Newspaper Page Text
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1907.
STORIES AND ANECDOTES
OF INTEREST TO LITTLE MEN
FOR L17TLE MEN
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
When Some Rich
Men Were Boys
It was Marshall O. Roberts, who. ac
cording to Spare Moments, originated
the'ldea of giving his store on air of
prosperity by tilling his.counters with
"the appearance of goods, when he could
not afford the actual stock. __
In 1835 young Roberts had managed
- to scrape together a few hundred dol
lars, the result of many years close
saving, though he was only 21 at the
time. He had decided to try his hand
at the hardware and shipping supply
business.
The Unit thing was to find a suitable
building In a suitable location. But the
two requirements could not be found
together, so he was finally compelled to
take a large building, In which his small
stock of goods seemed completely lost.
After arranging his shelves In every
passible way to make them appear to
good advantage, he gave up In disgust.
"They look like so many samples,” he
complained, and, It Is said, Immediately
went out and ordered a load of bricks
sent to the store.
These he took one by. one and neatly
wrapped, tying a sample of a nail or a
screw or a rivet to the end that would
be visible. The bricks were about the
else of many of his boxes, and when
the shelves were filled with them, his
store appeared to be exceedingly well
stocked. Naturally customers were
drawn to the firm that kept the largest
stock.
According to the same authority, Le-
land Stanford’s first earnings were the
' result of digging horke radish, washing
It. and carrying It to the nearest town.
He received, ns his share of the enter
prise, 25 cents. He was then 6 years
old. In his eighth year he worked hard
gathering chestnuts, which he sold for
*25. •
During successive years he tolled on
the farm In .the summer and attended
school In the winter, all the time
dreaming of a college education and
later of becoming a lawyer. When lie
was 15 there was no money In sight for
the carrying out of his cherished plans
and the outlook, to say the least, was
not encouraging. Consequently
hailed with delight his father's offer to
allow him the profits from clearing a
tract of woodland recently purchased.
He was to have all he could make sell
ing cordwood.
He went at It with xest, hiring other
woodchoppera to help him, and before
a-year of the hardest kind of toll had
ended he hud chopped and shipped
more than two thousand cords of wood
and had In the bank 22,600. He did nit
lose sight of his purpose, but used the
money to finish his common school ed
ucation and then at a law school.
When Charles Tiffany, on *1,000 cap!
tnl borrowed from his father, cstab'
llahed a store dealing in ornaments and
fine work In gold and silver, right on
the heels of the great panic of 1837, he
showed an understanding of human
nature that Indicated an original mind
ns well as an Independent one.. His
success was almost Instantaneous,
appealed to a side of human desire that
had been Ignored and the response was
heavy and continuous.
His use of the first great Atlantic
cable Illustrates his shrewd business
sense. Hardly had the attempt to lay
the cable proved a failure before he
bought all the unused wire, had It cut
up Into different shapes and slips, at
tractively mounted and offered for sale
as souvenirs. They sold Jlke hot cakes
and netted him a handsome sum.
QUENTIN ROOSEVELT.
Master Quentin Roosevelt, who )s
notable as a wit among the small boys
who are his classmates, was the star
performer at the pupil recital given
Saturday afternoon by Miss Marie Q.
Young. Master Quentin, who has more
patience than the average small boy,
Is said to play with much feeling and
expression.
On Saturday he was down for three
piano numbers—Swift's "The Tired
Child," Dutton's "Christmas Day Se
crets,” and Neldllnger’s “March of
Fairy Palace Cluard"—and acquitted
himself with distinction. Among oth
ers on the Interesting program were
Miss Agnes Trowbridge, Bradley Da
vidson, Miss Mildred Bacon, Miss
Margaret Wilson, Miss Marlon Stone,
Miss Dorothy Hayden, Miss Elizabeth
Armes, Miss De bo rail Excl and Miss
Katharine l’oole.
