Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-12

X
Readers Of imagination need be told
40 more to see the McRoberts house
hold and the McRoberts farm out in
the rich corn lands Of Missouri. Prob
ably when the boy Samuel left the dis
trict school and became a student al
Baker University. in Kansas. he had
already decided to become a lawyer. AT
all events. after his college course
financed by his father, he took the law
lectures at Ann Arbor.
Then WHAT" he was asked.
Il got On the cars, with the intention
of returning to Malta Bend" he answered.
mo personal plans were in my mind, 50
far as 1 can remember. And little money
was in my pocket Therefore i stopped
in Chicago. 1 would look around,
thought, obtain temporary employment.
earn a few dollars and continue my jour
ney:
while at Ann Arbor had written uni
versity items for several city newspapers.
The worlds fair opened way for me to
write advertisements and articles Of de-
scription."
You might have remained in the news
paper business" it was remarked, and
become a reporter.
II did become reporter" Col. Nc
Roberts replied. putting into his voice
the emphasis Of achievement but he
continued. Il was a lawyer and never
meant to be a writer
again 1 looked around, and one day
discovered a law Office that needed an
amateur helper. ] worked in that office
for eight months and received Ave dollars
a week. Then bought desk and a chair
and began practice on my own account.
Il didn't have any money, but my re-
porter friends were Jealous and confident
and passed my cards among their friends
and acquaintances. Their enthusiasm was
contagious, and l grew rather hopeful
myself. 1 did some collections, as l re-
member
other business was put into my hands
occasionally. In the meanwhile had es-
tablished certain standards. All young
lawyers do that, l suppose. l would not
defend criminals. I said to myself. or
appear in divorce cases.
1.-THE days went by and also the weeks.
and ! realized that the road ahead was
long and difficult not that l objected to
hard work. or was unwilling to wait. but
that ] was ambitious to obtain a subSta am
tial and otherwise desirable list of clients.
when an anonymous corporation adj
vertised for lawyer ! answered. with
tho thought that within a few months |
might get the experience l required and
which I could not get for several years
if I practiced by myself
Armour & Co. the packers, proved
to be the advertisers. They gave
years the legal staff of the corpora
ton just naturally drfted into the tinan-
cial department"
At the age of thirty-fve Samuel Nc
Roberts was treasurer Of the company
and the custodian of millions of money.
Five years later he was asked to take
the office of vice president and execu-
tive manager OF the National City
Bank in New York. From that post he
came to Washington at the call Of the
War Department for "a man who can
think in seven figures"
For nine years Samuel McRoberts was
a banker and director OF many Of
the nations largest corporations. For
eisn exchange has been one OF his spe-
form to the recent banking laws of
the country and to extend the trade
Of the United States in Europe and
Souti. America.
But seven figures fell far short of
the requirements. Col McRoberts soon
found that he had to use ten. Mil
lions dropped out of the governments
war calculations except as milestones
McRobcrts amplified his arithmetic and
proceeded about his business.
1t was monstrous to think Of war,
good men and influential men had been
saying for years in books. essays lee
lures and SO on. why waste the
money of the people on soldiers and
weapons?" Congress had asked.
THE world has become too pious to
fight" said able senators. sentiment
that was echoed by the House of Rep
reScntatiVeS.
Into the feebleness thus created came
such men as McRoberts. There We're
neither machines nor tools with which