The Ordway new era., 1916-03-31

W0o80 UoQ10t u 00Nsnh
~ hofroHing ths naooey WIN wetos
70 hesin ~ earssr - banker 80
Hcfnblowsr scesd for IL arm On
the ecor Of tie Boston stock Ex.
chanaS. r weeks kept the books and
waited q the customsrs - they ap-
peared. In Q few years the two young
men had ofiices al over New England
ana IN cities a. far away - Chicago.
II got my nrst valuable business
idea from Z famous New Tngland
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 I was reading . newspaper.
heard her say that she had bought
dress In Boston, and that soon after.
on returning to the store. the pro
prietor, 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 aiue.
But the woman replied. the dress
is satisfactory to me. Whatever Is
wrong is so small that It Is not 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 1t was kept ana
I was given q new one.
II repeated the story to my partner
next day." Captain Weeks said. and
~ triad
please our customers before we
thought of ourselves and the probable
profits we could make In our trans
actions"
Three years ago. following at once
his election to the upper House Of
Congress-. Captain Weeks sold out to
his partners and disposed Of every IN
terest that might be thought, even in
directly, to Influence his judgment as
a lawmaker II It said In New Eng
land that he has always been very
careful about his reputation as busi-
ness man An anecdote told OF him
in State street, the Wall street OF Bos-
ton, shows how his sensitiveness to
public opinion on one occasion proved
highly profitable to his partner and
himself
run Cd a bank in which Captain
Weeks was director. though he
owned but 5000 of the stock. threat
ened, SO he feared. to injure his stand
ing In the community He spent .
day and night at the bank. pledged
two-thirds Of all the property he and
his partner owned for the payment Of
tue banks debts and put through re-
habilitating plan under which the
shareholders were assessed 90 per
cent. on their holdings The bank
was saved. but some OF the fright
ened shareholders sold out Their in
terests were promptly bought by
Captain Weeks. The bank prospered
and later was combin with other
large banks Boston fnanciers say
that Mr. Hornblower and Mr.. Weeks
ultimately made $250,000 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 Il was a young
man and couldn't afford to be d.
rector In bank that had closed its
doors In the faces of its depositors.
many OF whom were poor and most
OF whom were small merchants and
wage-earners."
How" | asked him. inasmuch as
he was sailor himself once, and is
now on terms of intimacy with many
high officers. would you describe the
navy OF the United States?"
AT the outbreak of the war In Eu.
rope" he answered, "our navy. in my
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
ox;,,fr EHran nile
and some believing Germany was
stronger at sea than ourselves.
81 still think that in ships alone we
were 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. No
nation gives its officers the training
that is given to the naval officers OF
the United States And the men in
our ships. coming from farms and vii
lagos, in large part, are the finest
morally and physically afoat
In my days. back in 1880, let US say,
the sailor on ehore leave whr returned
to his ship sober was keelhauled or
otherwise punished by his mates. All
that has changed. Intoxicated sailors
are see no more on the streets Our
men are sober. serious and capable
When an estimate of any navy is
made. the personnel. as well as the
ships. must be considered.
Lessons Of the War.
so had thought that only Great
Britain excelled us as naval power
at the outbreak Of the war in Europe.
Since the war started, France and
Germany have geen building ships
Our rank Just now, therefore, is un.
'ertain But we have a good navy.
Still. 1t should be much larger"
Has the war taught the world any
naval lessons?''
"A great many. II has shown the
value OF aeroplanes. which are now
known aa the ayaa of tho daaf Thar