HARDWOOD RECORD 



IQ 



Strode's Stuff. 



Collection Agencies. 



About half the signs in the town of Edin- 

 burg, In.l., bear the name of "Maley." The 

 balance have the name of '"Thompson," 

 meaning John R. Thompson, of May, Thomp- 

 son & Thayer, of Evansville. 



Some time ago it was passed from month 

 to month in Edinburg that Henry Male}- was 

 furnishing the money to conduct a tailor 

 shop. It was the golden age of Edinburg's 

 prosperity, and everybody wore good clothes. 

 The stranger, even though he were a waj - 

 fining man, could not fail to note that the 

 whole town was well dressed. Even the 

 boys on the streets wore tailormade clothes. 

 It was remarked on all sides what a good 

 thing the tailor shop was. People even 

 came from Indianapolis and patronized the 

 tailor, who was in a fair way to attain a 

 national reputation, when Henry shut off 

 supplies and the tailor busted. Brit Henry 

 has the accounts to collect. 



Since then he has been experimenting with 

 collection agencies and gives it as his opin- 

 ion that, taken as they run, collection agen- 

 cies are not reliable. One offered, through 

 its agent, to collect a certain amount for a 

 commission of $50.00. They did not want 

 any money down. They were content, they 

 said, to take their pay from the first $50.00 

 collected. Then they collected $50.00 from 

 among the best of the accounts, and quit. 

 As they insisted on keeping that $50.00 as 

 their pay, the scheme was not successful. 



When 1 was in Edinburg I was pleased 

 to note that a young man from Chicago was 

 there and was evidently working for a good 

 agency. I know he was, for he said so him- 

 s. If. Nothing could exceed the scorn with 

 which he spoke of the base competitor who 

 had collected that $50.00. He wanted a 

 chance at those accounts, not so much for 

 the money that he could make out of them, 

 but to demonstrate to the people of Edin- 

 burg that his concern was a high-class, ex- 

 traordinarily good concern. He wanted to 

 demonstrate once and for all time that his 

 agency was "it." He wanted to establish 

 a reputation on those accounts that would 

 _m. iiiiyini; and reverberating down the turn- 

 pike of the ages, that the people of Edin- 

 burg would meet on the street corner and 

 discuss with bated breath, which would, in 

 fact, be the talk of the entire county. His 

 company, of course, hail certain business 

 forms that had to be complied with. They 

 charged a certain cemmission as a mere 

 matter of form; but what the young man 

 wanted was an opportunity to demonstrate 

 the integrity of his firm. That was what I 

 liked in his position. He seemed to have 

 a hearty contempt for the money that 

 might be made. What he yearned for was 

 undying fame. I was surprised to notice 

 thai Uncle Henry treated him rather coldly. 

 "I tell you, young man," he said, "if 

 you can collect those accounts, you shall 



have the benefit of them. I will sell you 



-I. 100 worth of the accounts for $50.00 



cash, or I will make it $1,200.00 or $1,500.00. 

 1 am not particular as to the amount, but 

 I want to see the color of your money first. 

 Money talks." 



It pained me to see Mr. Maley so mer- 

 eenary when the young man was so noble 

 and had such a thirst for fame. It was 

 the best he would do, however. I nearly 

 nod when the young man in a few well- 

 chosen words declined to accept business on 

 any such basis. It was contrary to the 

 rules of his house, he said. His only in- 

 terest in the matter was to serve Mr. Maley 

 and make a reputation. But he could not 

 break the inflexible rule of his house. Of 

 course they could make a great deal of 

 money for Mr. Maley, but to buy the ac- 

 counts outright — O, no! He couldn't do it. 

 He would communicate Mr. Maley's offer 

 to the house and ask their instructions, but 

 In didn't have any hope that they would ac- 

 cept it. And he went away more in sorrow 

 than in anger. 



The Indiana Association. 



John Pritchard of the Long-Knight Lum- 

 ber Company, and secretary of the Indiana 

 Hardwood Lumbermen's Association, was 

 entering up a cheek when I went in. 



"Hello, Strode," he said, "don't bother 

 me until I get this straight." He got it 

 straight, then turned around. 



