Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Aug 1919)

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“low Seven Evenings^ Study Qualified ^ Me for a $10,000 Position By F. II. Dru7iiuiond A Gripping Success Story That Will Make All Ambitious Men and Women Ask Themselves the Qriestion: “Why Can’t I Do the Same?” 1 1 will never forget the words of Charles M. chwab, the biggest steel maiuifacturer in the [orld, who began life as a poor boy at a dollar ; day. He said: “Nothing is so plentiful in '.merica as opporlnnity. There are more jobs br forceful people than there are forcefid eople to fill them. . . Captains of industry are [jot hunting money. America is heavy with They are seeking brains — specialized l^ains— and faithful, loyal service. No one jas a corner on success. It is always up at uction ; the one who pays the most for it ets it. Whatever you resolve to be you can je.” Emerson tells us that our most important sset is not what we are, but what we are apable of being. But to go on with my story. I was 18 years ,f age, living in Farmington. 111., which at lat time was a town of 1,800 inhabitants. I ad no trade, no special training for anything, io idea of what I wanted to be in life — except hat I wanted to be a success. 1 took stock jf my surroundings. Here 1 was, in a town f limited opportunity. I had the choice of lorking in the mines, the mill, one of the ieneral stores, or possibly the bank, as a life rospect. Frankly, it didn’t appeal to me. I hrank at the thought of living a life tb.at so jiany people go through in small towns. They et a half-way decent living wage and are ontent with it. Thousands of them d,(ie, never 0 know the great possibilities they had locked jip in themselves. I deplored the fact that I had no capital to tart in business somewhere, not realizing that noney is not the only real capital a man hould have. I was not alive to the fact that 1 trained brain and conscience are the true iKcess capital. '’And so I asked myself what I could do to 'repare myself for a successful business caeer. Shorthand appealed to me as being the logical study to embrace. This was impressed ipon my mind from what 1 had seen others iccomplish through it. Three of our former ownsfolk — men who are today large figures in business in Detroit and Chicago — struck )ut for themselves in their youth, after learnng shorthand, and through their knowledge jf this art made a brilliant success in business. As 1 reasoned it, shorthand would, first of dl, assure me of a living wage no matter if made further progress through it or not. 3n the other hand, I could use it for business 10 matter how far up the ladder I might go. It would be invaluable in taking down wordfor-word conversations over the telephone ; otting down notes of meetings I might be ■ailed into; making quick memoranda of the lundred-and-one details that come up daily n business. In short, it would make me a nore accurate and a more efficient business nan. As one of them explained it to me, you can iie a clerk or bookkeeper all your life and lever get anywhere to speak of. With a shortland writer it is different. You come in direct personal contact with the e.xecutives of die busines.s — the men who are conducting it. From them you take dictation of the innermost things in that business and gradually ibsorb evjsrything in connection with it. In [this way 'you fit yourself to take on more and jinore responsibility, relieving the heads of the |lnisiness of details with which you are pertectly familiar. Naturally, you become more [and more valuable as your capacity to take (Sixty-three) responsibility grows greater, and in this way work yourself up into the business. I asked the advice of a number of older acquaintances whom I knew were shorthand writers and was encouraged by them to take up its study. The principal drawback seemed to be the time it w'as necessary to devote to the study in order to become master of its intricacies and a proficient writer. It seemed, however, that this was a necessary evil, and although somewhat discouraged at the prospect, I decided to enroll in the local business college. While waiting for the new term to open, I chanced upon an advertisement of a shorthand which claimed as its principal merits, simplicity — no shading or position, a limited number of characters and rules to learn — yet absolute adequateness for any purpose for which shorthand could be used. This shorthand had been so arranged in lessons as to make it possible to leant it at home in a comparatively short time — and, as it was clearly stated in the advertisement, that if I was not satisfied with the Course, I could return it without charge to myself, I sent for it. This was my first step in the right direction. 