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The . Omaha
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.PART FIVE--"
MAGAZINE ' '
PAGES ONE TO 1 T6US. ' i'
PART FIVE
; MAGAZINE
PAGES OFE TO FOUR
Bee
VOL. XLI-NO. 23.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MOKN1NG, NOYKM11KU '2(5,--ISM 1.
...single., covy. .i;iy-; .CFNTS::; ,
Omaha Men
Change
Hj
kOW many men strike their true busi
ness rait on the first trial? In other
words, how many stick to their first
choice of a life work and make a suc
cess of It?
Some professions, like that of news
paper work, have an attraction that holds men
from youth to old age, In spite of possibly tempting
offers to engage in other pursuits. Railroading,
too, seems to have attractions that appeal to a
very large percentage-of those who engage In It,
and perhaps no other calling numbers so many
workers who have grown old in it, except school
teaching. Yet It is true that many men who began
as Bchool teachers hare drifted into other profes
sions, especially the law.
Naturally, the permanence of the meal ticket is
the main consideration with every sensible person
who has passed the first flush of youth. Then the
fatness of the feeding may not be quite satisfying,
and a richer billet is sought.
There may be blacksmiths that a student of
human nature could pick out in a crowd without
looking at their hands, but a good many people
are inclined to doubt that anyone can tell a man's
business just by sizing up his physical character
istics. It Is undeniably true that many a peaceful
business man would be put in the prize fighter class
on a cursory view. Jewell may be a lusty worker
at the anvil, but Hammer is, likely as not, a sup
pressed man with a scholarly stoop. Look around
right here in Omaha and you will see this exempli
fied by your friends on every side.
Black and Flrkens "Changed Holds"
"Hattie" Black, for Instance, wouldn't be happy
unless he could be fussing with the types. He used
to handle them artistically when, as a boy at Free
port, 111., he started to practice the art preservative
of all other arts, and Brother Ben says Charley '
wasn't happy unless he came home with printer's
ink all over his phiz. Today he arranges catchy
combination of type faces and then drags a black
cat across them as his own particular sign and seal.
Mr. Black Is almost handsome enough to bo a
printer or newspaper man; but on the street he has
a good deal the carriage and appearance of an ath
lete, and behind 1i!b favorite horse he could easily
pass for an actor with no matinee on the card.
The man who presides over , the Ak-Sar-Ben
board, Charles H. Pickens of the Paxton-Gallagher
company, would fit admirably as one of a crowd of
fire chiefs. He has the air of reserve and self
confidence the promise of initiative and quick ac
tion one associates with that role. And perhaps
it comes natural, for Mr. Pickens has ail his life
had a fondness for "running with the machine." In
his youth ho liked nothing better than to drive a
fire Wagon, which he did right here in Omaha; and
might have been In the department today if eotne
switch of fate hadn't thrown him Into commercial
pursuits, where he has won a chlefshlp, a fortune
and a fine reputation as an executive.
-
Handsome Is That Wins Out
It has been said of Arthur Brandels that his
pcreonal attributes would have enabled him to be
u successful actor, and if "Chanticleer" had been
written before Mr. Brandels settled down to the
business of a merchant prince possibly he would
Lave taken to the stage. He likes animals, and
would rather raise prize eggs and cultivate succu
lent broilers than to hear the plaudlU of admiring
audiences. Hence it comes that he Is more used to
handling money and business problems than stage
situations. At that he is part owner of two fine
playhouses, and enjoys a good show.
Speaking of the stage. Mayor Dahlmaa came
mighty near going into the spotlight at one time, '
with Buffalo Bill, but his bashfulness prevented.
Of course, that was before be began acting as a
leader of political war dances. But who" that does
not know his history in Nebraska would be likely to
pick oat ta maror of Omaha as a cowboy? Not
His nrlnciDal political Bide partner, 'Torn'
Flynn, used to tote a kit of tools and a furnace aft
a Journeyman plumber for a good many years be
fore the young democrats of his section sent him to
the city council some years ago. Then he went to
work and wiped a good many Joints before going
back into politics, and he has today all the ear
marks of a sturdy craftsman rather than a manipu
lator of politics "which I am not," says Flynn,
"and I can prove it by Bob Smith."
