loo Ways to Work he's Way Through Colle MO rinss i^J Book II Copyriglit)^^. COPyRIGHT DEPOSm ^ €H3er W^^ Cijrousl) College Thk VJniveksitv rKE,ss l.OOB a ,^^ ©CU27J836 Preface. 1. Young people owe it to themselves and to society to ac- cjuire the best education within their reach and should be encour- aged to make every reasonable efifort to obtain it. They should be urged to earn an education if no other way is open to them. Instead of discouraging ambitious young people from working their way through college, as a few prominent educators do, all worthy young men and women should be encouraged to make the effort and advised how best to succeed. 2. The maj.ority of the young men and women who enter college and graduate begin their college work before they reach tlieir twenty-fifth year. It is the exception that one enters college after reaching the age of twenty-five and remains in school long enough to complete the usual collegiate qourse. At that age one is apt to feel that it is too late to begin a college course, or he has become so absorbed in something else that he has lost interest in a college education. ,^. Usually young men and women have a limited earning canacity before they reach the age of twenty-four or twenty-five years. This is especially true if they have not had training along some special line. If then young men and women, who are with- out means and usually without great earning capacity, follow the advice of some educators and decide to remain out of school until they have earned enough to enable them to pay their entire expenses while in college, they find themselves unable to do so before passing the age limit after which young people rarely enter school. The only alternative, then, for such young men and women, is to take ad- vantage of some of the various methods which will enable them to ob- tain a college education before they reach that period in life after ii PREFACE wliicii so few young people take up college work. It sounds very well to advise young people to wait until they have saved enough monev to pay their entire expenses and then go to college and reap the full benefit of all the advantages which it is possible for a college student of means to enjoy. The serious objection to this is that those who set out to do so almost invariably pass the age limit before they are able to enter college, and hence never go to col- lege at all. 4. It is also worthy of mention that while young people working their way through school necessarily miss some of the -lileasures ,of college life, they obtain something which fully compen- sates them for the pleasures which they must forego through lack of means and time to enjoy them. Among the important things gained are the proper valuation of time, self-reliance, which one mu.st cultivate, and a knowledge of men acquired by Qontact with them in the struggle to make both ends meet. When they go out into the world, these things give them an advantage which enables them rapidly to forge to the front and in whatever field of effort they engage they are able to distance their competitors who have had their college expenses paid for them. 5. The young man, or woman, looking for something to do in order to work his way through college, will notice, in examining the contents of this book, that almost without exception all of the young men and women referred to had prepared themselves in advance to do and do well some one thing. Do not make the mis- take of thinking that without any special preparation for doing well some one thing which is likely to be needed in a college com- munity, that you can go to some school, selected it may be at ran- dom, and find people waiting to give you remunerative work. Look ovsr the contents of this book carefully and decide upon something which you arc reallj- prepared to do or select something you feel confident }ou can do and do well without requiring a great deal nf time and then take enough time to qualify yourself thoroughly to do that thing. If you will do this, you will find that you have a good chance to earn a collegfe education and j'ou may expect to be reasonably successful. Unless you do so, you are almost sure to •ail. Introductory Note. In every community there are many young men and women anxious to go to college and yet the large majority of these young people are prevented from doing so by the lack of means and be- cause they do not know that it is possible for them to earn their expenses while attending college. Every year thousands of am- bitious and deserving young men and women give up all hope of obtaining a higher education and settle down to a life in which little advancement is possible. Many of these people have much native talent and, if college bred, would become much more capable and influential citizens. If such young people only realized that they could take a college course and earn their way as they go, they would eagerly grasp any opportunity that offered itself. It is the purpose of this book to show the different ways by which thousands of young men and women have been enabled to secure a college education. Over a hundred different ways are shown by which students have earned their expenses wholly or in part while attending colleges and universities. This should con- vince young people that it is possible for them to overcome what seems so serious an obstacle. If more of them realized how nu- merous are the opportunities for one to earn his way while attend- ing school, many more would quickly take advantage of th.^m. There are plenty of young people who have the necessary determi- nation and energy and who are willing to engage in J[ny employment, but very few of them know what to do and how to do it. This book is intended to supply the information needed on these points. About twelve years ago the writer left his home on the prairies of fowa and entered college. He was not acquainted with a person within a thousand miles of the city where the college he decided to attend was located, Upon reaching his destination 'lig IV INTRODUCTORY NOTlC worldly belongings consisted of the clothes he wore and $0.27 in cash. However, he had plenty of phick. He had set out to obtain a college education and he had no difficulty whatever in earning his eiUire college expenses and graduated from the literary departn-.c-nt ot one of the leading universities in this country a few years lat'^r. Ever since then he has resided in a university community and has been constantly in touch with thousands of ambitious young men and women attending school, many of whom have earned a large part or all of their expenses. From these and from students who have attended other schools he has learned of the facts contained in the following pages. That there are today actually thousan Is of young men and women making their waj' through the best :(»!- leges in the country needs no demonstration. How they are doing so is a matter that must deeply interest other thousands who in he years to come must follow in their footsteps or else go without a college training. This book contains, mainly, simple accounts of how young men and women have actually worked their way throii.ch school. If a young man or woman is ambitious, is willing to work. has good health and is not seriously handicapped by others depend- ent upon him, he cannot blame fate or anything else, if he faiU to acquire a college education. If this little book convinces a single ambitious and worthy young person that it is possible for him to obtain an education so that he goes on and completes a college course when otherwise he would not have done so, it will not have been written in vain. SELBY A. MORAN. Ann Arbor. Alichigan, Se))teniber 30, 1905. Soliciting Orders for Engraved Calling Cards. A farmer's son, living a few miles from Pittsburg, Pa., had occasion one day to visit the city. While there he remembered that a young man who had camped at a lake near his father's home the summer before had asked him to be sure to call upon him the next time he came to the city. He succeeded in jfinding his young city friend where he was at work in his father's en- graving establishment. The visitor, not wishing to take his friend away from his work, said he would be glad to visit about the estab- lishment for awhile and watch the work being done in the different departments. At first he sat down for a few minutes with his friend who, at this time, had charge of his father's mail. The postman had just left a good sized bundle of letters. A con- siderable number of these fcontained orders for engraved calling cards. They came from all .over the country. The young man next visited the work room where the engravers were preparing the copper plates from which the ordinary engraved calling cards are printed. Later he visited the printing room and saw a number of young men and women at work. Besides learning many interesting things about the engrav- ing business, all of which were entirely new to him, what he saw set him to thinking along a line which, later on, proved of great benefit to him. He noticed that with modern machinery the engrav- ing on the copper plates was done so very easily and rapidly that the work on each plate could not cost more than a very few' cents. He also saw that the actual work of printing the cards was very simple and rapid. Before he left he talked with his friend about the business and learned that an engraved plate and a hundred or two hundred calling cards printed from such a plate could actually be produced at an expense of a very few cents. He was also in- formed that in cities thousands of people made use of such cards and that they usually paid from 75 cents to $1.50 fo^ a plate and fifty or a hundred cards. The country boy had longed to go away to college but was without the means to do so. As he rode home in the evening, the 2 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK idea occurred to him that possibly he could solicit orders for calling cards and engraved stationery from those who used such things in some city where there was a college and in this way earn at least a considerable part of his college expenses, and that he could possibly find other work by which he could earn whatever additional amount he might need. He thought the matter over a day or two and then wrote to his city friend. The following day he received an answer from the young engraver saying that his father engaged a great many agents to do soliciting for him and that he already had a number of enterprising college students sol- iciting business for him and that they were doing exceedingly well at such work. He offered the young man a very liberal commission if he would undertake to work his way through school by acting as agent for their engraved calling cards, announcements, stationery and wedding invitations. The result was that the next fall the young man entered school. He at once, with the help of one of the professors, made out from the city directory a list of every- body in the city who would be at all likely to need anything in the way of engraving. He soon surprised himself and the firm he was working for at the success of his efforts as a solicitor. He set apart two hours every school day afternoon and all day Saturday, which he devoted to calling upon prospective customers. He di- vided prospective customers into four groups. He made it his business to call upon all those in the first group the first week and those in the second group the second week and so on. In this way he called upon every prospective customer in the city once a month. He hkd no difficulty whatever in earning, in this way, very nearly his entire college expenses. What he was able to earn during the summer vacation easily supplied the deficiency. This young man became so successful in this work that when he completed his course at the college the company for which he had been working offered him a salary of $1,500.00 per year if he would act as their solicitor and representative in an eastern city. He had, however, decided to become an engineer and is now, only a few years since completing his college course, the superintendent for a large manu- facturing company in Chicago at a salary of $2500.00 per year. There are opportunities for hundreds of young men, and women too, to work their way through college by doing this kind of work. It is pleasant and agreeable. It does not take much time ONE S WAY THROUGH COIvIvEGE 3 to fit one's self to do something of this kind and the commission which may be obtained is usually a liberal one. Selling Breakfast Foods. A young lady living near Moberly, Missouri, wished to be- come a teacher. The first year after completing the course in the high school, she taught in a district school about ten miles from her home. She enjoyed the work of teaching. However, it soon be- came very evident to her that the small salary paid to district school teachers was barely more than enough to cover her neces- sary living expenses. She, therefore, decided to fit herself, if possi- ble, for a higher position. But the question how to obtain the necessary college education seemed unanswerable. The expenses involved seemed so far beyond her reach that she decided to give up the idea. A little later she had a talk with one of her high school teachers and told her of her disappointment. The teacher sug- gested that possibly she might be able to take a few studies in some good school and in that way at least gain some advantage. It was suggested that she could accomplish this by doing work of some kind. The teacher said to her that possibly she might secure an agency for some article in general demand and in this way earn her expenses by working part of the time in some college com- munity and devoting the balance of her time to school work. She concluded to try this, deciding that half a loaf was bet- ter than no loaf at all. She decided to write to the manufacturer of a certain breakfast food and apply for the agency. She ex- plained why she wanted to do that kind of work. The manufacturer admired her pluck and, although it was contrary to his custom to have his food handled by agents, he decided to give this young wo- man a chance and wrote her offering her a fairly liberal commission for all the orders she could secure in the city where the college she wished to attend was located. It so happened that this manufacturer was not represented by any of the local dealers in that community This made the work 4 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK especially difficult as that particular brand of food was entirely unknown. The young lady took hold of the work with a determina- tion to succeed. She first selected about two hundred well-to-do families and left at each home a card announcing her business. She then made it a business to call upon every one of these fam- ilies at least once every ten days. She found it rather up-hill work at first. However, she never allowed herself to become discouraged. Each time she covered the territory, she secured a few new custom- ers. She rarely lost a customer she had secured. She found it necessary during the first year in addition to her canvassing to wait table for her board. She was able to meet all her other ex- penses with the profits of her sales. As a result she was able to take only a few studies in school during that year. At the end of the year, however, she had succeeded in working up a sufficient number of regular customers for the food she was selling to enable her, with what she earned during the summer vacation, to pay all of her college expenses the next year from her agency business alone. She had so fully worked up this business that it took much less of her time so that she was able to take a full course and do the work to the entire satisfaction of her instructors. She kept this work up until she had finished her college course. She then turned it over to a younger sister who was also able to take a complete college course and meet all of her ex- penses in the same way. Both of these young ladies are now teachers in a large high school and are doing unusually well. One of them writes that she attributes a considerable part of her success as a teacher to the valuable experience she gained while struggling to earn her college education. Waiting Table. A former governor of a western state said, among other things, while addressing a high school graduating class : "Boys and girls, I want to say to you that every one of you ought to have an ambition to go on and secure a college education. You ONU S WAY THROUGH COI^LEGe; . 