Famous Givers and Their GiftsBolton, Sarah Knowles
History
Famous Givers and Their Gifts
Bolton, Sarah Knowles
Philanthropists
"The condition precedent for promotion is that the man must first
attract notice. He must do something unusual, and especially must this
be beyond the strict boundary of his duties. He must suggest, or save,
or perform some service for his employer which he could not be censured
for not having done. When he has thus attracted the notice of his
immediate superior, whether that be only the foreman of a gang, it
matters not; the first great step has been taken, for upon his immediate
superior promotion depends. How high he climbs is his own affair."
Carnegie "kept his eyes and ears open." In his "Triumphant Democracy" he
relates the following incident: "Well do I remember that, when a clerk
in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, a tall, spare,
farmer-looking kind of man came to me once when I was sitting on the end
seat of the rear car looking over the line. He said he had been told by
the conductor that I was connected with the railway company, and he
wished me to look at an invention he had made. With that he drew from a
green bag (as if it were for lawyers' briefs) a small model of a
sleeping-berth for railway cars. He had not spoken a minute before, like
a flash, the whole range of the discovery burst upon me. 'Yes,' I said,
'that is something which this continent must have.' I promised to
address him upon the subject as soon as I had talked over the matter
with my superior, Thomas A. Scott.
"I could not get that blessed sleeping-car out of my head. Upon my
return I laid it before Mr. Scott, declaring that it was one of the
inventions of the age. He remarked, 'You are enthusiastic, young man;
but you may ask the inventor to come and let me see it.' I did so; and
arrangements were made to build two trial cars, and run them on the
Pennsylvania Railroad. I was offered an interest in the venture, which,
of course, I gladly accepted. Payments were to be made ten per cent per
month after the cars were delivered, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
guaranteeing to the builders that the cars should be kept upon its line
and under its control.
"This was all very satisfactory until the notice came that my share of
the first payment was $217.50. How well I remember the exact sum; but
two hundred and seventeen dollars and a half were as far beyond my means
as if it had been millions. I was earning fifty dollars per month,
however, and had prospects, or at least I always felt that I had. What
was to be done? I decided to call on the local banker, Mr. Lloyd, state
the case, and boldly ask him to advance the sum upon my interest in the
affair. He put his hand on my shoulder, and said, 'Why, of course,
Andie, you are all right. Go ahead. Here is the money.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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