Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-04

asked the batterymakcr cautiously.
one hundred and Atty thousand
;hc first year came the astonishing
answer.
Bccnmc Nicc-Prcsidcnt.
And when the first year rolled
| away. not only had 10000 batteries
been sold. but Frank Anstcd had be-
come vice president and sales man
ascr OF tho Indiana Lamp Company
1T was becoming more and more
| evident that Frank Anstcd was n
! salesman of rare skill. Most OF the
cars disposed of by his company
now known as the Inland Motor
sales Corporation--wcre sold by him.
lie told me with n measure of pardon
able pride that he and his youthful
associates had. the first year, sold
more small cars OF "a certain make i'm
FaNettc County than their successors
had sold ever since.
In the meantime, the Lexington
factory had moved. as MIR. Ansted
| SAID. bag. stick and baggage To
ConncrSvillc. For while tho com
pany prospcrcd. Then sales and n
nancinE difficulties arose. and the
creditors were called in. Forsaking
Tor the time his role as president OF
me Inland Motor Sales Cooperation
and vicc-prcsidcnt OF the Indiana
Lamp Company. c6-year-old Frank
Ansted became financier again to hclp
out his fathers bank.
Here the story can stand n slight
~ dramatic :ouch. Mr.. .>nsted. Sr.-
stiil the biggest man in town-callcd
in his son. My hoy he said. sur
'cyinE his son with his shrcwd old
eyes. you had better take charge.
You go in as my first vice president.
DO anything YOU want. You're the
boss. Get us some results
First Act WINS Bom...hcn.
His first official act was "A bomb
shell He cancelled 900 of the 900
cars then under production order.
II was u good model. he cxp,ainco
."!nes;ly well engineered and we'll
hniit. hnt II was too bulky The
trena mad been moving steadily to-
ward smaller. lighter, less expensive
jobs.
by the time the 100 uncanceIIcd
cars came through. we had designed
Il iiShter model in keeping with Tho
huNihr tastes Of the public. We bc
gan with thirty. The thirty became
sixty. then l6o-and we ended tho
year having built AMI sold aSl cnrs.
NAT was in 1915. Last year We came
W',h'n an acc of hitting 5000, Not
bad oh? From 3Sl-with a connie
OF years Of war holding us back?
mad been eager to ask ono
Gucstion-and I asked II c,sm,,,,.
'hat nc would not consider il as i'm
nortant as did: Have YOU eyer
wondered how much Of Your success
mas hccn due to your fathers wealth
ana the opportunities ii supplicdy
ny yes. he replied. with frank /
'houEh'thlneSS. I've thought about
mat often Being the son Of a rich man
can DC either great help or n tor
,.".r Understanding on tho son.
~ the Young man has got n decent |
snare OF common sense and il he's
got n decent share Of ambition ana |
II ne likes to work for the fun or |
WORKING, then he can put the opnor |
tunitics OF birth to wonderful use
And II he's got n wishhonc ins,c,d |
Of a backbone. if he's content to spcnd |
what his father earned. IL he likes |
ms or'Sht lights somewhere else |
than over his desk. thcn-wcll Won
know what happens
"Hut in your case. I persisted. how
much of your success do YOU at
trlhutc 10 the opportunities Of birth
Would you have been successful II
you had started from scratch?
Tic though few minutes biIlow-
ing out clouds OF smoke! Well no
hnaily said, with an embarrassed
laugh. have TO admit that II | had
started from scratch I wouldn't nor
haps. be as far ahead as am nov
l'ut | do know-hcrc he swung to
ms 'cct-that l would have gotten
here some day. tell you, he con
tinucd' pacing tho rich carpet which
covered the floor. ! am not so suro