5 can do so, if you will. If your parents are not able to help you, then help yourselves. When I was a young man living on a farm in Nebraska, I decided that I wanted to go to college. It was easy enough to 'decide,' but how to get the necessary money was another thing, for my people were not well-to-do and could not afford to assist me at all. I was willing to work, if I could only find some- thing to do, but what could I do at school to pay my expenses? I could plow corn ; make hay ; hoe potatoes ; in fact, do any of the ordinary kinds of work on the farm, but, of course, in the town where I wanted to attend school, no one wanted any one to do work of this kind. One day I learned that a young attorney in a neighboring town had graduated from one of our large univer- sities and I concluded that possibly he could advise me if there was anything I could do to help pay my expenses at school. When I called upon him, the first question he asked me was, 'Can you wait table?' I replied that I had often helped my mother wait table when we had threshers. 'Well, then,' he said, 'you can easily find work to do to earn the principal item of expense at school. There are,' he informed me, 'hundreds of young men and women who wait table at the various college boarding houses and in this way earn their board.' " The governor added : "That is how I paid the most importarft item of my college' expenses." "When I began my course in the University, I soon found that there were a great many opportunities to earn money and one could do so without seriously interfering with his college work. As a result, I had practically no trouble in making my college ex- penses and graduating with rriy class." As the governor said, one of the chief items of expense to the student is that of board. Table board, well prepared and nicely served, may be obtained in most college towns at from $2.00 to $3.50 per week. The large majority of the students board at the lower rate. At a school with say twenty-five hundred students there will be at least one hundred boarding houses. Unless there are large boarding clubs, the boarding houses ordinarily will aver- age about thirty boarders. The number of boarders at such houses ranges all the way from ten up to possibly two hundred. Such houses will necessarily have from one to ten waiters. Almost all of these waiters are students who in this way pay for their board. In this country there are, during every college year, actually thou- 6 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK sands of young men and women who, in this way, earn from one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars during the school year and are thus enabled to meet the main item of their college ex- penses. Usi:ally these students are required to devote not over three quarters of an hour at breakfast and luncheon and a little over an hour at dinner. There is always considerable competition for places of this kind and usually one needs to be on hand early in order to secure a place. Many students arrange in the spring for places to wait table at some boarding house during the fol- lowing year. There are always a few who secure places of this kind, but who find themselves unfitted for such work and have to give it up and try something else. This makes a number of open- ings for those who are unable to arrange for such places before going to the school. Those who have had even a little experience in serving as waiters are always given the preference over those without ex- perience. The young man or woman who contemplates doing this kind of work in order to help pay his expenses while in college ^ will find it advantageous to gain a little experience in some hotel, restaurant or boarding house at home before going to school. Those who do this usually have no trouble at all in securing places to wait table and thus are i able to earn fully one-third of their really necessary college expenses. Singing in Church Choirs. In every college town there are always a considerable number of both young men and women, who are good singers, who secure engagements to sing in church choirs. For such work, they are usually paid from one to three dollars per Sunday. The writer has known, personally, of at least fifty young men and women who, during recent years, have in this way helped materially to meet the expense of securing a college course. One must necessar- ily be gifted with a good voice and have had careful training in order to secure such positions. There are, among a large student population, always a considerable number of musical young peo- one's way through college; 7 pie. There are also in practically every college town opportunities for young people to secure excellent drill in voice culture at little or no expense. Those who have really good voices, but who lack the training, may in a short time prepare themselves for work of this kind. The demand for such people is usually larger than the supply. Those who are qualified for such places may be reasonably sure of finding an opening for the use of such talents in almost any college community. One young man in particular is worthy of especial mention. By clerking in a grocery store an hour or so each morning and Saturdays, he was able, with what he could earn as a member of a church choir, to pay every dollar of his uni- versity expenses. His training as a singer, and the opportunity which his singing in a church choir gave him, resulted directly in his securing, after graduation, a position as teacher of vocal music in a well-known eastern musical conservatory^^ Doing Millinery Work. A young lady living in northern Iowa was persuaded by a friend to make an effort to obtain a college education. It was suggested to her that she might borrow the money and pay it back after completing her course, when she would be able to earn a good salary as teacher. She failed to find any one who was willing to loan her the money necessary to enable her to go to school. She then gave up all hope of ever being able to obtain a college education. She then took a position as an apprentice in a millinery store, having decided to learn that business. She could do that without leaving home. She worked at the business for nearly two years and became very expert as a trimmer. About this time, she heard of a young woman who had been able to obtain a college education by earning her expenses while attending school. It occurred to her that possibly, by utilizing her skill as a milliner, she could in this way earn her expenses and have enough time to take at least part of a course in some college. She had always been careful and painstaking in her work. 8 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK She had not only done such work as was assigned to her, but she had made a study of styles and artistic effects, until she was considered the best trimmer in the village where she lived. She wrote to the postmaster in a college town and secured the names of the different milliners. She wrote all of them asking for work for part of the time. She failed to secure any encourage- ment. She did not give up, but tried the same plan in several other college towns. The result was the same. However, she was determined to succeed, if possible. It was not until she had tried to find work in the millinery stores in nine different college towns that she succeeded in finding a milliner who was willing to give her a trial. This was in a town in western New York, where a welf-knowrr college is located. This was in January. She at once made arrangements to enter school the following month at the beginning of the second semester. She Tjegan by tak- ing a very few studies, devoting the balance of her time to her millinery work. Her employer found that she had more than the ordinary ability and taste and that she had acquired much skill in their application, and was able to turn them to good account. This soon resulted in creating a good demand for her work. She was therefore able to secure all the work she could possibly do, at a good price. This enabled her to carry on her college studies until she had completed her course. Of course it took her a little longer than would have been necessary if she could have borrowed the money, but she had the satisfaction of knowing, when her college course was completed, that her expenses were all paid. Then, too, her work had brought her into contact, in a business way, with a great many people and she had learned a great deal which was quite as Important to her as was her college training. She had learned people and un- derstood human nature far better, because of her work in a millin- ery store, than she could possibly have done in any other way. She states that, as a result of this experience, when she be- came a teacher she was far more successful than would have been possible had she not had the experience of working her way through college. She is now a very successful teacher in one of the Chi- cago schools. ONES WAY THROUGH COLIvEGE 9 Distributing Circulars. In every town or city, and especially in every college town of any size, business men do a vast amount of advertising by the use of printed circulars. This is especially true of business men who engage in those lines of business which make it necessary to cater to the student trade. While students generally read the large city dailies, they rarely become interested or take time to read the local papers of the town where they attend school. As a result, business men in college towns, desiring to secure student trade, find the use of circulars the only means open to them to reach the^ student body. Consequently, there is in every college com- munity during the entire college year a great deal of work to do for business men distributing advertising matter at the houses where the students room. The writer has known of many instances where young men have found all the work of this kind they could possibly do. He has in mind a young man who recently graduated, who earned nearly $200 a year doing work of this kirxd and without allowing it to seriously interfere with his college work. The average price paid for distributing advertising matter is $1.00 per thousand. This young man made it a point, whenever possible, to take two or three different kinds of circulars at a time. It is possible for a young man to distribute about 150 circulars per hour. This means $1.50 per day of ten hours, if but one kind of bill is distributed at a time. When he was able, as in many cases he was, to distrubute two or three kinds at a time, it was possible to make four of five dollars per day. With what he was able to earn during the summer vaca- tions, he had no trouble in meeting all of his expenses at a well- known university and graduated with his class. It is an easy matter frequently to canvass all the business men in a college town for work of this kind. One can also frequently secure a great many odd jobs by leaving his name and address at the various printing offices where the bills are printed and where inquiry is frequently made for some reliable person to distribute advertising matter. It is not so much the question as to whether or not such work can be obtained as it is whether or not one is willing to do such work. Almost without exception, plenty of this kind of work can be found, if one really wants to do it. lO OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK Selling Nursery Stock. In practically every college in the country can be found young men, and in some cases young women also, who are earn- ing their expenses by soliciting orders for some good nursery. This is work which may be done at all times of the year and by a person working all the time or only part of the time. The writer has come into personal contact with at least fifty or more college students who have been successful in working, their way through school by this method. Usually such students spend all day Satur- day and often a few hours each school day working among farmers who come to town. These young men usually spend the summer vacation travelling through the country working among farmers and fruit growers. Those who have had experience as canvassers before entering college usually have no difficulty in making a com- plete success of such work. Indeed, such liberal commissions are allowed by good nurseries that such work pays very well for the time devoted to it. Scores of successful lawyers, ministers, teach- ers and business men might be cited who have earned all of their college expenses in this way. The writer remembers one young man in particular who entered school some ten years ago with less than ten dollars to start with. He had decided to pay his way by selling nursery stock. A well-known nursery company, to the man- ager of which the young man had come highly recommended for his integrity and honesty, had agreed to advance him twenty-five per cent, of his commissions on all bona fide orders, as fast as he sent them in. It was not many weeks before he had formed the ac- quaintance of several hundred farmers in the immediate vicinity of the college town and had secured from them a sufficient number of orders to enable him to continue in college during the year. He kept at the work every hour which he could devote to it during his entire college course and earned all of his expenses in this way. Many others have done equally well, while some, of course, have not been quite so successful. ONE S WAY THROUGH COIXEGE 1 1 Conducting a Newspaper Agency. A college town usually offers a large field for carrying on a newspaper subscription business. A considerable number of young men have, to the writer's personal knowledge, taken advantage of the opportunities offered in this line to open newspaper subscription agencies. In some cases, those who undertake this line of business have employed other students on a commission to solicit subscrip- tions for them, thus making a margin not only on the subscriptions they secured themselves, but also on the subscriptions secured by those they employed. One j'oung man, whom the writer remembers in particular, secured the agency for a metropolitan daily published near his college town and then employed solicitors and carriers, paying" all of them on a commission basis. In this way he worked up a sufficient number of regular patrons to insure a margin of profit enough to pay his entire college expenses and enable him, while taking a literary and law course, to accumulate a cash sur- plus of over $i,ooo. With this surplus he was able, after gradua- tion, to establish himself in a good law office and meet his expenses while working up a profitable law business. The 'writer has known a large number of other students who have done the same kind of work, and while not doing quite so well, financially, as the young man just referred to, they have, nevertheless, been able to earn a considerable part and, in several cases all of their college expenses. It goes without saying that one is more likely to succeed if he has had some experience in handling the subscription business, as this enables him to do such work intelligently and successfully from the start. ■ A young man who has had experience in such work can, if he is enterprising and has good judgment, easily find work of this kind to do, and if he gives careful attention to business it will enable him to earn a considerable part and possibly all of his college expenses. Doing Carpenter Work. Work in this line may easily be found everywhere. In a town made up largely of a college element, as most college towns 12 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK are, the number of laboring people is almost sure to be rather small in proportion to the total population. As a result there is always a good demand for those who are able to do good carpenter work. The writer has known of many students who have been able, during the summer months and on Saturdays during the en- tire year, to obtain good wages at such work. The writer has in mind at the present time three young men, all of whom paid prac- tically their entire college expenses in this way. One of them supported a wife and small family at the same time. This partic- ular young man, besides working summers and Saturdays for reg- ular contractors, made a specialty of looking after odd jobs, such as repairing, which are usually plentiful at all times of the year in any town. As a result, there was not a day during his entire lit- erary and professional course when he did not have all the work he could possibly do and at a very good rate, as he was a very careful and painstaking workman. Any bright young man, well skilled in the use of carpenters' tools, will have no difficulty what- ever in finding enough employment in any college community to keep him occupied during every minute he can spare from his studies. Such work usually brings from 20 to 30 cents per hour. Another young man once said to the writer