Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-04-20

mis- class, but there was room for only
IL OF them in the navy. The navy
itself consisted Of but five steam YES
sells classed as first-rstes, and they
were obsolete and unit for active
duty. George Barnett, his roommate,
went into the Marine Corps and ID
now a major general and the CON.
mandant Of that branch Of the naval
service.
In Florida, where he had been en-
gagged as a surveyor on q railroad, the
late Midshipman Weeks learned that
an old firm In Boston was going out
Of business. One Of the partners had
died and another had become blind.
Henry H~ornblower, Z son OF one or
the partners, and the youthful MT.
Weeks bought the business, III lat
tel borrowing the money with which
TO begin his caree as a banker n
broker.
\ Hornblower acted for the firm on
the floor OF the Boston Stock EA-
change. Weeks kept the books Il
waited on the customers as they ap'
peared. In a few years the two young
men had offices all owe New England
and in cities as far away as Chicago.
Il got my first valuable business
idea from q famous New England
dressmaker," Captain Weeks said to
the writer OF this articl'. "A friend
who came to spend the night at our
house was talking to Mrs. Weeks
while | was reading a newspaper. l
heard her say that she had bought q
dress in Boston, and that soon after.
on returning to the store. the pro-
p~rietor, noticing her at the counter,
asked II she had purchased the dress
she was wearing at his establishment.
On learning that she had, he said:
1t is not right. Please give your
name and address to the clerk and We
shall correct the matter at once
A Story Of Great .'alue.
But the woman replied, the dress
is satisfactory to me, Whatever is
wrong is so small that it Ia moi worth
mentioning
Small to you, madam the man
answered. but very large to US
And do you know the woman
told Mrs. Weeks, the dress was not
only taken back, but it was Kept and
| was given a new one.
/ repeated the story to my partner
next day" Captain Weeks said, and
from that time onward We tried to
please our customers before We
thought OF ourselves and the probable
profits We could make IL our trans
actions"
Three years ago, following at once
his election to the upper House or
Congress, Captain Weeks sold out to
his partners and disposed OF every ii,
terest that might be thought, even III
directly, to influence his Judgment as
a lawmakeT. 1t 1t said in New Eng.
land that he has always been very
careful about his reputation as a bust
ness man. An anecdote told OF him
in State street, the Wall street OF Bos-
ton, shows how his sensltiyeness to
public opinion IN one occasion proved
highly profitable to his partner ana
himself.
\ run on a bank in which Captain
Weeks was a director, though he
owned but 5000 Of the stock, threat
ened. SO he feared, to lnlurs his stand,
ing in the community. lie spent :
day and a night at the bank, pledged
tvo-thirds OF ali the property he ana
his partner owned for the payment OF
the banks debts and put through a re
haeilitating plan under which the
shareholders were assessed 50 per
cent. On their holdings, The bank
was saved, but some Of the fright,
ened shareholders sold out. Their Ill
terests we're promptly bought 81
Captain Weeks, Fhe bank prospereu
and later was Combln with ether
large banks. Boston inanciers say
that MIR. Hornblower and Mr.. Weeks
ultimately made S250,00G on the STOCK
which they purchased when the bank
seemed to be on the verge OF ruin.
When / asked Captain Weeks about
the matter, he said: L was a young
man and couldn't AFFORD to be a di
rector in a bank that had closed its
doors Ia the faces Of its depositors
many Of whom were poor and mos
Of whom we1s small merchants aud
Eage-earners'
How" | asked him, inasmuch al
he was a sailor himself once, and IL
now on terms OF intimacy with many
nigh officers, would you describe the
navy OF the United Statest"
AT the outbreak Of the war In Eu
rope" he answered, Our navy, In ny
opinion, was the second best in exis
tence. Authorities for whom ! have
great respect did not agree with me
They ranked our navy third or fourth
some giving France second placs
and some believing Germany was
stronger at SEA than ourselves.
II still think that in ships alone We
we're the equal Of France or Germany
and much the superior Of Japan. Our
officers are the ablest In the world;
our crews are the most intelligent. Nc
nation gives its officers the training
that is given to the naval officers Of
the United States. And the men Ia
our ships, coming from farms and vii
lagos, in large part, are the hnest
morally and physically a1oat.
In my days, back In 1880, let us say
the sailor on shore leave who returned
to his ship sober was k%eelhauled OF
otherwise punished by his mates. All
that has changed. Intoxicated sailors
are see~ no more or the streets. Oul
men are sober, serious and capable
When an estimate Of any navy ia
made. the personnel, as we'll as the