CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 



made more fuss over a pin-prick," said one of 

 his valets, "than he did over a surgical opera- 

 tion." He disliked the petty odds and ends of 

 life. His mind was too massive to adapt itself 

 readily to small matters.- But when a great 

 difficulty came in view, he rose and went at it 

 with a sort of stern satisfaction and religious 

 zeal. He was so confident of his own strength, 

 and of the justice of his cause, that it was al- 

 most a joy to him to 



** Breast the blows of circumstance, 

 And grasp the skirts of happy chance, 

 And grapple with his evil star." 



A defeat never meant anything more to 

 McCormick than a delay. Often, the harder he 

 was thrown down the higher he would rebound. 

 Again and again he was thwarted and blocked. 

 In the race of competition, there was a time when 

 he was beaten by Whiteley, and there was a 

 time when he was beaten by Deering. Most 

 of his lawsuits were decided against him. But 

 no one ever saw him crushed or really disheart- 

 ened. In 1877, after he had made a long hard 

 struggle to become a United States Senator, 



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