County Commissioner Lynch is a Thanksgiving
type of man, a good many inches around the vest
pocket, good natured about twenty-three and a half,
hours a day. He also used to work at the plumbing
trade, and wss a good man at his specialty; but no
one would pick him out of a crowd as a plumber.
He looks more like a hotel keeper of tho old Eng
lish type, but he is a descendant of the Irish kings.
Lynch is tome worker at the political game when
he wants to take a hand, and has a backing In his
home ward that no other fellow can trifle with. As
the lone republican on the present county board
Commissioner Lynch has kept laughingly busy put
ting tacks under the four democrats, and hasn't
overlooked a chance for fun at any meeting.
Shifted Jobs for the Better
City Clerk Dan Butler used to be a bookkeeper,
before that a foot ball player, and alleged he could
play base ball. He writes a nice hand and is the
boss Elk in the local herd at this time.
From cutting marble when he was a husky
young man, W. II. Thomas has found his forte as a
cutter of coupons, and likes the job, which he aban
dons occasionally to deal in real estate and put up
buildings.
Judge William D. McIIugh when a boy in Ga
lena, 111., developed a notion that be would
like to build shoes and thus aid everybody to keep
up with the procession, but to. keep his brain busy
was more trouble than to keep his hands at work.
So be took to the law, filled his system with Its
mysteries, and mastered it to that extent it serves
him for all purposes today.
Among men who have learned a trade ambition
is always alive and, having the ambition, It the man
is made of tho right stuff, he sails in to achieve It.
Of the present Omaha School board, for instance,
S. P. Bostwlck formerly followed the trade of car
penter, and Dr. Grant Williams was a boss barber
before he studied dentistry. Another dentist who
began at something else is James P. Connolly, who
used to be a contractor and politician. Rev W. W.
Starabaugh was a carpenter, thus In two callings
following the Master.
Dr. Michael ,J. Ford, the well known surgeon,
was working as a switchman when he determined to
go to college and become a physician. Another
former railroad man Is Theodore W. McCullougu
of The Bee, who used to fire an engine, absorb fire
and eat smoke with robustious abandon. He also
learned to set type and incidentally delighted in Ink
baths.
Sextette Who Grew Into Big Things
W. S. Wright of tho Wright & Wlihelmy com
pany, started his workaday life as a tinner. From
that he graduated most naturally Into the handling
of hardware, and one day he found the key to open
the door of opportunity. Once in, be stuck and
has proved old Ben Franklin was right when he
cald, "Take care of thy shop and thy shop will take
care of thee."
City Building Inspector Wlthnell was a good
bricklayer in his younger days and has helped to
Occupations arid Make ;G&i
jiirs "v Ttk r0& 4 : tvv
- '
u -4 I ,Mv
one In a thousand. He Is an easy moving, soft- Q-C VOvjf f -
spoken person who dresaes in modest good taste, z& 4pa6f-- , wv mS.0s k Ty
and might be picked for anything else than a wild J J ft -CCVN
riding, tongh-flbered prairie man. Still, the mayor V7 V '"" W
takes some pride in his reputation among the cattle J h i ' TrJ S '' 'VYv
men of the west, and In his new line of business has j 7' , ' l y , M f I ! V - X. " " f-
not entirely lost touch with the old game. Sr-TVxV t, SJ jT V.-1
, xN Xg U :w; -.Ostf
-i L 1 i . t. M m M a 1 -T t m m m m - . t 1 T mm i mm i - (
CEAS.Z.BLACK
t rect many Omaha buildings. He proved a master
hand at bis work, became a master bricklayer, and
now bosses all the other craftsmen in town in a
supervisory capacity.
Rome Miller, Herman Peters, "Tom" O'Brien
and Fred Castle constitute a quartette of -hotel-keepers
who were not dedicated to that calling, as
were the Kitchen boys. Miller congratulates him
self today that he had to "peddle" papers and hustle
like sixty from a very early age, and O'Brien, Peters
and Castle had the same experience, but in other
fields. All three passed through a good many lanes
of effort before they struck the high road leading
to success and to the smile counter at the bank.