that there was not a day during his entire college course, during some part of which he could not have been found in overalls and blouse, using a ham- mer, plane or saw. Though out of school but a few years, he is now acting as consulting engineer for one of the largest manufac- turing establishments in the world and drawing a salary of over $3,000 per year. He was determined to have an education, and having been apprenticed to a carpenter when a boy, and . being obliged to learn the trade, he. took advantage of the skill he had acquired to put himself through college. Nursing. In most cases where a nurse is required it is necessary to secure the services of a trained nurse. However, there are fre- quently cases in every community where the services of attendants one's way through colIvEGe 13 are needed and where especially skilled and high priced nurses are not necessary. Lady students, and especially ladies taking a medical course, who must earn a part or the whole of their college expenses, are able usually to find numerous opportunities to secure employment as nurses. Opportunity for such work may be found in any college community, the larger cities necessarily furnishing more opportunities than the smaller towns in which schools are located. One who is at all adapted to this kind of work and wishes to engage in it will experience little difficulty in finding employment of this kind. Numerous cases might be cited of industrious and enter- prising young women who have by this means been able to obtain a college training. A notable instance of a young woman who did work of this kind in order to secure an education is that of a young lady who is now at the head of an important department of a large city daily paper and has become noted as a great success in her department of newspaper work. Caring for Children. This is one of the few kinds of work which lady students are able to do most successfully. In any community there are al- ways homes in which one can find opportunity to secure a few hours work each day relieving the mother in the care of her chil- dren. In most places it is difficult to obtain such help for only a few hours each day. Such opportunities however, are just what a needy student is anxious to find. Then, too, such young pepole are far more suitable for such work than the ordinary domestic servant. They are, of course, more cultured and far better pre- pared to Jiake charge of little folks; in many cases acting as gov- ernesses as well as nurses. The writer has known of many lady students who have been able to earn practically all of their college expenses by devoting three or four hours a day to this kind of work. There are always numerous opportunities for work of this kind for those who are fitted for it, and who are willing to make the most of their opportunities. 14 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK One young lady who worked her way through a well-known university by doing such work in addition to what she earned dur- ing her summer vacations, is now principal of a large seminary in an eastern city at a salary of $2,100.00 per year. She had less than fifty dollars when she entered college. She did not receive a dollar during the entire four years except what she earned while taking her course and she did not owe a cent when she graduated. Conducting a Kindergarten School. This is a kind of work especially adapted to young women and is taken advantage of by many women who find it necessary to devote a part of their time to earning their college expenses while attending school. The writer has known of several young women who have been eminently successful in doing such work and who have in this way earned a large part and in some cases all of their college expenses. One young lady living in western Tennessee was very anxious to attend school, but was unable to do so because of a lack of means. However, she concluded that an education was within her reach if she really wanted it and was willing to work hard enough to earn it. She finally decided that she would take advantage of an opportunity which was offered to take a short course in a kin- dergarten school. Her idea was to fit herself to do such work so that then she could secure enough pupils in some college com- munity to enable her to meet her college expenses. After taking a short course and then spending a few months in gaining some experience both in soliciting patrons and in doing kindergarten work, she set out for college. She went several weeks before college opened. This time she spent in making a canvass of all families in the community, where there were little children. She succeeded in enrolling a class of eighteen children at fifty cents each per week. She was to take charge of them every day from half past one until half past four. She had to pay a dollar a week for a one's way through college " 1.5 room. This left her eight dollars a week. This she found was quite sufficient to enable her to pay her really necessary expenses. As she grew more experienced and bet-ter acquainted, she secured many additional pupils and was able to employ an assistant part of the time and still be able to earn all of her college expenses without seriousy interfering with her college work. At the end of her four years' course she secured an excellent position in a large normal school to take charge of the kindergarten work. She is said to be one of the best informed teachers on the subject in the country today. Illustrating for Newspapers and Magazines. A rather unusual way for young men and women to earn their college expenses is to do illustrating for newspapers and magazines. A young man from Kansas entered an eastern university. His father was a well-to-do stockman. At the end of the first year of school his father met with a series of misfortunes which left him practically penniless. The young man supposed his col- lege career had ended. . He set about looking for something to do. He explained the situation to one of his professors and expressed deep regret that he was obliged to drop out of school. The professor, however, had learned that the young man had made quite a reputation during his year in college as an illus- trator for several of the college publications. He had in this work shown considerable artistic ability. The professor suggested that possibly he could put this talent to good use and be able to earn his expenses while finishing his course in school. The young man had never dreamed of such a thing, but he concluded to investigate. Armed with a letter of introduction from the professor and various samples of the illustrations he had made, he went to Boston and solicited work from various newspaper publishers, publishing houses and magazine publishers. He was successful beyond his most sanguine hopes. On the very first day, after arriving in the city, he received an order from a large publishing house to furnish l6 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK all the illustrations for a set of books they were about to publish. For this one order he received nearly enough to pay the entire ex- penses of his next college year. During the remainder of his course, he had no difficulty whatever in securing all the work he could possibly do at good prices and so was able to meet all of his expenses and live nearly as well as he had done before his father lost his property. After graduating from college, the young man continued in his work of illustrating and today his illustrations are considered among the very best. Doing work of this kind is, of course, limited to those who have some natural ability for this special kind of work and who have had an opportunity to secure good training. The writer has since learned of a number of young people who have, by doing similar work, been able to earn a college edu- cation. There is a great demand for illustrators who have genuine talent for such work and the remuneration is always very liberal. Soliciting Orders for Chautuaqua Desks. In 1892, a young man living in southern Michigan read a very interesting article in a Chicago papef about how a great many young men worked their way through college. It so happened, however, that he was unuable to take advantage of any of the half dozen or more plans which were mentioned in the article. He decided to see if he could find something to do which would enable him to take a course in college. A short time after that, while visiting a friend in the neighborhood, an agent called and solicited an order for a desk known as the Chautuaqua Desk for children. The agent, in the course of the conversation, men- tioned the fact that he was doing this kind of work in order to earn the money necessary to enable him to finish his college course. The boy who was visiting at the home at once became inter- ested. He found out where the agent was stopping. That very night he had a talk with the agent and gained his permission to be allowed to go with him for a few days in order that he might one's way through COIvIvE;GE vj thoroughly learn how to sell such an article, for he at once decided that he could do something of this kind successfully. At the end of the second day he was fully persuaded that he had found a way by which he could earn enough money to pay his expenses while in college and one that would not seriously interfere with his school work. He at once wrote to the company and secured an agency for the desk. This was in June. By the middle of September, the young man had sold over a hundred and fifty desks. Each sale netted him a dollar and thirty-five cents. This enabled him to save over and above his expenses nearly a hundred and fifty dollars. With this he made a start in school. He continued to devote a certain part of his time to soliciting orders for desks. He spent about two hours each school day and all day Saturday at this kind of work. During the Christmas holidays and the spring recess he devoted his whole time to this work. He was thus able to meet all of his college expenses during the first year. During the following years he did still better and did it in less time, as he devoted only Saturdays and vacations to the work and so was not obliged to neglect his college work in the least. After finishing his academic course, he spent two years at a medical college, continuing to make his expenses in the same manner. He now has a splendid position in the state of Washing- ton as physician and surgeon for a large mining company, where he has made for himself an enviable reputation as one of the most suc- cessful surgeons. Delivering Trunks. A large and rugged farmer's son, living in central Illinois, decided, upon the completion of his high school course in a neigh- boring city, that he would take a course in a college. He realized that in order to do so he would have to work his way through school. How he was going to do so was yet an unsolved problem. He concluded that the best way to settle it would be to go to some college town for a few weeks before school opened and make l8 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK a careful investigation to see if he could find something to do by which he could earn his necessary expenses. Upon his arrival, he engaged a low priced room. He then employed a drayman to haul his trunk from the railroad station to his room. He paid the drayman a quarter for the work. It took the drayman just fifteen minutes. The expenditure of that twenty-five cents set the young man to thinking. He formulated a mathematical proposition about as follows : The catalogue of this school indicates that at least twenty-eight hundred students attend this college. Every one of them necessarily has at least one trunk and many of them no doubt have extra packages, boxes of books, etc., to be delivered. This meant that between seven and eight hundred dollars were expended for this one item when school opened in the fall. He inquired further and found that fully half of the students went home for their Christmas vacation and that a considerable number took their trunks with them. This meant three or four hundred dollars more for dray- age. Then at the spring recess, nearly all of them return to their homes. At. the end of the second semester they all go home for the summer vacation and that means seven or eight hundred more to the draymen. He concluded that if he would make a strong effort he could surely secure a considerable share of this work. At least he was willing to try. He first secured a license for which he paid two dollars. He then employed a farmer with a heavy team to assist him in the business during the week that college opened. For this he paid twenty-five dollars . The farmer agreed to begin as early and work as late as the occasion demanded. The young man engaged three other students to solicit orders for him. He was able in this way to secure orders to deliver over eight hundred trunks and packages . This netted him nearly one hundred and seventy-five dollars. During the Christmas holidays and the spring recess he cleared up nearly as much more and when school closed in the spring he made over one hundred dollars more. He waited table at a students' club for his board. In this way he was able to meet all of his college expenses from the very start and have quite a little surplus. During the following summer he worked on a farm and saved fifty dollars. The next three years he did even better with the trunk delivering business. As a re- one's way through college 19 suit he was able to graduate with hi's ckss both in the literary and law departments of the school he attended and to have a surplus on hand when he left school sufficient to sustain him until he had worked up a law practice . He is now -a well-known corporation lawyer in California with an income of nearly ten thousand dol- lars a year. Repairing Gasoline Stoves. A bright young fellow, living in southeastern Minnesota, was at work in his father's hardware store. The young man had, in a short time, become an expert workman. As there was no gas plant in the place, a great many people used gasoline stoves. The young man's father had worked up quite a trade in repairing such stoves. A considerable part of this work fell to the young man, who had learned to do this par- ticular kind of repair work rapidly and expertly. When the young man had finished his high school course, he wanted to attend college, but had given up the idea because of a lack of means. Two years later, when he had learned his trade, it occurred to him that he might possibly find work in a hardware store in some college town. He at once obtained the names of all the hardware dealers in the town where he had decided that he wanted to go to college. He was sorely disappointed when he heard from each one and learned that none of them needed any, more help. He finally decided that if he would make an especially strong effort, he might secure enough repair work to pay his way through school. At least he was willing to try it. He had saved a little money with which he purchased a kit of tools and a small quantity of necessary material. He had just three dollars left when he reached the college town ten days before the fall term opened. His first work was to locate every gasoline stove within a mile of the college building near which he had secured a room. He then visited the owner of every stove, making known his pur- pose and leaving his name and address. He announced that he 20 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK would call at least once a month and make such repairs as might be needed. At first he found it decidedly discouraging work; but he stuck to it persistently. He charged thirty cents per hour for such work. During the term he ran behind and was obliged to borrow a small amount from a friend. By the end of the first year he was earning enough to pay his absolutely necessary ex- penses. After that he was able to secure all the work he could possibly do without neglecting his college studies. In this way, he not only earned all of his college expenses, but also paid back the money he had borrowed during the first part of his freshman year. Soliciting Orders for Wood and Coal. A considerable number of youjag men have, from time to time, succeeded in making arrangements with some local coal or wood dealer to solicit orders for them. For such work they are usually paid a commission of so much per ton or cord for each order taken. If one attends a college located in a good sized city, where there is a large field for operation, there is ample opportunity for work of this kind, unless the local dealers have formed a trust and agreed not to do soliciting. Where conditions are favorable, many students have been able, by this means, to earn a large