The Inauguration of a department In The Georgian for llttlfe men and
little women is In accord with the policy of this up-to-date paper, which
believes that upon the children of the country depends In a large measure
the future success and glory of the republic. Whatever uplifts childhood,'
whatever creates an Ideal In the minds of children worthy of emulation
and of development, has made the Community and the country at large Its
debtor for the service rendered. The Georgian believes In children, has
faith In them, loves them and Is always In sympathy with their pleasures
and their sorrows. Therefore, this department has been Inaugurated and
It is desired that every child in Georgia and In the South shall feel that
these especial columns are to be devoted to their Individual entertain
ment anil gratification. .Boys anil girls are Invited to write .short note's
to tbls department upon any subject of Interest to them, and also to con
tribute brief stories from time to time relating to their home life, to
their school experiences and to their sports and games.
The Georgian greets, the c hildren of the South through this depart
ment to he devoted to little men and little women, and begs them to feel
that they have a personal Interest In this big reaper, which was not com
plete without'a certain portion to be henceforth devoted to the pleasure
df the boys and girls of the South. - PETER PAN.
BOY REPRESENTS
. TWO BIG FORTUNES
JAMES HENRY VAN ALEN.
In the youngster whose picture
Is here presented Is united two of
New York's fortunes. He Is James
Van Alen, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.
Lawrence. Van Alen, and he has
started with his parents from Pau,
France, for Newport. His mother
was a member of the Aator family.
TALKS WITH NATURE.
“I think you're quite funny,” I said
To the river, "for while you’ve a bed,
You’re awake night and day
And run on, yet you stay.
And your mouth Is so far from your
head."
I sold to the hill: "lit allow
You have a moat wonderful brow,
But you've such a big foot
That you never can put
On a shoe of the style they use now.”
I said to the tree: "You are queer.
Your trunk Is all packed, but I fear
You can't leave until spring,
When—a curious thing—
You must still remain standing right
here.”
To a green red blackberry I said:
'I know you ore green when you're
red,
■ And you're red when you're green,
-But to say what I mean
Is enough to befuddle one's head.”
—St. Nicholas.
THE BILLY GOAT WAGON.
When the billy goat wagon comes along
In the good, warm, sunshine weather.
With a queer little steed with a long,
white beard.
In a tangle of gilt and leather;
The driver twitches his little clown's
cap.
And the little toy whip goes snap
ping;
And the grim steed winks, like he said,
"Ah, ha;
Some day 1 shall catch you napping."
And away down there at the end of tho
street.
Where the roses are all In a tumble.
A woman turns from the window pane,
And tho wagon's telltale rumble;
And another wagon seems to come
Again past the house at the corner;
And the driver-shouts to the woman
there,
"Good-bye, I'm the little Jack Hor
ner."
He tips his little clown's cap and calls,
• "A very great boy am I. O;
For I'll carry your list to the grocery
man
And then you will make me a pie, O."
When the billy goat wagon comes along
In the good, warm sunshine weather.
With a queer little steed, with a long,
white beard.
In a tangle of gilt aiid leather;
And the driver crackles his little toy
whip
Post the house down there at the
corner,
A woman turns to a little green grave.
And sobs for the little Jack Horner.
—WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE.
Quite a Youngster.
From Harper’s Weekly.
Heffelllnger, the famous "guard'
Yale In the '90’s, now a prosperous
business man of the West, recently
told a story of a countryman who,
with his wife, had come down to New
Haven to see the "footballers.”
The rural one had walked around the
stalwart Heffelllnger with an air of
critical curiosity, much as he might
have surveyed-a horse he was about-to
purchase.
"Sary!” he called to his wife.
"What Is It?"
"This feller's nigh on to seven feet,
ain’t he?”
Almost, Zacharlah."
Weighs 'bout two hundred and
twenty, don’t he?”
"I reckon he does.”
"Well, well, well!” ejaculated the
countryman, "U do beat all how foot
ball do develop 'em!”
"He certainly Is a line young man!”
said the wife.
"Man!" observed the countryman,
'•Sary, one of them professors told me
hlsself that this feller'* In his fourth
year! I wonder what they feed ’em
on!”
DIDN’T ’MEMBER.
Mamma says for you to please tell
when It Is 4 o'clock, for she says I
must come home then," said our
neighbor’s wee daughter, when she
come over to play with our children
one afternoon. When the time come,
I reminded her of what her mother
had said. “Oh, mamma said if I 'mem-
bered, but I don’t ’member,” said the
child, and kept on playing.—Chicago
Tribune.
Sorry She Spoke.
