The Republican journal., 1915-01-21
A Renaissance.

AS i oil StOpRluS 1OI q ACW W0SAS Nv
the house where my uncle, A. j. Cole.
spent the last days of his life. it is my
privilege to read something of his expe-
rience and teachings from his diary. The
subject of this sketch started out on his
life career from Thorndike, Maine, be-
fore the Civil War. After trying farm
ing, peddling, working in cloth factory,
and three months in the Civil War, he
settled down to his life work as broprie-
tor of Business College in Peoria, Ill.
The Sunday school of which he was a
member sent out two men each Sunday
to extend their work by talk on tie
street corners. The Business College
man was often sent out on these errands
of mercy. He finally married one of the
young ladies who aided in the singing on
these occasions. A few years later,
when convention of editors was held in
the city, they were invited to dine at the
college. The tables were waited on by
twenty-five of the young ladies who
were attending the college, and the cater
er was paid more than 5000.
The editorials appearing in the next
issue of the papers of the State proved
too much for the opposition college and
they sold their furniture and moved
away.
After twelve years of this kind of
work, the proprietor, admonished by
failing health, sold his college but con-
tinued to do occasional work in book
keeping and penmanship, which were his
speciaties. He often received one dol
lar per hour for ten or fifteen hours pei
day On one occasion he worked two
days at fifteen dollars per day making a
statement of account in which more than
million dollars were involved in the law
courts. He taught penmanship in many
OF the leading cities from PHILADELPHIA to
Topeka, Kansas.
1t was the writer's good fortune to
enjoy his genial society in many stroll
through the country from Maine to Da-
kota, where be bought thousand acres
of land and sold it for about five times
the cost. On one occasion he gave ten
lessons for a dollar to one hundred pu-
pills in Atlantic City, N. j., thereby
making ten dollars per hour. On an
other occasion he took in $S5 in one day
in Chicago billiard hall, writing Christ
mas cards. The next year he took in
1925 in one day at the Leland Hotel in
St. Louis. His principal expenses were
five dollars paid to an assistant.
In connection with reverses from fac
ing empty chairs during the first three
months of his Business College career he
says: Young America of today is am
bilious tc begin at the top of the ladder
of wealth or fame and the idea of begin
ming at the bottom ard working up by
toll and brains is repulsive to them"
His system of teaching penmanship con-
sisted in the analysis of the letter into
curves, angles and straight lines and
practicing on the parts separately and
then putting the parts together to form
the letter, as we form the parts of a
building and put them together to form
the building. In this connection he men
tions the experience of pupil who had
lost both legs in an Indian attack in Wy
oming and returned to Illinois without
money. He was donated tuition in the
Business College by the County Super
visors. After completing his course, a
position not being forthcoming. he was
advised to go into business for himself,
which he did on a small scale, buying
goods on sixty days time. Two years
from the time he began business he had
wife and child and besides owning his
home he owned a stock Of goods in two
stores and had 81, 900 in the bank.
The subject of this sketch says of his
Sunday school work in Sunday school
averaging six hundred: 81 taught class
gathered from the slums, and more than
half the class had their names on the
roll of honor each year for three years
for having attended every Sunday. Mot
toes radiate sunshine and stimrl late hope
Encourage those who have come in con-
tact with the high, rolling pillows of
misfortune to wait in faith for the bless
ing to follow Even Christ himself cried
out upon the cross, my God why hast
thou forsaken me?"
Action and reaction is fundamental
law in nature. The wave that has fallen
below the oceans level will rise CORE
spondingly above. Business is increased
by the credit system far beyond it's level
and reaction is sure to follow. In the
advanced years of life how naturally the
spr ingtime of nature carries US back to
youthful days. While admiring nature,
how easy is the transition of thought
from creation to the creator.
By looking backward over the land
marks of the past We gather many valu-