part or all of their college expenses. The writer remembers two brothers who were unusually successful in doing this kind of work, one taking up the work when the other finished his college course. Their father was a coal dealer so that the sons were somewhat familiar with the business. One of the young men is now superintendent of schools in a large city in New York. The other is a prominent business man in Chicago. Each attributes much of his success after leaving col- lege to the knowledge of human nature and his ability to deal with people which were gained by the work which each found it neces- sary to do to meet his college expenses. The superintendent of schools writes that he has since ad- vised many young men and women, graduating from his school, to go to college, even if they did not have a dollar to begin with. He says that he is happy to report that a considerable number of his one;'s way through college 21 pupils have followed his advice and have succeeded in obtaining a college training, atlhough wholly dependent upon their own efforts. He believes that in most cases such young people made better men and women for having been obliged to work their way through college. Miending for Lady Students. In 1889, a young lady, living in the country near Blooming- ton, 111., was persuaded by her teacher that she ought to go to college. This was in the spring and she finally decided to enter a ladies' school in Massachusetts the following autumn. The more she thought about the matter the more anxious she was to attend school. Arrangements were all made for her to begin her course the following September, when, through an unexpected misfortune, her father lost practically all of his property. The young lady supposed she would be obliged to give up her school plans. She, however, found it hard to do so. She could not get over her dis- appointment. While talking with a lady friend in Bloomington, she was told of another young lady who had attended a well- known state university and who, by devoting her vacations, holidays and all the time she could spare frorn her studies to soliciting sub- scriptions for a number of well-known magazines, had earned all of her college expenses. She asked herself the question, "Why cannot I do something to earn a college education?" Then, of course, the more difficult question arose, "What can I do ?" She was persuaded that she could not act as an agent because of a nat- ural timidity which she could not overcome. Fortunately, when she was a young girl, her mother had insisted that she should learn to do fine needle work and she had in fact become very ex- pert in this line of work, especially in doing neat repairing for her younger brothers and sisters. It finally occurred to her that possi- bly she might find work of this kind to do among the lady students at college. She wrote the wife of the president of the state uni- versity, inquiring if there was likely to be any opporunity for her to obtain work of this kind. She was overjoyed upon receiving 22 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK a reply to her letter saying that there was a good demand among college girls for persons able to do just such work. She, there- fore, decided to adopt this plan. She wrote the wife of the pres- ident, informing her what she had decided to do. The latter saw to it that notices were posted in conspicuous places in the girls' waiting rooms about the college campus. As a result the young lady soon had all the work she could possibly do at twenty cents an hour. By planning to put in every moment she could spare from her studies, she was able to meet her really necessary ex- penses during her entire four years in. college. She is now a teach- er of Latin in a high school in the state of New York, earning a salary of nine hundred dollars a year. This lady writes that she found no difficulty whatever in earning enough to pay all of her really necessary expenses by the use of her needle and that she was, on every occasion, treated as an equal by classmates, not a few of whom were the daughters of very wealthy parents. There are, probably, very few schools in the country where lady students have not earned the whole or a large part of their education in a similar manner. There is always an abundance of such work to do at every co-educational or ladies' school so that any young woman who is at all .expert with the needle or who is willing to become so may be sure to find plenty to do to enable her to obtain a college education if she really desires to do so. Repairing Bicycles. In 1887, a young boy in a Wisconsin town began his freshman ye&r in the village school. His father was a drayman. The boy wanted a bicycle, but his father did not, feel able to gratify his de- sire. The boy then determined that he would in some way earn enough money to get a wheel. He adopted the rather slow process of raising chickens. By helping his father Saturdays he soon earned money sufficient to buy four hens and eggs with which to set them and also to purchase feed for them. The following fall he had forty-two fowls. The next season he raised over a hundred chickens, making him ONE S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 23 nearly one hundred and fifty. The following September he closed out his chicken business and was soon the happy owner of a brand new fifty dollar wheel, the result entirely of his individual efforts. He soon learned that bicycles, like other machines, often get out of repair. In order not to be at the expense of taking it to a machine shop for repairs, he set about studying how to make all ordinary repairs which were so frequently necessary on his wheel. In doing this he soon acquired considerable skill in. that kind of work. His schoolmates, noticing his success in bicycle re- pairing, employed him to repair their wheels. In the course of a year the young man had worked up a good business among the young fellows of his acquaintance who rode bicycles. When he completed his course in the village school, he de- cided that he would like to take a college course. How to raise the necessary money was apparently an unsurmountable obstacle. It finally occurred to him that possibly he could work his way through school.' He had heard that other young men had been able to do so. Why could he not do so himself? But what to do, was the question. He had about given up trying to think of any way by which he could earn a college education. Finally the idea flashed upon him that he could earn his expenses by repairing bi- cycles, in which he had developed considerable skill and by which he had accumulated a bank account of nearly fifty dollars. Part of this he used in buying a small kit of tools and the necessary repairing material. The balance was used to pay his rail- road fare to the place where he had decided to work his way through school. He began operations by making a careful list of every per- son in the college community who rode a wheel and then person- ally solicited them to give him their repair work whenever they needed anything in that line and left with them a neatly printed card telling where they could find him and the hours each day he would devote to the work. He was more than astonished at the success of his plan. After three months it became necessary for him to secure the as- sistance of another student who also had had a little experience in that line and who was also working his way through school by doing such odd jobs as he could pick up. He did not have the least difficulty in making every dollar 24 OV'ER lOO WAYS TO WORK of his college expenses while taking an engineering course. He is now an engineer with a large railroad company and is making a remarkable success of his work. Delivering Milk. Most people have an idea that the boy or girl who goes to college has an easy time of it. This may be true in a measure with those whose parents are well-to-do and are able to pay all of their children's expenses and gratify their every desire. It certainly is not the case with the thousands of young men and women -who are struggling to obtain a college education and have nothing more than their own efforts on which to depend. Those who hav? adopted the plan mentioned at the head of this article have found the work necessary to obtain a college course a decidedly stren- uous experience. The writer is acquainted with three young men, each of whom, every morning for four years, began work at half past three o'clock and worked until nine o'clock in order to earn the money necessary to enable him to obtain a college education. This they did regularly through winter and summer, rarely, if ever, missing a day from their work and practically never failing to attend their recitations and have their lessons well prepared. Every one of these young men is now a successful business or professional man. One of them is an attorney in St. Louis, Mo., with a practice of nearly ten thousand dollars a year and an in- fluential and highly respected citizen. Another is a chemist for a large manufacturing establishment in Chicago. The third is head surgeon in a large hospital on the Pacific coast. Not one of them ever expended a dollar during his college course which he did not earn by helping to milk the cows and then deliver the milk to his employer's patrons. one's way through college 25 Repairing Tinware. •A few years ago, a young man living in a small village in Ontario, Canada, was persuaded to give up a position, which he had taken in a hardware store in order to learn the tinner's trade, and attend a commercial school. He had, by rigid economy, been able to save a dollar a week. He had accumulated fifty dollars and he concluded that he had money enough to enable him to spend three months at a small commercial school in a neighboring town. Just at the time he was expecting to leave his work as a tinner and take up the course in the commercial school, his uncle, who lived in Ohio, made a visit at the boy's home. The uncle was, of course, informed of the young man's plans. He at once took occasion to have a talk with the young man. The uncle said that he ought to strive for something better in the way of an education; that instead of attending school for only three or four months he ought to attend some good college for three or four years. The young man, of course, did not see how such a thing was possible. The uncle said to him that it was possible for him to obtain a col- lege education if he really wished it. The uncle, who lived in a college town, explained to the young man how a great many young people worked their way through school and that it would be just as easy for him to do something of the kind as is was for hundreds of others. This set the young man to thinking, but the question arose, What could he do to enable him to earn a college education? The uncle said to him, "Work at your trade. Get a kit of tinner's tools and work up custom among the residents in some college town. The ma- jority of housekeepers would be only too glad to have a good tinner come to the house every month or two and make necessary repairs." The young man carefully considered the matter and finally concluded that possibly by adopting this plan he could attend school and take a college course. The writer met him four years later. He had just taken a degree from one of the best known universities in America and had paid every dollar of his expenses by mending tinware during the summer vacation and on Saturdays and during the few hours which he could spare each day from his studies during the week. It doesn't take very long for one to become fairly expert 26 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK in doing the simpler kinds of work in this line. There is always plenty of such work to do in every community, so that there are opportunities in every college town for one or more young men to earn thefr c&Uegs expenses in this way. The writer has known several young men who liave. adopted this same plan and have done well at it. Doubtless the same kiad of work has been done in practically every college community in America; The work is easily learned and the expense of an outfit is light and there b always plenty of such work to do, if one is only willing to hunt it up and ask for it. , Decorating. While the writer was a college student he formed the ac- quaintance of a young man, a student in one of the departments in the college, whom the landlady had employed to decorate the rooms which the writer occupied. This young man was the son of poor parents living in southern Indiana. When he had finished the course in the village school where he lived, he had secured em- ployment with a painter and decorator in the village and had spent a year doing such work. During that time he had become fairly expert at the business. One day he happened to read an article in the Youth's Com- panion which caused him to think that it would be a good thing if he should go to college. But how to do so was a serious prob- lem. He was able to earn only a small salary while learning the trade. His prospects of ever being able to earn a great deal at his business were not very bright. Consequently he could not save very much. However, he became very anxious to find some way to go to school. He talked with his friends about it. It happened that the principal of the school had had occasion to see some of the work which the young man had done and noticed that it was much better than the ordinarj'. He, therefore, suggested to the young man that with his trade so well learned and with good health, there was nothing in the world to hinder him from obtaining the best education in the country. He explained to him that by work- one's way through COLI.EGE 27 ing at his trade during the summer vacations and all the time he could possibly spare from his college work during the school year he could easily work his way through college. He assured the young man that if "he would stick closely to business, working at his trade instead of indulging in athletic sports, playing billiards or loafing in fellow students' rooms, he could easily earn all of his college expenses and at the same time make a first-class record as a student. The young man thought the matter over. The . plan looked very feasible and he decided to try it. He was in his senior year when the writer became acquainted with him while he was decorat- ing the writer's room. The young man said that he had been able to earn practica^lly every dollar of his expenses and that he had, he believed, made as good a record as the average of his class. After leaving college, he went into the railroad business in the west and is now vice-president and general manager of a railroad com- pany and is earning a salary of six thousand dollars a year. Publishing Programs. A very successful method which has frequently been adopted by students in order to work their way through school is publish- ing programs for football games, baseball games, track meets, and other athletic events. The plan is to furnish, free of cost to those in charge of the events, programs sufficient for all who attend. A profit is made by printing advertisements on these programs. The writer has known of a large number of young men who have adopted this plan and who have been very successful. One young man, living in Indiana, had worked for several years in his father's printing office. He then concluded that he could utilize his kowledge of the newspaper business and job print- ing in working his way through college. He adopted the plan of getting out programs for all of the athletic events. At first he found it decidedly difficult work. After he became better acquainted with business men and had gained their confidence, he was able to 28 OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK make a great success of his plan. He succeeded so well in solicit- ing advertisements for his programs that his work paid him very well indeed after the first year. His success was noticed by one of his classmates, a son of the publisher of one of our popular monthly magazines. Just before he graduated the young man, who had gained a great deal of valuable experience as a solicitor of ad- vertising, was offered a position as advertising solicitor by the father of his classmate. Later he became advertising manager for the magazine and he now handles from twentj^ to forty thousand dollars worth of business every month and receives a salary of more than double that obtained by the president of the college where he attended school. Motormen on Street Cars. The rapid development of electric railroads in all parts of the country has made itvpossible for many students to secure work as substitute motormen when the regularly employed