Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-08
BUSINESS CAREER
OF PETER FLINT
A Story Of ~Sdlesmanship by
Harold Whitehead

questions on bpyiro. selling. advertising and
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~ address must be signed to OH Inquiries.
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sforv Of Peter Flint. "
WHATS wrong with me? why do
w l seem to get into all kinds of
trouble and disappointment and worry
why can't things go smoothly with me
as they seem TO do with other young
Fellows? Ever since I started my bust
ness career 7 seem to have been blum
dertng around and without any apparent
reason running into all kinds of snags.
| mare up with one man and lose my lob.
other fellows flare up and don't lose
their Jobs. | got engaged to be married
and ever since Rosie and ] have seemed
to spend most our time in %squabbline
and making up again.
Why doesn't Rosie behave like other
engaged girls7 Why? why? why
Whenever ! begin to think about myself
and where I'm getting to, 7 feel as IL I'm
tied up in a bag. Am different from
other young fellows or do they all strug-
gle and founder around the same as I
do?
was telling all this to Graham after
! had returned from seeing Rosie at
Newark.
He had heard mo walking up and
down in my room and came 10 see me
and find out what was the matter. After
listening to my TRADE against fate he
said: Peter, I would really like to helm
you. but 7 don't kno whether I can or
not. What you're going through is viz
tually the same as every other young
Fellow has been up against. Some are
wrapped in cotton wool and aren't al
lowed to fight their own way. but have
the encouragement OF parents and a
good home, the influences % which act
as an anchor to them. You are more
unfortunate than many young fellows,
tnasmuch as. from what you tell me,
you don't get the right kim of advice
and encouragement from your dad
MY dads all right" 7 Jared up; The
just doesn't understand"
Good boy" continued Graham. Nov.
I'll tell you one or two things that are
wrong with you. Peter. In the first
place, you think too much of yourself
and about yourself. You are all the
time wondering why people say this to
you or why people say that. You don't
give people enough credit for sincerity.
Let Siddons make the most innocent re-
mark to you. and o wonder what's at
the back Of it.
Then, you have the wrong view on
business. You hav not yet got to the
point where you are willing to work
whole-heartedly for other people-and
ycurself-'
Huh 7 interrupted. NOV you're
talking through your hat. ! haven't any
money to get into business for myself"
That is another of your faults
jumping at conclusions-gcnerally wrong
ones"
well. when a fellow says ! ought to
get into business for myself, what else
can =
And there is another fault con-
tinued Graham. instead OF trying to find
out where o are rong- giving
other people credit for knowing perhaps
a little more than you do, you lake a
stand. on impulse. not on reason. and
then try to justify your stand"
I'm other words" I said somewhat
surly, ! must admit. I'm a bum"
Not by any means. You just take a
wrong slant on things. Now, for In
stance, you said that I advised you 70
get into business for yourself"
so you did" l snapped.
Just a minute, Peter: just a minute,
What ! said was: you had not go to the
point where you are willing to work
fundamentally for yourself as we'll as
other people. Now. when you are work.
ing for Perry, you are also working for
yourself. II YOU put in overtime at
night or work particularly hard. or do
something more than you are paid to do.
you are doing that extra work just as
much for yourself as for other people.
Don't you see. Peter. hat you are now
building up the habits for good or i'll
which will affect your whole life?" .
Suppose you build up the habit of
not doing a thing more than you can
help, and you build up the habit OF being
suspicious and slack in your work-even
for a boss who might not appreciate you
some day you i'll cav that boss and
YOU will go TO some one else. You dom
leave that habit behind, but you take II
with you. That is part OF your equip.
ment, as it were. Now the boss YOU
work for can very easily dispense with
YOU, but once you have Iet those habits
of ~slackness and suspicion become q part
Of your equipment, they will stick to
| YOU wherever you go and will be a per.
petual bar to o u progress. So, when
say you are working for yourself wher
| YOU work for other people, you will un.
derstand that what you do now becomes
the foundation of the habits you will
carry through your life. Think it over
Peter. carefully. If every young fellow
| would face this cold -blooded fact h,
would save himself much future sorrow
and disappointment
Ns. =