CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 



Consequently, as each new difficulty appeared, 

 he had to consider it in all its details. He 

 could not pass it over to Lieutenant Number 

 One or Lieutenant Number Two. 



McCormick was like a general who was lead- 

 ing an army into an unknown country rather 

 than like the business man of the twentieth cen- 

 tury, who can travel by time-table and schedule. 

 When an obstacle blocked his path, it had to be 

 removed ; and until it was out of the way, noth- 

 ing else mattered. Thus it was impossible for 

 McCormick to have business hours. Once his 

 mind had applied itself to a problem, he cared 

 nothing for clocks and watches. Sometimes he 

 would work on through the night, hour after 

 hour, until the gray light of another day shone 

 in the window. On all these arduous occasions, 

 he had no idea of time, and he would allow no 

 distractions nor interruptions. So rigid was 

 this grasp of his mind that if his body rebelled 

 and he fell asleep, he would invariably when 

 he woke take up the matter in hand at the 

 exact point at which it had been left. Not even 



14* 