motormen are sick or wish to be relieved for a time and also when extra cars are to be run on special occasions. Consequently, many students are able to secure work of this kind. It does not require a great deal of training to do such work. The writer has known of a num- ber of enterprising young men who have in this way earned from one-third to one-half of their entire college expenses during the school year. Some of these have, during the summer vacation, earned nearly if not quite enough more to enable them to pay all their college expenses. In order to be able to do such work well it is quite necessary that one gain some knowledge and experience in this paritcular line of work. Although not a great deal of ex- perience is required, one who has operated a car, even if it is only for a few weeks, will find it much easier to secure employment as a motorman than one who has had no experience whatever. Now that electric cars are becoming so common, one may readily find an opportunity almost anywhere to familiarize himself with the manipulation of an electric car, so that, in case he finds it neces- sary to earn part of his college expenses by doing such work, he 0NE:'S way through COI.LEGE 29 can be ready to take advantage of the opportunity, should it offer, offer. Acting as Pastors. Those who desire to obtain a college education, with the in- tention eventually of entering the ministry, are often able to find openings with small village or country congregations within easy reach of the school they are attending, where Saturdays and Sun- days can be devoted to pastoral work. Usually such congregations, though small, are able to pay enough to enable the student pastor to continue his work in school. The writer has known probably fifty young men who have done such work very successfully and at the same time been able to carry on their college work and keep up with their classes. There have been a number of cases where young men could not find a church with a sufficient membership to pay for service every week. In such cases arrangements have been made to alter- nate between two localities and in this way enough income could be procured to meet expenses. Those who contemplate entering the ministry and who are unable to pay their entire expenses during their college course usually have no trouble to find sufficient work of this kind to enable them to go on and complete their work in college without having to stop to earn the necessary means. The writer is personally acquainted with a large number of men, now pastors of some of our strongest and best churches, hav- ing won a national reputation for their learning and ability, who, while students, were able to obtain a college education by doing pastoral work in small places and at the same time gain much useful training for their future work. They were young men who were willing to work and who were conscientious in their work. Being without means, they were ready to take advantage of such opportunities to work their way through college. There are today in every college community just as many opportunities for young men capable of doing such work as there have been in the past ; places where much good may be accomplished 30 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK by earnest young men while they are at the same time helping themselves through school. Keeping Books for Business Houses. The writer has known of more than a dozen young men who have taken a university course and paid a large part, and, in some cases, all of their college expenses by doing book-keeping for business men. At the present time the writer is acquainted with two young men, neither of whom devotes more than ten hours during the school week, and all day Saturday to keeping the books of two business firms in this city. One of them earns four dollars and a half, and the other five dollars and a quarter for this work. This with what they can earn during the summer vacation enables them to pay all of the really necessary expenses while attending college. A limited number of young people who are experienced book- keepers, or who are willing to devote a few months' time before entering college to thoroughly fit themselves to do this kind of work, may be certain to find in almost any college town remuner- ative employment of this kind for a part of each day. Residents of college towns are almost universally disposed to favor students whenever opportunity offers, so that the young man who is really in earnest about securing an education and is willing to do any kind of honorable work will find the citizens in practically every college community disposed to give him the prefer- ence whenever they have anything which a student can do. A number of young men who have taken a course in a com- mercial school, and then have decided to go on and seciire a better general education,, have found their knowledge of book-keeping a very great help to them. It enables them to find remunerative employment and makes it possible for them to take a course in college and fit themselves for the higher commercial positions to which the ordinary graduate of a commercial school is unable to attain. one's way through college 31 Business Managers for College Publications. In every college of any size there are numerous publications controlled by the vairious student organizations. The business managers for these publications are usually allowed a liberal com- mission for their work in attending to the business management. Such work consists of soliciting advertisements and securing subscribers. While it is not generally supposed that these pub- lications are very remunerative, the writer knows of many cases where bright young men have, in such positions, made more than their college expenses, and made them in a perfectly legitimate manner. The young man who has had some successful experience in newspaper work and especially in the business management of newspapers is well fitted for such work and, if he is willing to make the most of his opportunities, can easily secure a position as busi- ness manager on some one of the various publications issued by the different student organizations and in this way earn a large part or all of his college expenses. It goes without saying that one must have some special fitness for this kind of work and, in addition, some actual exper- ience in doing it. With the two, success is practically certain. Business men in college towns usually make a strong bid for the patronage of the students. This leads them to be very liberal advertisers in college publications. The rate charged for space in such publications is without exception very high, thus allowing a liberal margin as commission for the man who manages the business part of the publication. For the right man, that is, one naturally adapted to the work and with experience in doing it, there are usually plenty of opportunities to earn a part or all of his ex- penses while taking a college course. Washing Dishes. It will, no doubt, seem rather strange that young men should engage in what is usually considered woman's work. It is, how- ever, a very common thing in the majority of college towns for young 32 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK men to do such work. This is, no doubt, accounted foT by the fact that it is usually very difficult for large boarding houses to find enough women to do the large amount of dish washing to be done in a boarding house three times a day. Where there are from fifty to one hundred and fifty boarders, and many boarding houses in college towns have that many, it is a very great convenience to be able to obtain help for a part of the day. It is not an uncommon thing, therefore, for boarding houses to furnish board to a number of students in return for washing dishes after each meal. It is a kind of work which does not require a great deal of skill or special training. The principal difficulties which the boarding house keeper experiences at first when employing such help is the ten- dency to break dishes because of the lack of skill in handling them, and inability to work rapidly. These, however, are soon overcome. In every college town where there is a school of any si'^^e there can always be found a number who are earning their beard by doing such work. Students who do this usually work about an hour after each meal. The work pays them at the rate of from ten to twenty cents per hour. In this way they are able to pay at least one-third or more of their necessary college expenses. The work does not usually interfere with the carrying on of their col- lege studies. Some of the very best students the writer has ever known have done this kind of work in order to obtain an education. In most places such work would be considered beneath the dignity of a man, but in a college town any kind of legitimate work which a young man or woman may do to gain an education is consid- ered honorable. Great credit is usually given such young men, because of their willingness to make a sacrifice in order to take a course in college. The writer recalls the cases of three young men who did this kind of work which, supplemented by their vacation earnings, paid their entire college expenses. One of these young men is now principal of one of the best high schools in the Middle West. Another is a division superintendent of one of our great transcon- tinental railroads. The third is a very successful corporation attor- ney in Chicago. one's way through coll,ege 33 Delivering Daily Papers. A college community is always noted as a newspaper read- ing community. It is no doubt true that usually more papers are read in a college town than in other places of four or five times the population. Besides the usual college daily, the morning and evening editions of the city dailes are usually very generallj' read. The delivery of these daily papers regularly and promptly requires a small army of carriers. In every college community not a few of these carriers are students who contract to deliver papers over specified routes. In this way they are able to derive a consideraljle income which very largely defrays their college expenses. Ar the same time those doing this kind of work have the benefit of plenty of outdoor exercise, a very desirable thing which too many college students fail to get. It is not an unusual thing in a college town to see early in the evening or at sunrise a stalwart young man hurrying along with a big bundle of evening or morning papers. The writer could name a number of prominent and influential people, in both professional and commercial life, who helped them- selves through college in this way. A former dean in one of our great educational institutions was able to help himself through col- lege by carrying papers early every morning to his college pro- fessors and fellow students during his entire college course. He did not despise the day of small things but stuck to his task until he completed his course and was able to start out on a career that enabled him before many years to rise far above many of those for whom he had so faithfully performed such humble service. Pastoral Helpers. It is becoming more and more common for pastors of large churches to make use of pastoral helpers as assistants in their work. In every college community a few young men and wo- men, qualified to render such assistance, find work of this kind for a part of their time. They act as secretaries to the pastor, assist in the Sunday school, help in the prayer meetings, relieve the pastor in making calls, help in the senior and junior endeavor 34 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK societies, and in many other ways. There is always plenty of .;uch work to do in assisting the pastor in the multitudinous duties which devolve upon him in a college town. Those who have been active in church work in their homes and have had some experience in the kind of work mentioned above are the most likely to secure such work to do and to succeed at it. While the income from this kind of work is necessarily small, the students who do it are usually those who need just this little extra amount to enable them to keep on with their college work. Pastors, as a rule, prefer to employ for such work students who are preparing for the ministry. It is not always possible to find such young men. The scarcity of young men taking the ministerial course makes it necessary, there- fore, in many instances, for the pastors to accept the help of som.e Christian young man who is not fitting 'himself for the ministry. Setting Type. There is always a large amount of printing done in every college town. College professors, college organizations and so-' cieties of all kinds, as well as the students themselves, make use of more or less printed material. This makes it possible for stu- dents who are skilled as typesetters to obtain a considerable amount of such work to do. The prices usually paid for first-class work, such as an intelligent and experienced student is usually able to do, are usually very liberal. If one, therefore, is able to secure employment of this kind for two or three hours each day and all day, Saturdays, he can easily earn from one-half to three-fourths or even more of his college expenses. The writer has known dozens of young men and a few young women who have by this means found it possible to take a college course. Young people Avho contemplate entering college and who must earn their way wholly or in part may be certain of earning a large part at lea.st of their expenses in some college town, if they will learn to do all kinds of work about a printing office, such as setting straight and display matter, distributing type and running job and cylinder presses. It does not take long for an intelligent young man or \voman to thoroughly fit himself or herself to do satisfactory work of this one:'s way through college 35 kind. It quite frequently happens in every college town that the proprietors of printing offices are glad to employ efficient student help in cases of rush work and usually pay good prices for such assistance. Some proprietors of printing estabHshn tents in college towns make it a business to employ as much student help as possi- ble as a matter of business policy. By doing this, they are able to keep morely closely in touch with the college people who naturally turn a considerable volume of work their way. The proprietor of one of the leading printing offices in an eastern college town has continually one or more student printers employed, giving them enough work to enable each of them to earn from $100.00 to $150.00 per year. The manager of this office informs the writer that he could very frequently make use of more student help, if it were available. Stewards for Boarding Houses. The large number of students attending our well-known col- leges and universities necessitates a large number of boarding houses. A considerable number of these houses, especially those carried on by women, find it advantageous to give some young man his board and often his room rent in return for his services in the purchase of groceries and in soliciting boarders for the house from among his fellow students and classmates. In this way, the boarding house keeper is able to keep the tables at her house well filled. The landlady who engages a young man to do this is us- ually well satisfied if the steward keeps her tables filled. The wide- awake young man usually has little trouble doing this simply by soiciting those who are congenial to each other, as for example, students of the same class or same department, that is, students of law or students of medicine, or students of engineering or den- tistry, or of some other department, or the members of some club or fraternity. By doing something like this it is much easier to retain students at the same place. There are each year many opportunities to secure work of this kind and young men and even young women are able to earn their board, and sometimes very much more than that, by doing 36 OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK a few hours' work each day. Such places are usually carefully looked after and are therefore somewhat difificult to obtain, until one has been in school at least a year and has made it a point to get acquainted with people who employ such help. The writer remembers one young man who entered school and learned of this method of earning one's board. But he could not find an opportunity to secure such a place. However, he did not despair. Later he succeeded in finding a woman who agreed to start a boarding house, if he would agree to secure a certain num- ber of boarders. He did so and made the business a success. In fact, he was so successful that