Читать книгу Zorra Boys at Home and Abroad - Rev. W. A. MacKay - Страница 5
ОглавлениеOR, HOW A ZORRA BOY BECAME THE FOREMOST COMMISSION MERCHANT OF CHICAGO.
Of few of her sons is Zorra more justly proud than of James Wood, with whom we begin our sketches of "Zorra Boys at Home and Abroad." The accompanying engraving conveys a fair idea of his strong, manly physique.
In stature he stands six feet two and a half inches; weighs two hundred and thirty pounds; is broad-shouldered, full-chested, straight as an arrow, with muscles knit together like whipcords, and nerves like steel springs; his grand head well set upon massive shoulders, and covered with a thick coat of glossy brown hair; his eye melting blue, his features clearly cut, and his whole countenance beaming with the strong manhood which it represents. Though in the sixty-eighth year of his age, his step is firm and elastic; and there is a swing in his gait which marks his movements with dignity and energy. He is a man you cannot meet on the street without an involuntary tribute of respect to his fine presence, and a lingering look at his manly figure, as he rapidly disappears out of your sight on his way to his work, in the stock yards.
From the humble log-house in Zorra to the fashionable mansion on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, is a long step, but James Wood has taken it; and he has taken it by means not less creditable to the goodness of his heart than to the cleverness of his head.
Canadians who visited the World's Fair in Chicago perhaps saw few things that made a more lasting impression upon their minds than what they witnessed at the Union Stock Yards. This enormous business centre includes no less than 475 acres of land, 320 of which are covered with plank and brick flooring. These yards contain 25 miles of streets, 38 miles of water troughs, 90 miles of water pipes, and 50 miles of sewerage.
The object of the yards is to furnish facilities for marketing all kinds of live stock—cattle, hogs, sheep, horses and goats. The value of all animals marketed there during the year 1899, I find, from the annual report, to be the inconceivable sum of $233,711,180; while the bank through which this enormous business is transacted shows deposits of over $550,000,000.
This vast business is transacted by about one dozen different firms, and a Zorra boy is at the head. The firm of Wood Brothers, with James Wood as the leading member, stands first.
The following brief sketch of this son of Zorra will be of interest.
He was born, January 16, 1833, in Morayshire, Scotland; emigrated with his parents to Canada in 1834, and lived in Glengarry, Ont., for about one year. He then, with the rest of his family, moved to Zorra, and received his early education in Embro school.
While yet little more than a boy, he was made chaplain of the division of the Sons of Temperance in the village. This caused him to think seriously of his own spiritual condition, and his fitness to lead others in prayer. The result was decidedly religious views, and an open consecration of himself to God. At first he thought of devoting himself to the Christian ministry, and with this object in view, studied two sessions in Knox College, Toronto. During this time he preached frequently and with much acceptance to his hearers, though never to his own satisfaction.
"How did you get along at ——?" was asked him after returning from a service in the country. "Well, I preached about half an hour, and told them all I knew, and a good deal I did not know," was the frank and ready response.
But his health failed him, and he became convinced that he could not stand the close confinement of student life.
Leaving college, he served an apprenticeship to coach building in London, Ont., with the firm of Lowrie & Campbell, and in recognition of his fidelity and efficiency his time of service was reduced six months, and he was offered the charge of the establishment, which, however, he modestly declined to accept. After this he worked for a time at his trade in Aylmer, Ont. His master failed in business, and Mr. Wood, with that energy and unselfish devotion to the interests of his employer which has always characterized him, got a team of horses and peddled the unsold wagons through the country, and in a short time had them all disposed of, to the great relief of the owner. In this action we see one of the secrets of success in life. The trouble with most young men is that they never think of doing more than they are paid for. They don't put earnestness or enthusiasm into their employer's work. So much work for so much pay, is their motto. But to be appreciated, a young man must at times show his willingness to do more than he is paid for. To the utmost of his ability he must make his master's interests his own. Such men are scarce and, therefore, sooner or later, sure of promotion.
Mr. Wood has never failed in business, and has always promptly met every obligation when due; hence the great confidence placed in him to-day by thousands who have never seen him, and the immense business which he controls extending into nearly every State of the Union.
We have seen that, early in life, Mr. Wood identified himself with temperance workers, and all his life he has practised total abstinence, not only from drink, but from tobacco in every form. This not only helped to make him a strong, clean man; but, while he was a poor man, it greatly helped him in business by preventing an unnecessary waste of money.
A young man came to a millionaire asking for assistance to start in business.
"Do you drink?" was the first query.
"Occasionally," was the response.
"Then stop drinking, and at the end of a year come back and report to me."
At the end of a year the young man returned and reported that he had not touched liquor for the year.
"Do you smoke?" was the next query.
"A little," was the response.
"Then stop smoking and at the end of a year report to me."
He did so, and during the year the young man said to a friend, "I am not going back again, for I know what he will say to me. He will say, 'If you have stopped drinking and smoking you have saved enough money to start in business,' and I have," added he.
Hard work and a dogged determination to succeed also help to account for this Zorra boy's success. Genius has been defined as a capacity for hard work. The Zorra pioneers had little gold or silver to bequeath their children, but they did teach them industry and frugality as the way to material success.
But more than anything else, early religious training has conduced to James Wood's wonderful business prosperity. His father was an esteemed elder of the Church, and in his home God was honored. James was always in his place in church, and in the Sunday School; first as a scholar, and then as a teacher and superintendent. He early declared his religious convictions, and to-day he is the main pillar of the 41st Street Presbyterian Church, Chicago; and his generous treatment of employees, his Christian activity, and large benefactions, are known far beyond his own church and city.
We sometimes hear it said that high Christian attainment is incompatible with great business success; business, we are told, cannot be conducted on the principles of the Golden Rule. The career of James Wood proves the contrary, and shows us that real Christianity, not a Pharisaical profession of it, cannot fail to develop a good character; and a good character is sure, in the long run, to bring a man to the front.
| "Give us men! Strong and stalwart ones; Men whom highest hope inspires, Men whom purest honor fires, Men who trample self beneath them Men who make their country wreath them As her noble sons, Worthy of their sires. Men who never shame their mothers, Men who never fail their brothers, True, however false are others; Give us men, I say again, Give us men!" |
