The Washington herald., 1914-06-28
By ISABEL STEPHEN.
Copyright, lgLD

By ISABEL STEPHEN.
Copyright, IHLD
When a man or woman reaches the
age OF ffty-seven he or she is ready TO
ring down the curtain on the affairs Of
the work-a-day world and to enjoy in
peace the twilight Of old age. We are
constantly hearing men over fifty years
OF age complaining of the difficulty OF
obtaining employment because of their
white hairs and the almost insurmount-
able competition of younger men.
This is the story Of a woman who, until
the age of fifty-seven, had never had an
idea that she would be forced to earn
her living, a woman who all her life
long had been coddled in easy circum-
stances and whose only business in life
was to make her family and friends COM
Portable and happy. Today. at the age
Of sixty-seven. she has a position in the
export market which was attained solely
through her own endeavors
1 found her seated at her desk in
sky-scraper in the Wall Street district
of New York. her desk covered with
papers, busily die
called on her to hear the story Of her
belated success.
When adversely comes along to alter
our plans Of life, it is apt to be &C
companied by the opportunity to over
come II, II we only look out about us
properly" said Mrs. Read in beginning
Il had lived in Chile for seventeen and a
half years. and had raised my two sons
there. Therefore. 1 knew more about
the business world Of Santiago than did
that OF New York. Accordingly, I ap-
Rourke & Co, a firm which does a large
importing business.
Il did not beg for work. I knew that
/ had ability to give an adequate re-
turn for any business proposition
which was offered me, and II was in
that spirit that / made my request. l
suggested that I become their purchas-
ing agent in the United States, and my
arguments were apparently convincing.
for was given the commission to buy
dainty ornaments such Is pins, belt
combs, and so on. The ladies
of Santiago are very particular and
want exclusive designs in everything
they wear. II a Santiago lady meets
an acquaintance who is wearing a
buckle of similar design to one Of her
own. she discards 1t Immediately.
There was very little of this work,
and the returns ] received were hardly
worth my labor. so 1 suggested that
become the FIRMS purchasing agent
and from that start / went on steadily
until now 1 am the sole American rep
of T. Elliott Rourke & Co. |
and export for them everything from a
pair of curtains to an automobile.
"Of course. II was anything but plain !
sailing at the beginning. knew moth !
ng of business, but necessity is a won |
1erful inspiration. Wherever I went
took note of everything carefully. In
hose days I had no ofice and did all
ny work at home. For two years
vas so busy picking up the threads
If the business that ! had no time even
% read an evening paper. My mind
was constantly concentrated on my
work. There is an enormous amount (
II detail attached to this work. /,
never talked very much and so never
betrayed how little knew of the busi-
less at the start, but ! certainly kept
ny eyes and ears open. All the sys-
EN- which / now use was gradually
picked up piece by piece. and when the
lead of the firm came here last May,
lie congratulated me especially on my
Iystem. He declared there were but
ew points of Improvement he could sug-
yest.
Il have been buying now from the
anne factories for nine years. and am.
II course, very well known. Ny credit
or merchants are not paid for goods
intil they are shipped. Then. I pay
ash for everything. which makes quite
large. difference in the price.
Just look at those papers for . mo-