during the last three years of his college course he employed three women regularly to carry on a boarding house of his own, of which he took the entire responsi- bility. He was so successful that besides making his own college expenses he accumulated something over $500.00 surplus. Although this young man has been out of college only a few years, he has become so successful as an educator that he is now president of a small though progressive western college and is rapidly gaining a great reputation as an executive and as a teacher. He attributes not a little of his success to the severe practical train- ing derived from his struggle to obtain a university education. Agents for Bicycles. In years past, when bicycling was a fad and practically everybody from five to fifty owned and rode a wheel, it was very common for some energetic student to secure the agency for some well-known wheel. Those who did so found it a rather easy matte^r to secure a sufficient number of orders from students and others to enable them to earn a considerable part of their college expenses. Even now, when nobody buys a bicycle unless he wants it for actual service, there is a sufficiently large and constant demand for bicycles to make it possible for a live student to do a consid- erable amount of business in buying and selling wheels. The writer is personally acquainted with dozens of young men who have taken advantage of this method to help them earn their college one's way through COIvIvKGE 37 expenses. Some of these have been eminently successful. One in particular the writer remembers made his entire college expenses selling wheels, and has since become manager of a well-known bicycle firm at a large salary. In order to succeed in this, as in everything else, one must make some special preparation in advance or the chances are that he will make a failure of it. The lack of special preparation for the work undertaken is the real cause of the large majority of fail- ures of those who attempt to work their way through school. The difficulty lies in the individual rather than in the method adopted. Book Agents. There is no other one thing, unless it is that of waiting table, in which more students engage in order to earn their college expenses. Usually college men and college women, too, make very successful canvassers. Consequently large numbers of students do such work during summer vacation and not infrequently make enough in commissions to meet their entire college expenses for the following school year. Of course, some, who are not adapted to the work, make a failure of it. It is, however, safe to say that at least four out of every five students who try this work are fairly successful and are able to earn enough during the three months of summer vacation and during the Christmas holidays and spring recess to enable them to meet practically all of their college expenses. Those who try this sort of work and do not succeed in mak- ing enough at the book business during the vacation time to pay all of their expenses often help out during the college year by waiting table or by some of the other numerous ways which stu- dents find it advantageous to adopt. The writer has known a great many students who are especially adapted to this particular kind of work, who easily make enough during the summer months to pay their entire year's expenses. We have in mind now a bright young fellow who, by soliciting orders for a well-known sub- scription book, not only paid all of his college expenses, but sup- ported an invalid mother at the same time. Another instance we will cite is that of a young man who is now a brilliant attorney 38 OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK and a member of the United States congress. He entered college practically without a dollar. He was able to complete his college course with his class and save besides nearly $1,000 by acting as agent for a well-known recipe book. The publishers of sub- scription books are always on the lookout for student agents. Be- fore starting such agents out to work they are given a thorough training course. This training is usually a very thorough drill in the principles of scientific salesmanship and often is of more prac- tical value than any course which one obtains in college. Soliciting Subscriptions for Newspapers. Students who have had experience as solicitors and who are adapted to that kind of work frequently secure employment by the subscription managers of the daily papers. They are usually paid a commission for such work. Many a young man, by devoting two or three hours a day canvassing for subscriptions and in col- lecting from those already taking the paper, has been able to com- plete his college course. The writer has known of a great many students who have done this kind of work and made a splendid success at it. A good canvasser can always secure work of this kind for such part of his time as he can devote to it and, if he applies himself energetically and tactfully, he can easily earn a con- siderable part or all of his necessary college expenses. One young man who paid his way through college by doing this sort of work was so successful at it that, as soon as he grad- uated, he was offered an important position as manager of the sub- scription department of one of our large city daily papers at a very much better salary than that which college graduates are usually able to obtain. It was his successful work as a student canvasser that secured him his position. His ability was recognized and he was able at once to step into a good position at a salary of more than $1,000 a year to begin with. In less than a year, his work was so satisfactory that he was able to command more than double the salary at which he began. one's way through coi^lege; 39 Selling Copies of Lectures. A considerable part of the instruction in almost all colleges and universities is given in lectures by the professors. The stu- dents who attend such lectures are expected to take notes on the main points touched 'upon by the lecturer. From the study of these notes, and the various books referred to, the students prepare for recitation and examination. As the large majority of the students cannot write shorthand, they do not obtain very full and accurate notes, especially if the professor happens to be a rapid speaker, as is often the case. Consequently, students who are able are us- ually willing to pay a fair price for complete notes to some student stenographer who will take full notes in shorthand and then make dupjicate copies of his transcript by use of some of the various devices for this purpose. For example, if a class of say one hundred students is taking a lecture course in psychology or histqry, no matter in what school, at least seventy-five of the hundred are usually willing to pay from three to five cents each for a moderately complete report of each lecture. Many a student has in this way been able to make from three to four dollars or more per week out of a popular lecture course. The students who buy the lectures have a double advan- tage. First, they are able to give their undivided attention to the lecture; second, in this way they are able to obtain a much better report of the lecture than it would be possible for them to secure in longhand. This has been done for years by numerous students in every department of many of the larger schools. Usually the student who is willnig to take the time in advance and prepare himself thorouhgly to do this kind of work can make practically all of his college expenses in this way. In fact, many have done better than this, having earned not only their entire college ex- penses, but have also earned considerably more, one young man whom the writer knows well having made enough over and above his college expenses to enable him to take a trip abroad. 40 oVer ioo ways to work Coachmen. Every year a limited number of young men who are willing to do such work find employment at some of the numerous liveries in the college community or with some physician or other person who finds it necessary to employ a coachman. Such work is not usually very difficult and can in most cases be done during hours which do not interfere seriously with one's college work. One of the brightest young men who ever attended a well-known university took care, regularly, of the carriage and horses of a well-known professor. He did not consider the work beneath him. All who knew him, except a few snobs, honored him for doing such work in order to secure an education. To accommodate his employer in the matter of hours, it was impossible at all times for him to take just the studies he desired at the time he wished to take them. At the end of his course, however, he had been able to take every study he had mapped out in the beginning except two. The reason he chose the particular kind of employment was because he had had some experience in doing such work and the professor who employed him was willing to pay more for a man with even only a little experience than he would pay a coachman with no experience whatever. Assistants in Hospitals, In every school which has a medical department there are always numerous opportunities for young men and women, es- pecially those taking the medical course, to secure positions as assistants in the college hospital. Other medical students are often able to secure employment in private hospitals, especially during the junior and senior years, and in this way are able to earn a con- siderable part, and, in some cases, all of their expenses. Such positions are always of greater value to the student than the sti- pend received for such service, since those who secure these places are greatly benefitted by the special advantages such positions give them in their medical work. Such positions place them more closely one; s way through coi^legb 41 in touch with actual medical practice and the management of im- portant cases. Because of the great advantages of such positions, they are always eagerly sought. One must, therefore, have a good standing in his college work in order to secure an appointment of this kind. Such places, if creditably filled, frequently lead to pro- motion and often to professorships in the school. In almost every medical school in the country some of the instructors can attribute their success almost entirely to the opportunity of which the lack of means compelled them to take advantage. Organizing Orchestras and Giving Concerts. The writer has known of a number of young men, with talent for such work and capable of taking the lead in musical matters, who have succeeded in organizing successful orchestras among their fellow students. These orchestras give concerts in adjoining cities and, in many cases, have met with considerable success. Several of those who have had charge of such undertak- ings have been able to earn a fair income. In some instances those in charge have made more than their college expenses and at the same time carried on their university work successfully. Musical organizations of this kind receive fre- quent calls to furnish music for parties and entertainments of various kinds. The writer happens to know of one young man who, by the exercise of his musical talents and good busi- ness judgment, is supporting himself and a sister at the present time in college. There is a considerable demand for ability of this kind in practically every college community and the person who is a good musician, either vocal or instrumental, is almost sure to find ample Opportunities to exercise his talent in this direction and always at a fair remuneration. Clerking in Book Stores. A college town necessarily has more and larger book stores than cities even of much larger population. There are certain times in the year when book stores in college towns are especially 42 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK busy. For two or three weeks at the opening of each semester, the opening of the summer schaol, which most schools have, and also for several weeks preceding the Christmas holidays, a considerable number of students, both men and women, find profitable employ- ment as salesmen. Students are usually especially well adapted to this kind of work and are almost always given the preference when temporary assistants are needed by book dealers. A great many students are in this way able to earn a considerable amount each year and thus add materially to the income necessary to enable them to continue their studies. In almost every college town from ten to twenty students are assisted in this way every year. Those who have had some experience as clerks in book and sta- tionery stores, if they make application early, have little difficulty in securing such employment. There is so much keen competition for all kinds of student work in most colleges that only those who are experienced and who apply early are sure to secure a position of this kind. Selling Laundry and Toilet Soaps. In 1891 a young lady in Delaware county, Iowa, read a maga- zine article about a young woman who had worked her way through college by doing fine needle work. This young lady was not ex- perienced in anything .of this sort, but concluded that possibly there was something she could do to pay her college expenses. She began to think the matter over, but nothing suggested itself to her and she was about to give up in despair when a young lady called upon her mother to solicit an order for toliet and laundry soaps. It took her but a few minutes to secure an order for a considerable quantity to be delivered at three different times, part at once, part in three months and the balance in six months. The price of the soap was slightly below that charged by her grocer. The daughter at once concluded that she had at last found the means by which she could work her way through school. She was convinced that she could learn to sell such a necessary article as soap. She asked permission to go with the agent while she was canvassing the ONE S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 43 village in order that she might get some suggestions which would help her to do the same kind of work. Within two or three days she had become so familiar with the agent's methods that she ofifered to canvass certain sections of the city free of charge to the agent simply for the experience it would give her. She found the work easy and was fairly successful. She did not, therefore, hesi- tate a moment about taking up the work on her own account. The same company which employed the agent offered her the same commission and suggested a locality where she could attend school and devote only a part of her time to the work She went to the place several weeks before the next school year opened and began her work of canvassing. She soon secured a considerable number of regular customers. By calling upon them regularly every third or fourth Saturday and making prompt delivery to her customers she secured enough orders to enable her to meet the larger part of her college expenses. The balance was made up by canvassing during the various holidays and a part of the summer vacation. The result of this young woman's success was that the com- pany for which she worked decided that it would be a good plan to emploj'^ in every college community enthusiastic young men and women who desired to earn a college course to act as agents for them In this waj' this company has been instrumental in enabling nearly fifty young people to work their way through school in different cplleges during the past dozen years. Sweeping and Dusting. A wealthy woman, residing in a well-known college town in Ohio, decided to spend her summer vacation in a northern Michigan summer resort. She rented a rather commodious cottage for the months of July and August. She had scarcely become settled in her summer quarters when her maid was taken sick and was obliged to return to her home in Ohio. She made inquiries in the neighborhood for a young woman to do the work in her cottage during the summer. She secured the services of a young girl who had just graduated from the village school. She was 44 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK a very bright girl. She had been taught how to do ordinary house- work very thoroughly and very neatly. Her work so pleased her employer that she was asked to continue in her service at her home in Ohio. The young lady said she would be glad to do so, but she wanted to find some way by- which she could go to college, as she was very anxious to finish her education. Knowing that the young lady's parents were poor, she was asked how she expected to procure the necessary means. She said she did not know, but that she was willing to do any kind of honorable