The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-29
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How Became q Successful business Mar
IA graphic story Of opportunity as
seen and grasped in America by Gregg
Gingercookie, who at the age of 80
finds himself financially INDEPENDENT.
Il was born of poor but honest parents
My father was a complete bust :
de wasted all his time striving diligently
to earn living by hard work and steadfast
devotion to the task in hand Nothing that
mother and the children could say to the
old beezer could dissuade him from taking
his business seriously.
/ Time and again we tried to get him to
subscribe to all the magazines and news
papers SO he could win some of the prizes
offered in the various publicity contests, but,
having no sense, he refused to pay any atten-
ton to such things, insisting that Success
Comes Only Through Hard Work, the Ladder
of Success Must Be Climbed One Round at
Time, and similar twaddle. 1t used to
sicken me to see the old goat devoting all
his time to regular business.
Finally he passed out, leaving a sturdy
business builded through years of attention,
and a substantial estate of which my share
was 100000. He directed that take over
the business and carry on.
But was made of sterner stuff A mere
100000 was nothing to me. / wanted to
amass real fortune! wanted real sue
cess! q
What are you going to do, Gregory? ?" my
mother asked me. -N. -
"Do?" l asked. pointing to pile Of news
papers and periodicals. Look at this !:
here's 100000 offered to the man who sug-
gests the best name for a national weekly !
And observe on the opposite page an offer
of $4,000 in prizes for the best essay on
new brand of tea! Turning to the next page
call your attention to the offer by a noted
philanthropist of 100000 for a plan to end
war; just below it you will observe an offer
of big cash award for suitable name to
describe violators of the prohibition amend
offer for name to hurl at people. who don't
violate the prohibition amendment"
But your fathers business - she pleaded.
Mother" 1 replied, drawing myself to
my full height flour feet nine inches, avordu.
pois), Il cannot be piker! Your son is des-
tined to do great things"
And putting the magazines and papers on
my head and carrying my hat under my
arms l went forth to seek my fortune.
| Well, it was not SO easy. lost the prize
offered for the best slogan for a brand OF
washing powder and only got third prize
-$25, 000-for a suitable name for a cough
drop. The first prize went to a man in
Wappinger Falls He suggested Kant
Bend" l don't know what the devil name
| like that had to do with cough drop, but
these contests are funny things. However
l was not discouraged merely because I had
won only $4,000 in my first two attempts
at heavy thinking and then l won second
prize-$45, O00-for a suitable name for folks
who handle an all-hot at a baseball game
in such way that the mustard is projected
onto the Palm Beach suits of innocent by
| ISLANDERS. My suggestion was "Whiffet-
Whuffit." Very clever l thought, without
meaning much of anything. The prize-win-
ming name was America which the judges
all of whom were drunk at the time, thought
very descriptive.
Nothing could discourage me. next en-
tered contest for a plan to end war
| won this rather cleverly, thought. I took
cook book to a friend Of mine and had him
make a chapter headings upside down. The
committee couldn't make anything of it and
gave me the first prize of 100000,
Two weeks later l entered a contest for
name for a national magazine. The edi-
tors announced the magazine was to be
graphic, snappy, colorful and interesting to
all classes of people. What they wanted
was a name to embody all these points. That
was a cinch. 1 thought up name in five
minutes 1t swept the judges off their feet
and l was awarded the prize unanimously.
The name l submitted was Vanilla" The
man who won second prize-$50, 000-had a
good title, too. 1t was Positively No
Smoking" Third prize of $4,000 went to
suggestion almost as appealing as mine,
1t was Faith, Hope and Charity" ~
| Well, one thing led to another and inside
of eighteen months 1 was worth a cool mil
lion. My mother is very proud of me and
so am /.
My advice to the young man of today is
Follow the Prize Contests and Don't Let
| Your Work Interfere With Your Career