1 studied it diligently and within a week had learned all of the characters by heart, and after practicing for a month, felt so thoroughly the master of my newdy gained know'ledge that I decided to go to Chicago and seek a position immediately. I felt that placing myself on my own resources in a large city would broaden me and make me a bigger man in every sense. It would call out the biggest things in me — make me rely upon myself and not lean upon friends and acquaintances for assistance and encouragement in business. I secured a position as stenographer in a publishing house. Six months later I was made head stenographer at $30 a week. This brought me in frequent contact with the General Manager, who delegated more and more responsibility to me as time wore on. In a little over a year I was made Office Manager. That was just seven years ago. Today I am Vice-President and General Manager, with a small but growing interest in the business. My salary, with my bonus, netted me slightly in excess of $10,000 for 1918. In all these years of work in the various departments of the business of which I am now the directing head, I found my knowledge of shorthand to be invaluable and I use it today in many time-saving short-cuts. It may be of interest to mention here the splendid progress which a younger sister of mine made by learning the same Course which I took. She was a saleswoman in one of the local stores at the time and studied evenings. In three months she secured a position as stenographer in a large Plow factory in Galesburg, 111. Today she is the secretary to the Vice-President of the Company at a salary of $125 a month. And now, as I look back to those days in Farmington, where Father proposed that I take a job as weigher in the mines, I think of the black prospects I had at that time. And I thank my stars that I had the courage of my convictions to prepare myself for something bigger and better — and Paragon Shorthand was the means of helping me make myself. The story that Mr, Drummond recounts is the story of many of America’s greatest business men. .Tf you have read the stories of the lives of the principal figures in business in this country today, you will have noted that almost invariably their start to fame anvl fortune was through their ability to write Shorthand. Take such men as Charles M. Schwab, Theodore Roosevelt, Frank C. Vanderlip, George B. Cortelyou, William Loeb, Jr., Edward Bok, and others too numerous to mention, and you will find that Shorthand was the instrument they used in carving out their marvelous careers. Whether you are on the bottom or the top rung of the ladder, you will find Shorthand a wonderful aid to you in your climb to success. It will unlock the door to Opportunity more quickly than any other study you might undertake. It will prepare you for rapid advancement and groom you for the bigger job that is waiting for you. The quickest, easiest and most inexpensive way to learn Shorthand is to learn the PARAGON System. You can learn it all in the evenings of a single v*'evk at home. It is the simplest, most easily mastered system of Shorthand in existence, totally different from the ponderously technical, involved and intricate oldtime systems that require many months of study before they can be put to practical use. Here, for instance, is a letter that is typical of the experience of tliousands of Paragon Shorthaml writers : “Knclosed plea.se ftiul rny check for for the Paragfni Shorthand C'oui’se. 1 don't see how you can afford to .sc*'ll it at sucli a Iw fijnire. I tliought it next to impossible (until I tried it) to l>e).it«\’e that any system could he so concise, shmt, siriipk*. ea-^y toi leai’ii and reincnilxT and still authentic. I compared the knowledge I have attaiiuxl after but ten eveiilntfs' study to that of a student of a commercial school who has been. Kiving his undivided time to It for three months, an<l candidly, I can write and read much more than he caji. The diffiTcnce in time, expense and the armmnt to learn is all in-^avor of rai’a^?on. I. h. S.. SavannaJi, Ga.” Name on request. You can use Paragon Shorthand for any jjurpose for which Shorthand can be used — for dictation, taking down telephone messages, speeches, conferences, sermons, lectures, lessons, court testimony — anything and everything. Business men, professional men, students, clergymen and literary folk will find a knowledge of PARAGON Shorthand a great help to them. Fathers and mothers could give their sons and daughters nothing that would help them more quickly to be self-supporting than this simple Course of Paragon Shorthand. It is used in the largest corporations. Paragon is taught in Public and High Schools and Business Colleges in many of the largest cities. For 25 years the Author has taught PARAGON Shorthand by mail, with examinations, at the regular fee of $25. He teaches it today in the classes of the Paragon Institute, one of the largest educational institutions of its kind in America, at a regular tuition fee of $50. In order that this valuable knowledge may be brought within the reach of everybody, the Author has arranged the Complete Course in two Volumes, with an ingenious selfexamination method that enables everyone to learn PARAGON easily and quickly in the privacy of their own homes. This Course is identical in every respect with the one always taught by the Author by correspondence for $25, and the one taught in the Paragon Institute for $50. To give everyone an opportunity to satisfy themselves of the amazing simplicity of PARAGON Shorthand and its adequacy for all purposes, the Paragon Institute Home Study Department will gladly send you the Complete Course of Seven Lessons on seven days free trial, to use just as if it were your own. You are not required to pay a penny in advance. You obligate yourself in no way whatever. If, after giving it careful study, you are not perfectly satisfied, simply re-mail the Course to the Institute and you will owe nothing. If you decide to keep it, send us a check or money order for $5. Fill out the coupon and mail it NOW. lUse This Free Exammation Coupooi PARAGON INSTITUTE HOME STUDY DEPARTMENT 601 Broad St., Suite 347 NEWARK, N. J. You may send me the Complete Course of Paragon Shorthand with the Oistinct understanding that I have 7 (lays after it.s receipt to either i*email the Course to you or .send you $5.00. Motion Picture Classic, 4-19 Name. . Address.