"It was the rule of his life to study not how little he could do, but
how much."
These words were spoken of a great publisher and might have been made
the text of the volume issued to commemorate the centenary of the
business house founded by the man of whom they were spoken.
The young man was sixteen when his father drove him from their country
home to the city, and apprenticed him to a firm of printers.
As an apprentice he and another young man were frequently partners in
working an old-fashioned hand press. "One applied the ink with
hand-balls, and the other laid on sheets and did the pulling. They
changed work at regular intervals, one inking and the other pulling."
The biographer who gives this description of the work of the two, adds
that his hero was accustomed to remain at his press after the other men
had quit work whenever he could secure a partner to assist him.
The young man's fellow worker was often persuaded to assist him in these
extra efforts--usually much against his will. While he often felt like
rebelling because of his partner's ambition to do his utmost for his
employers, he could not restrain his admiration for the man's industry.
Once the unwilling partner said: "Often, after a good day's work, he
would say to me, 'Let's break the back of another token (two hundred and
fifty impressions)--just break its back.' I would often consent
reluctantly but he would beguile me, or laugh at my complaints, and
never let me off till the token was completed, fair and square. It was a
custom for us in the summer to do a clear half-day's work before the
other boys and men got their breakfast. We would meet by appointment in
the grey of the early morning and go down to the printing-room."
Fellow workmen made sport of the ambitious young man, not only because
of what they felt was his excessive industry, but because of his
homespun clothes and heavy cow-hide boots. He seldom retorted, but once,
when jests had gone further than usual, he said to a tormentor: "When I
am out of my time and set up for myself, and you need employment, as you
probably will, come to me and I will give you work." The man little
thought the prophecy would be fulfilled, but forty years after, when the
industrious apprentice was mayor of the city and one of the world's
leading publishers, he was reminded of the promise made to the
tormentor, and the promised position was given to him. The workman who
believed in doing more than was expected of him had won his way to fame
and fortune, while his derider had made no progress.
In 1817 the industrious apprentice asked a brother--who in the meantime
had served his apprenticeship in a printing office--to go into business
with him. Later two other brothers were taken into the firm. All were
believers in the doctrine that had led the oldest member of the firm to
success--the doctrine of doing as much instead of as little as possible.
Their readiness to work constantly enabled the four brothers, who
started with little capital except their knowledge of their trade, to
build up within a generation one of the world's greatest publishing
houses. They improved every moment. But they were never tempted to work
on Sunday; business was never so pressing that they would break into the
day of rest, or make their men do so. In this they were only living in
accordance with purposes formed during their days of working for others.
It is stated of one of the brothers, whose employer rejoiced in his
readiness to do hard work and plenty of it, that he was expected to work
on Sunday, in order to get ready the catalogue of an auction sale which
was to be held next day. "That I will not do," he said, respectfully but
firmly: "I cannot work on Sunday." He did work till midnight; then--in
spite of the threat that he would be discharged--he laid down his
composing stick on the case. On Monday morning his employer apologized
and asked him to return to work.
Thirty-six years after the founding of the house, it occupied five
five-story buildings on one street and six on another street. Then a
careless plumber started a fire that--within a few hours--destroyed the
entire property. But the energetic men who knew how to work were not
discouraged at the thought of beginning again. The night after the fire
they met for conference. As they separated one of them remarked that the
evening had seemed more like a time of social festivity than a
consultation over a great calamity.
Business associates hastened to make offers of loans. Within forty-eight
hours the firm was tendered more than one hundred thousand dollars.
Publishers offered their presses, printing material and office room.
Authors wrote that they were ready to wait indefinitely for pay, while
employees not only made a like suggestion, but said they were willing to
have their pay reduced. While none of these offers were accepted, they
were greatly appreciated, for they told of the place the brothers had
won for themselves by untiring industry and sterling integrity.
After the fire the house became greater than ever, so that to-day it
stands as an example of what "hard work coupled with high ideals" may
accomplish. And to every young man the thought of it gives inspiration
to follow in the steps of the founder who "made it the rule of his life
to study not how little he could do, but how much."
V