How They Succeeded
"I had but few books, scarcely any to speak of. There was not much time for literature. Such books as we had, I made use of.
"I had a leaning toward business, and took up with it as early as possible. I was naturally of a saving disposition: I had to be. Those were saving times. A dollar looked very big to us boys in those days; and as we had difficult labor in earning it, we did not quickly spend it. I however,
determined not to remain poor."
"Did you attend both school and college?"
"I attended the common and high schools at home, but not long. I had no college training. Indeed, I cannot say that I had much of any public school education. I left home when seventeen years of age, and of course had not time to study closely.
"My first venture in trade was made as clerk in a country store at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where everything was sold, including dry-goods. There I remained for four years, and picked up my first knowledge of business. I
saved my earnings and attended strictly to business,
and so made those four years valuable to me.
