San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-16
OSCAR herman, OF CINCIN-
Natl, OHIO

Oscar Berman vas a travelling sales
man for neckwear concern, but some
how wasn't satisfied with neckties.
Oozing away precious time on local
railroad trains and loafing around
depots and hotel lobbies struck him as
wasteful-time coulG ne Ter be re-
covered. OF course it wasn't so bad
as stepping stone, but for life-Ber-
man demanded a bigger part in this
hectic game of getting there.
Down in Cincinnati some other men
had started little factory. In fact
it made so many kinds of wearabes,
but so few of each particular kind
that its energies were dissipated and
its cash sieved itself away. Its sew
ing machines were getting rusty and
its old gas engine asthmctic.
Rather curious that Oscar Berman.
neckwear salesman, should invest some
of his difficult necktie savings in such
sad and pessimistic business. To
understand the functionings of mems
cerebral anatomy you must go rather
deeply into this complex thing we call
human nature. Oscar Berman had
an idea. which to be of any avail had
to be tied up definitely TO something
Notwithstanding he could get his
hands upon. And that things was the
little Cincinnati factory. Meanwhile
he fept grip on his necktie job ;
until he could carry out his plans for
getting more ready cash, he must stick
TO necktieS.
Bermans idea wasn't much from
the standpoint of those who knew
about it at the time. To them. it
looked exceedingly tr,te and foolish.
His inspiration. expressed in n single
word, was overalls.
He didn't care one iota about pants.
underwear, ct cetera; his mental
orbs were focused intently on overalls
alone. He had seen enough of scat
tered energy, and nov. he meant to
concentrate. Perhaps here indeed is
a thought worth contemplation.
So deeply did Berman think that
soon he produced, mtrely as a sample,
n pair of overalls different from most
such commonplace proletariat gar
ments. In his sample case he put this
pair of biped coverings, and as he
dropped in on dealers along his route
he took out the sample and displayed
it proudly.
Concentration surely does some
marvellous things, and Berman began
TO write orders for overalls. Back
in Cincinnati the little factory perked
up its weary head. Lose in charge
f.... f,.le h.,
machines.
1t wasn't long before Oscar Ber-
man got telegram from Cincinnati
not TO take any more orders--the
plant had enough to keep it busy for
the rest of the year.
Back to Cincinnati Berman went.
To make the story short, he quit his
neckwear job, liquidated the little man.
ufacturing business, took over its as
sets-amounting TO come two thou.
sand dollars-and established his own
concern TO make overalls-only over
alls. Not lOng afterwards he took in
a partner-afterward bought out
who invested two thousands dollars
and loaned the new firm three thou
sand. Mr.. Berman relates that the
first years profits were only S1O7.
"A brief career was predicted for
the two enterprising youths" he says.
Pretty much the same thing is
prophesied for almost every man ven
turing into a bigger arena.
Selling neckties on the road might
easily have been Oscar Berman's
career. Today his business fills an
entire five-story block in Cincinnati.
l need not mention the name of his
concern: l am not exploiting business
undertakings, but merely relating true
and human stories Of mems aiventur-
ing into paths that lead up the noun
tain of achievement.