ilroad man of the last generation,
whose ability rose to genius, was President Scott of the Pennsylvania
System. He thought, with Mr. Huntington, that a college training was
unnecessary; and his own life demonstrated that the very ultimate of
achieving, the very crest of effort and reward may be reached by men
who know neither Greek nor Latin, nor Science as taught in schools,
nor mental philosophy as set down in books.

Colonel Scott was a messenger-boy--just such a messenger-boy as you
may see any day running errands, carrying parcels, doing the humble
duties of one who serves and waits. From a messenger-boy with bundle
in his hand, to the general of an industrial army of thousands of men,
and the directing mind planning the expenditure of scores of millions
of dollars belonging to great capitalists--such was the career of
Thomas Scott.

Very well, why should you not do as well? "Because my competitors have
college education and I have not," do you answer? But, man, Colonel
Scott had no college education. "Because the other fellows have
friends and influence and I have none," do you protest? But neither
President Scott nor most monumental successes had friends or influence
to start with. Don't excuse yourself, then. Come! Buck up! Be a man!

"I am greatly troubled," said to me the general superintendent of one of
the most extensive railroad systems in the world as we rode from Des
Moines, Iowa, to Chicago. "I am greatly troubled," said he, "to find an
assistant superintendent. There are now under me seven young engineers,
every man a graduate of a college; four of them with uncommon ability,
and all of them relatives of men heavily interested in this network of
railroads. But not one of them will do. Three nights ago all of them
happened to meet in Chicago. While there all of them went out to have
what they called 'a good time' together--drinking, etc.

"That, in itself, is enough to blacklist every man for the position of
my assistant and my successor. This road will not entrust its
operating management to a man who wilfully makes himself less than his
best every day and every night. Besides this, each of them has some
defect. One is brilliant, but not steady; another is steady, but not
resourceful--not inventive--and so forth and so on. We are looking all
over the United States for the young man who has the ability,
character, health, and habits which my assistant must have."

This general superintendent, under