worlr to enable her to attend school. Her employer then offered to give her her board and room rent for a certain number of hours' work each day for sweeping and dusting and other work at her home in Ohio. She also offered to find her plenty of such work to do on Saturdays to enable her to earn all her other expenses. The young \\'or,ian was thus enabled to enter school the following September. Her work of sweeping and dusting was done so much more thoroughly than that of the ordinary domestic servant that she soon acquii-ed a reputation for doing good work and she had very shortly a great deal more work offered her than she could possibly do. She had no trouble whatever in earning her entire college expenses. She also arranged for enough work to enable her sister to enter college the next fall and she was able to complete her course in the same way. In every college communi<-y in this country there are opportunities for a number of girls, if they are able and willing to do such work efficiently, to earn their entii-e college expenses The writer has known a great many young women who have earned a considerable part and in many cases all of their college expenses in this way. Ordering Groceries for Boarding Houses. A young man clerking in a grocery store in a small village in Wisconsin told his pastor one day that he was trying to save enough money to enable him to obtain a college education. He said he had become discouraged and felt like giving it up, as his salary was very small and he feared that his savings would never ONE S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 45 amount to enough to enable him to go away to college. The min- ister said to himi, "Why don't you do as I did and work your way through school, without spending years working at a small salary trying to save up enough money while you are working at a mere pittance? If you wait long enough to save up money sufficient to take you through college the chances are you will never go to college at all." The young man wanted to know what he could do to earn his way through school. The minister said, "There are plenty of ways by which a young man can do this. Suppose you think the matter over carefully and then select whatever kind of work you think you would like best to do and at which you think you could most easily succeed." The young man did think the matter over very carefully. About that time he was asked to help keep the books for his employer. In examining the bills of goods received, he discovered that there was a considerable margin be- tween the wholesale prices which were paid for the goods and the retail price which was received for them. The idea came to the young fellow that possibly he might go to some college town and make arrangements with a number of boarding houses to order their supplies for them from wholesale houses and in this way make enough money to pay his way. The more he thought the matter over the more he became convinced that he could work his way through school by doing something of this kind. He had saved up about $75.00. This would enable him to pay for the first few orders of goods and he could sell these at a slightly lower price than the regular dealers, and by insisting upon a strictly cash business, he decided that he could make a success of it. He again consulted with his pastor and also with his em- ployer and other friends and they, too, were favorably impressed. His employer said to him that his enthusiasm would no doubt be one of the important factors of success in the work. Four years later the young man graduated from one of the best universities in this country. During these years he had worked up his business to such an extent that he had paid all of his expenses and had nearly enough left to enable him to attend a German university for a year. He sold out the busniess for more than enough to make up what was lacking and a year later returned from Europe with a doctor's degree from the university at Leipsic. The young man is no\v an assistant professor of chemistry in a well-known western universitjf. 46 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK Night Clerk in Hotels. The son ,of a tavern keeper in a small town in western Mich- igan became acquainted with a travelling man who visited their little village once every three months. One day, while talking with the man of the road, the son asked him if there were any oppor- tunities to secure a position with the firm for which the travelling man worked. The latter said to the young man, "What you need most of all is a good education. If you will go to school and get an education you will find plenty of avenues open to you and your opportunities all through life will be much greater than they will be if you do not have a college training." "But," said the young man, "how can I go to college? I have no means and my father's business does not make it possible for him to pay my college expenses." "That need not hinder you," said his friend. "Go to some college town and work your way through. If you are willing to do that, there is nothing to prevent you obtaining a first-class col- lege education." "What can I do?" said the 3'oung man. The travelling man replied that he would think the matter over' and would suggest something to him the next time he visited that place. When he came back, three months later, he said to the young man that while stopping at a certain college town in Ohio he had a talk with the proprietor of the principal hotel in the place and had secured the promise from the hotel keeper to give the young man a position as night clerk, which would pay him enough to meet all his expenses while attending the college located in that place. He said that the work was such that it would not seriously interfere with his studies in school. He had, he said, almost continuously for over twenty years had students work their way through school in that manner and that all of them had suc- ceeded in carrying on their school work very satisfactorily. The young man was only too glad of the opportunity. A month later he reported at the hotel for work and began his course in college. At all times during the year he was able to attend to the duties of his position, secure several hours of sleep each night, and also devote several hours to his books. During the early part one's way through college: 47 of each forenoon he took additional sleep sufficient to keep in health. During the afternoon and early evening, before his night work began, he had ample opportunity to devote enough more time to his studies to enable him to keep up with his classes. Inquiry at other schools shows that the same plan is adopted by many young men in other- college towns. There is, therefore, a considerable field for young men to secure employment of this sort and thus be able to work their way through school. The young man who has had a little experience in doing such w.ork always has the best chance of securing employment. The young man referred to above is now general manager of a large wholesale house in a western state at a large salary and has become one of the prominent and influential citizens in the city where he lives. Night Operator in Telephone Exchange. Work of this kind is frequently done by college students. Opportunities to obtain such work are quite numerous in a large city. The work is usually light as the calls at the exchange during the latter part of the night are usually infrequent. This permits a persion to secure several hours sleep or to do considerable studying during the latter half of the night. The writer has known at least a dozen young men who have taken advantage of this method of earning their college expenses. He has not known of a single one who has tried this kind of work and failed to obtain a' college education and do his school work in a fairly satisfactory manner. There is, doubtless, in every college town in America a tele- phone exchange which employs night operators and where students stand just as good a chance as anybody to secure work and usually work sufficient to enable them to pay a large part or all of their college expenses. ' It is scarcely necessary to say that at least a little experience in doing work in a telephone exchange will greatly increase one's chance of securing employment of this kind. 48 ' OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK Conducting a Summer Normal School. A young man living on a farm in northern Indiana succeeded in borrowing enough money to enable him to spend a year at a small normal school in that state. He then taught a district school for two years. During his spare time he read everything he could get hold of on the subject of pedagogy, especially works relating to the work of the country school teacher. By the most rigid economy and by working as a farm hand during the summer season he suc- ceeded in saving enough money to enable him to attend a well- known university for a year. It was after this that he began to put to practical use the result of his study of the science of teaching. Just before the close of his freshman year, after carefully investigating the matter, he found that there were several counties in northern Michigan where no teachers' institutes were held. He at once decided upon a location and arranged to conduct a Summer Normal School of ten weeks. He got out neatly printed announcements and mailed a copy to every country school teacher living within a hundred miles of the place where he had decided to hold the school. The first year he had only twenty-seven pupils at a tuition of eight dol- lars each. After paying the expense of advertising, rent, board and railroad fare, he had left only one hundred and fifty-one dollars. But he had made a start and had enough money, with what he could make Saturdays, to attend school another year. The next year his attendance was nearly double and increased each year during the remainder of his six years' literary and medical courses. He is now a very successful physician in a western city. Since then this same plan of working one's way through col- lege has been adopted by a number of other young men who were fitted to do such work and so far as the writer has been able to learn all have been fairly successful. Printing Business and Calling Cards. A young man, after graduating from the high school in a small town in southern Minnesota, decided that he wanted to go to college. He was unable to do so because of the lack of means. His father was a printer. The young man had learned how ONE S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 49 to set simple job work and run a small job press. One day it oc- curred to him that possibly his knowledge of printing might be used to help him obtain a college training. The more he thought about it, the more he was persuaded that such a course was possible. He asked his father to allow him a commission on all the job work he could obtain by soliciting orders for job work among the business men in an adjoining town and then getting out the jobs himself. The father agreed to this. In the course of a year the young man was able to save up enough money to purchase a small foot-power job press, a limited, though well select- ed, assortment of job type and a small qunatity of necessary stock, especially the stock required for printing business and calling cards. He decided to attend a well-known university. 1 He set out for school a few weeks before college opened, so as to have ample time to select a suitable location and get ready for business by the time school began. He was not disappointed. He succeeded in securing orders for all the work he could possibly do in addition to his college work. His previous experience in soliciting work was especially helpful to him. In this way he paid his college expenses, and did it without seriously interfering with his college studies. He devoted himself mainly to printing business and calling cards for students and business men in the town. He told the writer that he succeeded in securing orders every year from over fifty per cent of the fif- teen hundred students in attendance at the school, and these orders averaged a net profit of fifty cents. With such an income he paid all of his necessary college expenses and had enough besides to enable him to enjoy all the ordinary pleasures of student life. He devoted his summer vaca- tion to making thorough preparation along a certain line of law work which he intended to take up after finishing his literary and law courses. His special preparation made it very easy for him to gain almost immediate recognition in his chosen professon. He is today a noted practitioner in his specialty. The writer has known four other young men who have worked their way through school in a similar manner. One of them was even more successful than the one referred to above, since he made while in school enough more than his college expenses to enable him to spend a year in study abroad after completing his college course. 50 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK Working in Barber Shops. A considerable number of students each year find profitable employment in barber shops. They are usually able to secure work for a few hours each afternoon and all day Saturday and Saturday night. A good barber who finds work of this kind is likely to earn a considerable part of his college expenses. Such work comes in very nicely, since the busiest part of the week in this kind of business comes at a time when the student is free from his studies. Barbers in college communities usually find it advantageous to be able to secure such help, especially on Saturdays, since ordinarily it is difficult to secure extra help for only one day in the week or for a few hours each day. The young man who has had enough previous experience to do skilled work as a barber before going to college can usually find plenty of opportunities to earn nearly all of his college expenses. The writer has known of quite a number of young men who have worked up a good patronage and done the work at the students' rooms. They had outfits of their own and called upon their patrons once or twice a week as required. One man in particular, the writer remembers, made practicall}'^ every dollar of his college ex- penses by doing barber work for patrons in their rooms. We have in mind two young men who, in the early nineties, earned almost their entire college expenses working in barber shops while in college. One of them is now a prominent railroad man in a large western city. The other is a very successful electrical engineer in Chicago. Bookbinding. * In a great many college communities there are a number of students who earn a part and sometimes a very large part of their college expenses by working in book binderies. It is needless to say that, in order to obtain such work, one must have had consid- erable practical experience in doing book binding before he can se- cure work of this kind. It does not require a great deal of time one's way through college 51 and application to enable an intelligent young man, or young woman, who applies himself earnestly to learn to do the simple, and even some of the more difficult, parts of the work in a bindery. The writer has known personally at least ten or fifteen students, who found it necessary to earn their way through college, who have gone into a bindery at their homes and worked for a few months learning how to do such work in order to fit themselves to take advantage of whatever work of this kind they might obtain at school. They had in the meantime ascertained that there were several binderies located in the city where they had decided to attend school and that student help was frequently employed. The old idea that it required years of apprenticeship to learn the trade of book binding is a thing of the past. With the help of modern machinery, a reasonable amount of intelligence and close application to the work, any intelligent young man or woman can in a short time learn to do nearly all even of the more difficult kinds of work to be done in a well equipped book bindery. One who has had some experience beforehand is almost certain to obtain a considerable amount of work of this kind to do at a fair re- muneration. When work in a bindery is not available, those who are pre- pared to do such work are especially fitted to solicit orders, thus supplying the bindery and themselves with work. By com- bining the two, a wide-awake young man need have no fears that he cannot easily work his way through school. Collecting Bills for Merchants. In almost every college community business men do a large credit business, especially among the college students. As a re- sult, they have a large amount of collecting to do. A great