The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1918-01-24
WAKE UP, MEN; DON'T
INITIATE METHUSELAH
SKY is Russian and Means: 81 Nav
Get 1t or / May Not '--BuiId a To-
baccO VareheuSe and Get More
CaSh--Cut Out Delivery and |. 0, U.
Plans Find the System.
(BY F. A. OGBURN)

llSh for rightly applied energy
Energy is that which in itself makes
for power. Power is interpreted as
torce, and to force an issue implies
that some obstacle must be over
come. To overcome an obstacle that
resists force it is necessary to use
up the power of energy.
An inanimate thing is incapable
of producing energy within itself
alone. Some action from without
must set in motion the dormant
powers of that thing.
Where there is no change there is
no progress. and an organization
that sits still and does not strive to
change the conditions of its stagnant
self is dead.
Methuselah lived to be over 900
wears of age. And, it would be a
safe bet that the latter days of this
man were spent as the now days of
the average High Point merchant.
Old Methuselah, for he was known
as all old man before he was forty
five, began at that age to become
satisfied in his little sale shop, with
tie trade of the patrons who first
darkened MS doors, when he opened
for business on a Saturday morning,
when his stock consisted of two,
dozen bananas, that he bought from
a Greek, Que peck of mountain ap
pies and six lemons that he bought
from the Italian man, and a broken
box of horehound candy.
His sign read "Methuselah, the
Prince Of Merchants" and his one
window card announced:
"Cash-credir goes with me too,
III take the goods home for you"
He lived on sixty day dating, re
fused 10 discount his bills, and he
bought hia goods from New York
State.
To help fill the family pot he grew
potatoes in the corner of the fence
working on quiet days. Aad he sold
some of them to produce buyer for
~ cents per bu9hel, having no stor-
age plant in which to preserve his
vegetables, even as you and |. This
practice caused him to lose his pock-
ct piece, an old Barlow, during tater
grabbing time in the fall. For weeks,
yes months, he sOrely missed his
can-opening, spiinter-cutting blade.
On the coming of spring he wished
to plant his patch again and bought
Shipped-in seed potatoes OF the fam
Gus New England variety known as
Come Back Special" He paid two
fifty per bushel. The outside mark
ing on The barrel read. An Unusual
Producer;' Choice, Round, Hardy
aud Sound" The circulars sent with
his invoice read, "A man out West
planted a peck on one acre of
ground, and in trying to dig them
last year he stalled pair OF one
thonsand-pound mules. hitched to a
chilled bull-toDgue in ploughing up
the burrows of his potato field An
other circular stated that "A farmer
in the sand belt of the East planted
a bushel of these wonderful potatoes
on five acres of ground and the po-
tatoes grew to such large proper
tions that tie five acre surface was
raised by the growing potatoes to an
elevation two feet higher than the
surrounding parts of his farm" Old
Methuselah tickled? Gosh! he fairly
sweat; he ripped off the hoops and
rolled out the wonders; and right in
the middle Of the pile of imported
potatoes he found what? His old
rusty Barlow. Old Methuselah was
elated. The lost was found: Inc
knife was exactly where he had lett
Il, in the middle of the same pota-
ties, which he had shipped North
at 40 cents per bushe1. He needed
Il storage plant for bis home-gr
EerishabIes. even as you and l.
He was progressive in his earlier
days, he was obliging and sollcltous
of business. He sold to them on the
spot and begged them to let him
charge it and to please buy more.
So business prospered on the
books; and he hired himself a helper
to keep those books and to run hsl
my-guess- credit system. Inc
SIX Y is Russian for 1 may get II
and | may not" And you know
what it means in. plain English,
SKY" sky, the limit. His helper s
main business was that of making
pretty records, in f1ourishing Spen.
cerian of the Il. o. US" that came
through the cash system daily: On
II ,nno drnnd 70 hear and know fld(