But not one of them will do. Three nights ago all of them
happened to meet in Chicago. While there all of them went out to have
what they called 'a good time' together--drinking, etc.
"That, in itself, is enough to blacklist every man for the position of
my assistant and my successor. This road will not entrust its
operating management to a man who wilfully makes himself less than his
best every day and every night. Besides this, each of them has some
defect. One is brilliant, but not steady; another is steady, but not
resourceful--not inventive--and so forth and so on. We are looking all
over the United States for the young man who has the ability,
character, health, and habits which my assistant must have."
This general superintendent, under whose orders more than ten thousand
men daily performed their complex and delicately adjusted functions,
is fifty-five years of age. Now listen to this, you who cannot go to
college: This man started thirty-eight years ago as a freight-handler
in Chicago at one dollar per day for this same railroad company, which
was then a comparatively small and obscure line. Ah! but you say,
"That was thirty-eight years ago." Yes, and that is the trouble with
you, is it not? You want to _start in_ as superintendent of a great
system or the head of a mighty business, do you not? Very well--get
that out of your head.
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