Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-16
DON'T FEAR DIRT"
The Man Who Will Not Work is No
Good.


Good.
1t is commonplace to tell a young
man who hopes to succeed that he
must work hard and save his money
and keep himself filled with mercy and
loving kindness. But G. H. Clifford, who
is one Of the managers for the Stand
ard Oil company in New Jersey, adds
another element to the formula.
Don't" says Mr.. Clifford, "be afraid
to get dirty"
Clifford began on the capital Of a 40
cent suit Of overalls and willingness
to abide the peculiarly clinging varie
ty Of grease the S. o. company manu-
features. Because he has been rather
successful he was ask
ed the other day to talk to class Of
young men who are engaged in gaining
a business education. He didn't want
to do it. Generally speaking, Standard
Oil men have been encouraged to abb
jure the graces Of conversation. But
he consented.
Work If You Hate Your Job.
IF you don't like your job" said Gif-
ford, work harder. Then you'll get
another job all the quicker
He had some portion Of high
school education when he began to
work That is, he entered high school
when he was twelve years old, and
to get back to school for parts
Of three more years. Then economic
began to pinch the Clifford
neck. 1t wasn't that he merely needed
a job-he had to have one. Having an
eye to the future, he succeeded in get
ting into one Of the machine shops Of
the S. o. company, because he thought
the chances for promotion were better
with a large corporation. But he didn't
give that phase Of his individual busi-
ness situation much attention at that
time. 1t was the immediate salary en-
velope at the end of the week that he
was chiefly interested in. That was in
1878.
Grease on College Cap.
Sweeping the floor Of a machine shop
Is unpleasant for a youngster OF 16,
with a 16-year- old hankering for turn
ed-up trousers and college caps. Gift
ford just swept all the harder. BY and
by he was promoted to another posi-
ton which held a surplusage Of mucki-
ness. This time he was set to oiling
shafting. After ten months he became
an apprentice in the machine shop. He
learned how to make tools and lathes
and dies. Perhaps a couple Of years
passed in this occupation. Then he be-
came a full-fedged machinist Of the
ower order and went to the general
shop. Perhaps-always inside Of him
ne had been ambitious, but he had
never translated that ambition into ac-
ion, except as he took pride in becom-
ng a good machinist. But in the gen.
eral shop he found the impetus he
needed
Night School Not Easy.
The foreman Of the general machine
shop" said Clifford, was an old man.
He took an interest in me.
BE a good machinist first said he,
but be something else second. The
nan who gets ahead is the man who
1t isn't particularly easy for the man
who has put in an honest days work in
/ machine shop to go to school at night
There are large beer saloons, billiard
academies, dances and other methods
~ which time may be killed after the
o'clock whistle blows. Also, such a
nan is afraid to open his mouth after
o'clock at night for fear he betray
himself by yawn. Just the same, Gift
ord went to night school, and caught
Up with the education he had been
to miss as boy. There was
period Of Encouragement, for he
tayed in that machine shop for nine
ears. 1t began to seem to him that he |
would never get out Of it, but he kept |
away. Then promotion be-
,an. One day he was made assistant |
superintendent.
I'm through" the superintendent
aid one day. I'm not going to spend
ny life in a greasy oil yard"
Beat Job to FRAGILE.
SO Clifford took his place. The other
teps followed in regular order. Gift
ord suggests that luck had a good deal
o do with his climb, but that hard
york had more to do with it. He holds
hat the way to get along is to beat
our job to a fraZzle. He hadn't been
With the S. O. company year before he
earned what real work is. The rule in
hat organization is that when one en-
ers upon a job he doesn't leave until
he job is through.
He believes in education, which is
atural for a man who fought for an
ducation in the way he did. But he
nds that the trouble with the average
ollege bred boy of today is that he has
een too kindly treated all his life. The
ther day a graduate of Brown univer-
ity came tn him for work.