Miss Mlnny Somers—By the by, you
are not the boy I have always had be
fore?
Caddie—No’m, you see wo tossed to
see who'd caddie for you."
Miss Mlnny Somers (awfully pleas
ed)—Oh! tut, tut, you bad boys—and
you won?
Caddie—No; I lorstl—The Tattler.
Ninety per cent of our, schoolboys,
says The Westminster Review, are be
ing educated to present a flawless
smoothness of mental surface; very
soon they will show on equally monot
onous sameness of physical build. Now
what Is the outcome of all this undue
constraint on a lad's character? There
Is reason to suppose that Its effect Is
one of compression on the mind; as
regards Its result on the disposition.
It is necessary to speak with caution.
It Is perhaps Impossible accurately to
sum up the average characteristics of
the average product of our athletic
school system, but, broadly speaking,
such a bny may be described as an
incarnate hurricane; for his existence
Is a continuous banging about, he Is
naturally Impatient, with everything
out of keeping with his own robust
being, Is Intolerant of anything purely
literary or artistic, treats with con
tempt (thanks to the precept nnd ex
ample of his directors) all "non-sports
men,” and, when he lias reached sixth
form status, confines Ills literary stud
ies out of school hours to certain gaudy
weeklies and one or two "muscular”
monthlies. He has a fluent command
of language which Is not English. Is apt
to be rough In manner, nnd Is by no
means free from what the moralists
call viciousness.
On the other hand, he Is not without
some good qualities—notably a'certain
bluff straightforward fleas arising In
part from his steady obedience to the
sporting maxim of "fair play” nnd In
part from his usual want of mental
depth; he shows In his quieter mo
ments a patronizing consideration for ’
his weaker brethren, nnd now and then
there peep out traits of character
which tell us that, given a happier
training, he might not have made his
life Incessantly rotate round a center
of muscle unaffected by other and
worthier renters.
In fact, there 1s every sign that many
of our boys are degenerating Into an
unintelligent animalism.
Persian Wit
Most of us will probably never forget
the amazement with which we first ob
served a negro extricate himself from
some difficulty, but for agility In this
respect he Is cosily surpassed by the
Persian. Whether the following inci
dent ever occurred or not, I do not
"know, but the fact that It Is commonly
told by the Persian people shows that
It Is a typical Persian story.
A certain Persian king who thought
that his prime minister was becoming
too popular, determined to have him
put to death, and to do It, moreover. In •
a thoroughly Persian manner. Accord
ingly the king sent for the minister,
and after the usual courtesies had been
exchanged, said: "I hear that you have
Just built a large house." "The house
Is yours.” responded the minister. "And
I am told that your stables are full of
Arab horses,” pursued the king. "My
stables and all that they contain be
long to my sovereign,” said the man,
smiling, to hide his consternation.
“That’s a fine ring you are wearing.”
“It Is a gift to your majesty,” said the
minister, presenting it to the king.”
"And you have a beautiful robe,” con
tinued the shah. "It Is beautiful only in
having found favor In the eyes of the
king of kings,” said the man, ob he
divested himself of the garment and
laid It at the king's feet
"That’s a magnificent head you have
on your shoulders,” said the king, slg-
nlflcantly. "Yes," responded the min
ister quickly, 'it belongs to God."
A modern Instance of the quickness
of Persian wit was told mo by a mis
sionary physician of Teheran. What
ever the estimate In which the mis-
slonary who deals with the soul or
with the mind may be held, the mis-
slonary who deals with the body Is al
ways regarded with respect not un-
mlngtcd with awe. To him Is given
tho title of "The Wise Man.”
One day Dr. was passing the
houso of a wealthy Persian. Several
servants sat at the gate. With one
exception they all knew the doctor, and,
rising, saluted him with great respect
The stranger mode some Insulting re
mark about the "frangl” and spat at
tho foreigner. Dr. Instantly
stopped, and ordered that the young
man bo brought to him. Two of tho
servants, seizing their companion by
the shoulders, hurried him forward, and
when they reached the doctor's car
riage one of them said: ”Oh, Chief of
the Wise Men, this boy Is an Idiot
whom our master has brought here
from a distant province, thinking that
you alone have tho skill to cure him.”