"How are you, anyway? I tell you the 

 Indiana association is all right. That 

 makes thirteen new members since the an- 

 nual meeting in January, or over eighty in 

 all." And John settled back in his chair 

 with a satisfied expression on his face. 



I am proud of the Indiana association. 

 It is one of the best in the lot, and the 

 strongest of any of the state associations. 

 And I am proud of John Pritchard. When 

 1 first began to call on H. C. Long & Co., 

 John was just a bookkeeper and general 

 factotum about the office. I noticed that 

 he was a bright appearing young man, but 

 there was no way of telling what he had 

 in him. W. W. Knight started in the same 

 way, and now they are the sole members of 

 one of the best established concerns in 

 the Mississippi valley. They are making 



n ■>. too. The boys have been lucky. 



About Atkins' Saws and Nelse Gladding. 



Any write-up of Indiana that failed to 

 include the house of E. C. Atkins & Co., the 

 great saw makers of Indianapolis, would 

 be incomplete. That mammoth concern 

 grows more mammoth every time I visit it. 

 They are constantly adding to their plant, 

 which already covers two blocks. Even then 

 they do not keep up with the growth of 

 their business. 



It was Saturday moining when T called 

 on them, and seven young men in a bull- 

 pen were counting money, handling it as if 

 il were hay. I found out that they were 



making up the pay roll for the thou 

 employes of E. C. Atkins & Co. — but the 

 sigh! of so much money is calculated to give 

 a newspaper man heal 



It seems to me quite an achievement 1 for 

 a comparatively young man, such as Nelse 

 Gladding, to be at the head of the greatest 

 saw-making concern in the world. Bu1 

 Nelse doesn't think so. He is the same 

 today as when I first knew him. when hi 

 had charge of the Memphis branch. 



"That is all tommy-rot,'' he said. ''I 

 have done my best, but I claim no credit 

 for it. The greatest trouble with most. 

 young men is that they get stuck on them- 

 selves. I have to watch myself every day 

 to keep from putting on airs. My old 

 mother taught me to do my best every day 

 and if I prospered give the credit to the 

 Lord." 



With such a spirit dominating the estab 

 lishment there is no telling how big it will 

 grow. Already they have eleven branch 

 houses in different parts of the world, not 

 the least profitable of which, I was glad to 

 learn, is in charge of my old friend Bob 

 Teel at Minneapolis. His host of friends in 

 the hardwood lumber business will rejoice 

 to know that he is prospering. Last year's 

 business from the Minneapolis house was 

 much the largest of any that E. C. Atkins 

 & Co. ever did. 



Nelse showed me through the plant, but 

 I don't know much about the manufacture 

 of saws. I was only impressed by the big- 

 ness and completeness of everything. They 

 make their saws and temper their saws as 

 good as anybody of course, or they would 

 not have grown as they have. The business 

 has been more than doubled in the pasl five 

 years, and is now unquestionably the laj 

 saw works in the world. And if Nelse Glad- 

 ding continues to do his best there is no 

 limit to what may be attained. 

 Wedding Bells. 



I must pause a moment in my mad i aree) 

 to make an announcement. On the 5th of 

 April, at the home of my old friends. Mr. 

 and Mrs. Charles S. Gladden, in Memphis, 

 Miss Altie Gladden w-as united in nun 

 i, Dr. Homer K. Wheeler. I am a trifle late 

 in making the announcement, but it is let 

 tor late than never. The invitation 

 while I was down in Indiana, and was 

 out to the house. I was gone so long — in 

 fact, I would have been wani iround 



down then' yet. but some friends, finding 

 me prowling around among the bushes, took 

 pity on me anil sent me home, thai my 



forgot all about it. I probably » 

 not have known anything about hi u 

 tion hud 1 not accidental!} found it oi 

 piano when I was looking Eor mj gold 

 watch tin. I diamond rit 



I do not know Dr. Wheeler, but I want 

 him to understand that he is united to 

 of the best families in Indiana. Charles S. 

 Gladden and his » Lfe are as 

 there are in Memphis which is an 

 ,,t saying as . as any in the world, and 



their eldest daughter is one of the best, 



