The Washington herald., 1915-11-09
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Man Who Was Spokesman for
Four.
Cwrtten srrressly for Ths Washington Hdah)
By DIR. Z. J. EDWARDS.


Written errre.sly for TIE Washington HaahJ
By DIR. e. }. EDWARDS.
When any one who has been prominent
IN business or financial life and who has
not gained a reputation as writer or
speaker delivers an address which COM
mands attention, not infrequently the
question Is asked. who wrote that
speech or article for him?''
The surmise Is not entirely unjustih-
able and the example Of Washington Is
sometimes Quoted. for 1t Is known that
some Of the most memorable Of his ad-
dresses and papers, particularly his fare-
well address. were prepared by others
Some time ago obtained on excellent
authority an anecdote which shows that
the surmise of the kind mentioned may
sometimes be justified. and 1t Is also a
revelation OF capacity for mental adapt
ability along various lines which was IL
Illustrated by an incident which happened
some years ago in Salt Lake City.
There arose a very important question
1T may have been a public question or
II may have related to some undertaking
that was of magnitude. Whatever the
question was does not affect the incident
Itself. A meeting was held for dis
cussion and II was there decided that
four men who were OF influen and au-
thority In business and Industrial life
should prepare articles which would set
forth clearly some of the features in
volved In this proposition It was ex-
pected that the articles prepared by the
four men would thoroughly cover the
subject.
There was an agreement that the four
men should meet on a certain day after
the articles were prepared. When they
met. the suggestion was made that one
should read his article and that II
should then be discussed and then anoth-
er should read his. which should also be
the subject OF discussion. and so on with
the third and fourth.
There was attentive listening to the
reading OF the first article When the
reading was finished, silence prevailed
for q few minutes, and then one Of these
men said. That sounds exactly as
though 1t was written by Judge c. c.
Goodwin"
Your Judgment is correct. 1t was
written for me by Judge Goodwin, but
I'll stand by every word he says"
Then the second man read his article,
and when he finished another said. why,
that article sounds as though 1t were
written by Judge Goodwin
1T was written by Judge Goodwin for
me. and III stand by every word he has
written"
The third man then read his article.
and when he was through they said to
him, That sounds as though Judge
Goodwin had written it" And his reply
was, The Judge did write II for me. And
he said exactly what I should liked to
have said myself"
Then the fourth man read his article.
and when he finished he looked around
awaiting the usual declaration that
Judge Goodwin must have written that
article" It came promptly. And the
fourth man said. He did write II and he
wrote exactly as I would have written
II could
There was no discussion upon these
articles. They were accepted. They were
utilized and they served their purpose
well. and not until they had been deliv-
cred In public did Judge Goodwin know
that all Of the four men had discovered
his workmanship in each of the articles.
Copyright, l3ls. b. E. J. Edwards. Al Rights Re
served)
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell OF "a
Mistake About a Wedding Gift"