Paving Prince and Train Boys
Hugh Murphy and Colonel Charles E. Fanning,
the paving contractors, evoluted into that business
without any particular planning. Murphy laid
brick In some of the first sewers built in Omaha,
at $8 per day, and Fanning also had some experi
ence in sewer building before he bocame the right
hand man for Murphy after the latter became a
cor'
frank Dewey's father established the first saw-
"Doorstep Kindness" .'. By the Ge ltlewoman
D
R. JOHNSON, asked on one occasion why
he was not more frequently invited out,
replied, "Because great lords and ladles
do not like to have their mouths
stopped." In other words, the eminent
lexicographer objected to "doorstep kindness" to
hospitality which limited bis freedom of speech.
The phrase was used by the bishop of London at
the Church congress recently to describe the gen
eral attitude of the church and the upper classes to
the lower. In an earnest and eloquent speech he
niado a plea for the demolition of the barrier that
exists between the upper classes and the tolling
millions. "Not till we realize," he suid, "that the
young workman Is as proud and sensitive as our
own your.g brother who has come home from the
Uulversity of Sandhurst; not till we realize that ho
does not want charity or pity, or being preached at
any more than the other Bot till then
have we given him sympathy."
Perhaps there Is no feeling more subtle, more
elusive and more difficult to eradicate from human
nature than this sense of "superiority." In a hun
dred dlfTerent ways it manifests Itself, and no claas
of society seems free from it. The jirofesslonal
man's wife "condescends" to the draper's wife, the
clerk's wife patronizes the mechanic's wife, the
"char-lady" looks uowu on the "steps-lady," and so
it goes on. Is it any matter for wonder, then, that
those who clothe themselves in purple and fine
linen, who faro sumptuously every day, who are
surrounded by all the culture, all the beauty and
all the luxury which modern civilization can pro
vide, find it hard to believe that a common human
ity binds them to people who dwell in hovels, and
who dwell continuously in the company of the grim
spectres of Disease and Poverty? The gulf cer
tainly seems almost impassable, but it mu6t be
bridged before any advance can be made in tho di
rection of abolishing class war and class hatred.
There is something In the heart of every honeut
worklngman and by the term man I lncludo
woman that rebels fiercely against patronage.
Of course, it may be objected that all poor people
do not resent patronage, that many are as
" 'uinble" as Uriah Heep, and quite as willing to
wallow In the dust If they think "there is anything
to be got out of it," as the phrase goes. Very true,
but it should be the object of those more enlight
ened to eradicate this servility Instead of encourag
ing it. This can only be accomplished by treating
such people not as if they were mere receptacles
for charity, but as if they possessed hearts and
souls and minds.
mill and cabinet factory in Cedar Rapids, la., bat
Frank didn't like the buszlng of the saws as weU
as be did the rattle of the wheels. So be became
newsboy on the railroad, but' always remained a
"home boy," and his mother's good training has
tood as his best asset to this day, when he la
county clerk-elect of Douglas county, with a com
fortable home, some extra lots and a houseful of
boys. Dewey's brother-in-law, William I. Klerstead,
now a solid citizen and owner of much fine prop
erty, also had a whirl at selling lurid literature on
trains when a youngster.
More Who Have Accepted Office
"Bob" Smith, clerk of courts, was a boy laborer,
then went into the grocery business, studied Bteadlly
and became an accountant before he followed the
good old Irish profession of politics. Frank Bandle,
the register of deeds, was a railroad clerk, then a
professional base ball player, and finally started a
cigar store where all conversation was barred except
that relating to "plays" on the diamond. Sheriff
Bralley was a husky farmer boy before he came to
the city. He became an undertaker's assistant, then
went into business for himself, accepted the office
of coroner to please the people, Joined many so
cieties, and was elected sheriff In a walk,
Charles O. Lobeck was one of the original insur
gents, surged from the republican to the democratlo
ranks, and thence Into office. He has followed
that trade ever since. But he used to make hla
living as a drummer for several years after coming
to Omaha, and packing sample cases for Lee, Fried
. & Co., gave him a grip he has been using ever since.
Before he began being a candidate for United
States senator, Al Sorenson was first a typesetter
and then a newspaper reporter, and he still insists
that writing pieces pleases him better than his
other pastimes of gazing on the senatorial halo
above his desk and flirting through the streets la
a fashionable motor. Sorenson has consecrated the
balance of his life to throwing scares into candi
dates for the United States senate.
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