The Washington herald., 1921-04-24

friend asked the surveyor to lay out some
lots for him. He suggested that weeks-coms
over and breakfast at his house 90 they could
get an early start the next morning. Al
that breakfast thi. future cabinet ofacer met
the daughter Of the family, Martha A. Sin.
clair, just back from boarding school, and
before long she had become Mrs. Weeks.
The next step In this youngsters career
came about without effort on his part. He
came 10 know quite well . gentleman from
Boston who had visited Florida. After he
had gone homo he was consulted about the
affairs Of certain brokerage and banking
business in Boston The junior partner had
died. The senior had gone blind. The son
Of the senior partner was bookkeeper. II
he could get the right msn to 20 In with him
he would like b carry on the business.
Weeks friend suggested him. he was Of
fered the partnership. he took II.
He knew nothing at al about banking.
When his father was . mature man he was
made probate judge Of Lancaster. e!knew
no law, was farmer. But he made very
satisfactory probate Judge. His stock In
trade was common sense. Weeks applied the
same thing to banking. His theory 10 that
1t Is equal to any situation. This firm then
had one clerk. Now It has three or four
hundred. The management Of certain estates
came to this embryonic banker. He applied
common sense and Il seemed to serve.
Financial institutions began to ask his ad-
vice. In the end the farmer boy with a
naval training came to be regarded a. a
doctor Of sick banks. The Oldest financial
institution in New England found itself In
q close place. He took hold Of it and It came
back to prosperity, has developed into the
largest bank in the. whole region. Thus did
John W.. Weeks come into the financial
world. he disclaims having gone out and
conquered that world. He had made little
effort. Every opportunity had come to him.
he had merely seen the plain, common sense
thing ahead Of him and had done it. This
is his own view Of how he attained success.
All this time he was living in Newton,
Mass. Finally his neighbors came to him
and said that it was his turn to serve on
the board Of aldermen. The plan was to
inaugurate an efficient business administra.
ton Of the affairs of the town. Here araiu
was new task for which he had received
no training, but he approached Il with the
same open mind and applied common sense.
Two years later the mayorship came to him
In the same way.
In 1904 there was an opening for . new
man to 20 to Congress from this district
Weeks did not care to 20 to Congress. he
was doing well and living happily. he
would never have sought the post. His entry
into politics was not the entry of an ambi.
hous man. Like every other piec. Of vo,t
In his career, the suggestion that hs b.con.
candidate for this Office came To him nm
sought.
He served eight years In the Ho1,s .,
Representatives. Speaker Cannon put him
at the head Of the postofice committ..
jumping him over many other members n.
studied the complicated problems Of that Az.
partment and wrote its appropriation r,...
sure In such way that It venr th,on..
House and Senate virtually without .m.nd-
ment. That accomplishment BROUGHT ,h;,,
much other hard work to do.
Edwin DENLY was In the Hou.. .. A..
same time. He and Weeks w.r. t.,,s".
members on q COMMITTEES that sttrsct,J
great deal Of attention late in the Roo..v.,t
administration. 1t will be rememh.rss ,h.t
= Mr.. Roosevelt asked for an appronr;.t,on
to increase the size of the secret servi..
Congress refused him the money. He tb.r..
upon declared in his picturesque vav th.,
Congress had thus acted because it wa.
afraid this secret service would ascert.;,