The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-14
OVERALL JOBS LEAD. TO THE TOP
This Is Conclusion Of Writer, Who Cites Many Instances To Prove Claim
By 8. c. FORBES

IN THE SOUTH, March 13.-From pen to pick.
 That was the switch made by the youthful A. H. Smith, buried Tuesday with signal honors.
 And it was that switch which led to his becoming president of the vast New York Central railroad lines. Have others of our notable leaders owed their success to having turned from collar and-cuff positions to rough and-tumble work?
 The records reply, Yes"
 First, take A. H. Smiths own case. He was clerk in a railway office and one day he said to himself, :If I want To learn railroading, the place to learn is out on the road, where the real work is done"
 He descended from his high stool and Joined gang of common railway la Porers. The foreman suspected that the Boft-fingered youth had been sent to decided to ride him to death." He vas put on one end of a cross-cut and he giant at the other end did every hing he could to pull young Smiths arm out of the socket.
 MT. Smith once told me that it took
  possessed to wrestle with the hazing he was subjected to, especially as his muscles. after several years of office york, had become flabby. But he buck. Before long he became in fact he foreman's favorite by doing all the Flerical work for the foreman after hours. MT. Smiths muscles bye and bye be- lame hard enough. He became, in fact, powerful boxer, among other things. While he was directing the eastern |ailroads during the war, a strike of ongshoremen broke out and Smith was ummoned to a meeting down at the Tater front one evening. Down he went h evening clothes.
 One husky longshoreman, early in the Proceedings, snarled something which Implied that Smith was not telling the ruth. Smith gave the fellow one min te to swallow his words, or, he an- ounced to the astonished' longshore- han, "1'll come round and pitch you Through the window" .sSg
 The longshoreman, seeing that Smith leant business, backed down.
 Many well-to-do men of affairs now trongly favor technical engineering ducation for their sons. The Massa- husetts Institute of Technology, the eorgia Tech and other such like insti- ltions that turn out practically edu- hted engineers are overwhelmed with publications for admission. The rec rds made by graduates of technical olleges have been and are most i'm ressive.
 Other men who did not receive tech ical training and who started at col ar-and-cuff jobs saw the wisdom of etting into grips with actualities hther than confining themselves to he ria orkaday operations.
 Gerard Swope, now president of Gen. ral Electric, chose an overall job hen he graduated from the Boston ech and later gave up office work go back to more practical activities. z Harry E. Thayer, president of the merican Telephone company, was ractically paid to do only office work, ith Western Electric at Chicago. But b seized every opportunity, and made any opportunities, to get into the fac pry, and to learn how to do things ith his hands. Although he owned a Pllege diploma he wasn't afraid of soil hg his fingers. He saw that that way the greatest progress.
 Charles E. Mitchell, president of the ational City bank of New York, went through almost exactly the same ex- erience with an electric concern, and was his practical knowledge that at- ] acted the first invitation he received
 enter the financial field in New ork.
 Charles B. Seger, president Of the nited States Rubber company, was an lpert accountant on the Hartman lilroads, when he decided that he buld rise farther if he went out into nd tn affic and trains. He later became one
 Harriman's right-hand, highest paid secutives. Thomas E. Wilson, the packer, was iginally a railroad clerk in Chicago. e moved to the stock yards because ' ere seemed to be "lots doing there,"
 quote his words to me. He was sup Psed to be clerk, but he was oftener
 be found putting his shoulder to the heel out in the cattle pens.
 The man recently selected as presi- { Pnt of the mammoth General Motors | brporation, Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., was B. s. of the Massachusetts Institute
 Technology. But, although the first bsition was that of draughtsman, he lickly began to nose around the fac ry, that of the Hyatt Roller Bearing Pmpany, and before long he was made neral manager.
 MT. Sloan said the other day he bubted whether he could swing his esent job had he not a technical Eugene G. Grace is another college an who did not deign to tackle hard anual work in a steel plant, Bethle- m Steel, of which he Is now presi- mt. There is a growing idea that ung men are likely to get farthest if ey early jump into the middle of ings, into grime and dirt, into work at strengthens muscles and draws Teat, at,-(Copyright. 1924, by B. c. 1rbes