science was troubling him. What
appeared to he fair enough when he
was in the thick OF the business fray
now, in the quiet of the eventlde Of
his life, raised disturbing question
ings.
As the gray headed old man, now
past the allotted span of three score
years and ten. stood i'm font of me-
there flashed into my mind another
case that | had often meant TO tell
you about, foe ii always struck me as
a beacon Of warning to others who
might be tempted to tread a similar
path
In this case a young man, humble
Of origin. hut consumed with ambi-
ton. seized opportunities to work
himself in with a set of saloon rail,
SNAtChiihSs biaANilib Ppitl'idIlN anu
franchise mongers. He had a fair
dowry of brains. and a moderate
amount of education. At first he car
ried a fair cargo of conscience, but in
order to do the bidding of his elders
he began to Jettison it. AS he threw
overheard his honesty he was able to
add to his riches In return for many
years services his confreres. to feed
his ambition, elevated" him to the
bench.
Then he found time for mental
stock taking. Here was he, a rank
CRATER the creature of despicable
politicians. a dispenser of law the
holder of the scale Of justice that no
such unclean hands should besmirch
His conscience smote him. He chang
ed entirely He first became severe,
morose and religious" then a tyrant
toward his own and other people
None carried higher head or OBJ
served the outward forms OF religion
more rigidly.
But all the while the memory OF his
early misdeeds gnawed at the very
vitals of his soul. And IL is so gnaw-
ing at this moment
Now, these two cases-real. not i'm
az mar bHtS-NAITN. IL seems 10 me. a
lesson that IT might be worth while
pondering When we are young,
when we are pushing and struggling
aud elbowing to get our feet on the
ladder, when our god is the dollar,
when ambition drives us forward
when fame" sings siren songs in our
ears and when all our hours are
crowded with duties or pleasures. are
We not apt to drown the still small
voice of conscience. to so crowd our
days and nights with distractions
that we have not one hour for serious
reflection, scarce a moment to ask
ourselves whittier we are going and
the whyfor of II alle
Then one DAY the mad race ends.
Nature cries. Halt" We are called
TO give an accounting. We seek to
put il off We would fain flee from
ourselves, We rebel against letting
memory dwell upon the record We
refuse to answer the inner question
ings: WHITTIER" "Why?" What
shall the end be-" what OUGHT
the reward to be-"
Is this too sentimental slush for a
business column? Shall I be accused
OF encroaching upon the Salvation
Army's preserves? Maybe.
But I have lived long enough to
stand sneers and scorn from the
thouShtless. have seen enough done
in the name Of business" and known
enough OF too-late regrets, Of soul
torture in the twilight Of life. TO STAY
my pen If by using 1t l may happily
lead even but few men neck-deep
in the struggle for existence TO stor
and plumb their souls NOW to pause
and ask themselves what Il shall
profit them though they gain much
II they thereby lose that peace OF
mind without which all else is worse
than dross
II is helieNe me . snuna hn..nns.