many students, especially those who have had experience as collectors, find profitable employment in work of this kind. The commission allowed for collecting is usually very good. Consequently, the young man who is a successful collector finds such work very remunerative for the time actually spent. Those who have plenty of work of this kind usually earn a considerable part and often the entire 52 , OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK amount of their college expenses. Merchants have found that as a rule a student will pay a bill more quickly to a fellow student who is a collector than to a total stranger. Consequenty good stu- dent collectors are always in demand. Students usually live near the college campus. It therefore takes the student who is collecting student accounts but a small part of his time to cover the territory within which the students reside. In some college communities as many as ten or fifteen students se- cure enough work as collectors each year to enable them to con- tinue their school work. Conducting Daily Newspaper Agenc)-. The subscription managers of all large city papers devote much attention to soliciting subscriptions for their papers in towns adjacent to the place of publication. For example, every daily in Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo and New York City has its representatives in every city and village within two or three hun- dred miles of the place of publication. In college towns it is not uncommon for students to become the news agents of such newspapers, soliciting subscriptions for them and taking charge of the daily delivery and collections. The writer knows of one young man who secured the agency for a Chi- cago daily in a college town within a hundred miles of Chicago. He bought the papers, which retailed at one cent, for forty cents per hundred. He succeeded in working up a subscription list of nearly four hundred subscribers. This netted him over eight dollars per week after paying all expenses of delivery. He himself made the collections and made it a point to solicit enough new subscribers each week to make up for those who discontinued. In this way he was able to net on the average at least eight dollars per week. Thus he was easily able to make every dollar of his college expenses. Thei-e are opportunities of this kind in many college commun- ities for hundreds of young men. If one will make a little study of the newspaper subscription business and take the time to gain some experience, he can readily make all of his college expenses in this way. ONE S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 53 Reporting for City Papers. A college tqwn is always a source from which daily papers obtain much interesting news. Consequently a number of wide- awake, energetic young men and women obtain employment as re- porters for large daily papers. All of the leading daily papers within several hundred miles of the larger colleges are usually rep- resented by reporters among the college students. These papers pay so much a line or column for material sent them which they find available. Naturally young reporters whose board bills and other college expenses depend upon their individual efforts seldom allow anything in the way of news to escape them. They usually find the field a sufficiently large and fruitful one . Wtih football, base- ball, tennis, basketball, the work of the track team, and other ath- letic contests ; with public lectures, the finest concerts, with im- portant scientific discoveries in the various laboraories, with new educational methods and interesting clinical operations in hospitals, the wide-awake reporter finds a wide range for his enterprise and he always makes the most of it. Usually places as reporters on the large city dailies are in great demand and are greedily sought after by young men who have a liking for this kind of work. Many a young man has carried on his work in school very successfully during his entire college course and at the same time earned from $20.00 to $30.00 or more every month by his reportorial work for a city daily. The young man who has had experience in this line of work and who has an aptitude for it so that he can do it ac- ceptably, usually finds no difficulty in securing plenty of such work to do. The late Leonidas Hubbard, Jr., whose tragic death in the wilds of Labrador is known to most people, was a student reporter while in college. The writer was chiefly instrumental in assisting him to secure a place as college reporter for a well-known city daily. From the day he secured the place until he left college, not an issue of that paper was printed without one or more acceptable college items from Hubbard. His income from this source fre- quently ran as high as thirty-five or forty dollars per month, and he did the work without allowing it to seriously interfere with his college studies. 54 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK Mending Shoes. A young man lived in a small village among the pine stumps in northern Michigan. His father was a cobbler, earning a living for himself and a large family by mending shoes in the little town where he resided. The son had just finished the course in the village school. His father insisted that the boy learn to mend shoes, as there seemed to be no other opening for him. With a heavy heart he started to learn his father's trade. He longed to go away to school, but could think of no possible way by which such a dream could be realized. He worked steadily at the bench for nearly, a year. At the end of this time he had become a fairly skilled work- man. What the young man considered a brilliant idea came to him about this time. The students in colleges all wore shoes. The soles of those shoes certainly wore out in time and needed "tapping." Why could he not make use of the skill he had gained in his fathers shop and work his way through school ? He argued this way. There are three thousand students at the university and ten thousand residents in the city where the university is located. Each of these must spend at least 75 cents a year for shoe repairing. This would make nearly ten thousand dollars and he concluded that he could secure at least five per cent of such work. This would enable him to pay his expenses and furnish his stock. He soon resolved to carry his ideas into effect. This was in May. The following September found the young fellow at the college with a kit of cobbler's tools and a limited supply of stock, centrally located and ready for business. While the method adopted by this young man was a new one, it proved to be very practical and successful. From the very start he was able to obtain all the work he could possibly do in addition to carrying on his university studies. By maintaining the regular prices for such work and taking pride in doing his work well, he soon secured enough regular customers to enable him to meet more than his necessary expenses . He kept up with his class and when he had completed the course, both in the literary and law departments, he had earned over and above all of his expenses enough to establish himself in the law business in a large western city where he has since become a prominent and successful attorney. one's way through coi^lege 55 Soliciting Life Insurance. A young man, teaching a district school in Ohio, made up his mind to save his money, that he might later on enter college. He found it rather discouraging since his small salary made it im- possible for him to save more than $ioo a year. At the end of three years he became discouraged and decided to give up. About this time, he was approached by a life insurance agent. The latter per- suaded him that, if he would invest his savings in a life insurance policy, he then v*ould have an asset upon which he could borrow enough money to take him through college. The agent argued that with a college education his earning capacity would be very greatly increased and that it would then be an easy matter to pay back the loan. He decided to try this plan and took out a ten thousand dollar policy. He soon found that as a "valuable asset" which would enable him to borrow money the policy was a total failure. His experience, however, with the life insurance business was not by any means lost in his case. The young man had be- come fully convinced that life insurance was really a good thing for a great many people, though his own policy was of no especial use to him at that particular time. He investigated and found that agents for life insurance companies were paid very liberal commis- sions. He thought the matter over carefully and decided that this kind of work could be done at odd hours and that if he could succeed at it he could make it pay his way -through college and he would not have to wait and earn the money in advance or have to go in debt for it. He at once began devoting his Saturdays to learning as much as possible about life insurance business. He talked with every life insurance agent with whom he had an oppor- tunity and studied all the literature he could obtain on the subject and carefully noted every argument in favor of the business. He spent the next summer soliciting life insurance. He soon found that if he would put sufficient thought and energy into it he could make it pay him fairly well for the time devoted to it, and that it would not require a great deal of time to enable him to earn nis college expenses. The following September he began his college work. He meant business, and when a person really means to make a success of what he undertakes the chances are all in his favor. 56 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK By devoting his Saturdays and a few hours each day soliciting in- surance he was easily able to meet his entire college expenses. This is merely one instance of a great many which might De cited where young men are soliciting life insurance in order to pay their way wholly or in part while taking a college course. The rapid growth of the life insurance business and the favor with which it is meeting with the great mass of the people at the present time makes it a very easy matter for the enterprising young man to succeed in this line of work in almost any part of the country. There are today scores of young men taking advantage of the op- portunities offered by life insurance to enable them to earn their expenses while taking a college course. It is true that not every- one is adapted to this kind of work. It is not, however, as diffi- cult as is often supposed, but one should not rely upon such work without first acquiring some experience in soliciting insurance. If he finds that he is a successful solicitor, he has a good chance to earn hs way through school by engaging in this business. Peeling Potatoes. Of all the novel ways by which young people work their way through college, this will no doubt impress one as being the most unusual. It is a fact, nevertheless, that more than one young man and woman have earned board and room rent by doing this very thing in the larger boarding houses in college towns . Board- ing houses with seventy-five or more boarders find the work of peeling potatoes for that number of hungry students a task of no small proportions. As there are always numerous calls from students for any kind of work to help them pay their expenses, it occurred to a boarding house keeper that she could utilize a student for this purpose also. Other boarding house keepers, learning of this, soon did likewise. As a result, not a few students have taken advantage of this demand and been able to gain a university education. One of the difficulties in finding a student to do good work of this kind is that young people cannot peel potatoes rapidly without wast- ing more than they earn. Even in doing such simple work as one's way through coli^ege 57 peeling potatoes, one needs to have some experience and skill or he cannot make a success of it. It is said that several years ago one young fellow who was tvorking his way through school by this means invented and pat- ented a novel and economical potato peeler which would cut a peeling of uniform thinness, no matter how careless one was or how heavily one pressed down when using it. The story goes that this j'oung man sold his patent on this article to a large manufac- turing company for a good round sum and that his "peeler" is now being sold all over the United States, while the young man has become a Doctor of Divinity and is very successful in his work as a minister in a southern city. Laundry Agents. In the early go's a student who had started out to earn prac- tically all of his expenses in a large and well-known university came to the writer as discouraged a youth as one ever saw and said that he had decided to go back to work in his father's blacksmith shop. He had tried to solicit orders for three different household articles. All of them were very serviceable, but none of them were articles with which housekeepers in general were familiar. As a result, he found that educating the average house- keeper to the point where she would purchase his articles was a very slow and tedious process. He soon realized that doing missionary work of this sort would not enable him to earn his college ex- penses. The writer, in his endeavor to encourage the young man, suggested that he make one more effort. He was advised to se- cure, if possible, the agency for something which was considered an actual necessity. It was suggested that something which the average student found it really necessary to have regularly would be an especially desirable thing. The matter of soliciting for laundry work was then proposed. It was explained that thete were nearly four thousand young men and women attending the university and other schools in the city. These would average at the very least a dollar a month for their laundry work. This meant at the lowest estimate nine dollars each during the college year, 58 OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK or nearly forty thousand dollars a year. The young man was then informed that laundries outside of that city usually paid forty per cent commission to their soliciting agents. This meant a possible sixteen thousand dollars a year in commissions. The young man thought the matter over a moment and then, jumping to his feet, declared he would go after a share of that commission. He soon secured the agencj' for an out-of-town laundry. He not only solicited orders himself, but employed a rumber of sub-agents, allowing them thirty per cent on all orders they turned in. He soon had more than a dozen sub-agents and d patronage of nearly two hundred dollars a week, which netted him over twenty dollars a week above all expenses. While the work required a great deal of energy on his part, it did npt seriously mterfere with his regular college work. At the end of the first year he had earned his entire college «;xpenses and had, besides, quite a little surplus in the bank. Dur- ing the next two years, after paying all of his expenses, he earned enough to enab'e him to spend the two following summers bicycling in Europe. During his senior year in college he was able to enlarge his business still more. He had sub-agents in every department in the school. As a result, when he graduated he had ample means to establish himself in a moderate way in a good business. The en- ergy which he developed in college has enabled him to attain more than the usual degree of success in his subsequent business career. He is today, after being out of school less than ten years, in charge of a very large commercial enterprise that is annually netting him many thousands of d'^llars. Besides his commercial success, he has gained a high standing as an influential, enterprising and pub- lic-spirited citizen in the community where he now resides. There are in every college community many young men fol- lowing in this young man's footsteps with a greater or less degree of success. The large majority of them are sufficiently successful to enable them to continue their college work, when, if it were not for something of this kind, they would have been obliged to go back to the farm or shop with disappointed hopes and ambitions. ONEJ^S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 59 Selling Household Articles. The writer has known of at least a dozen young men and women who have been able to obtain a college education by se- curing the agency for selling one or more useful and necessary household articles. One young man in western New . York secured the agency for a dozen or more of such articles. For example, he sold bread toasters, egg beaters, lemon squeezers, paring knives, fruit can openers, cake cutters, steam cookers, a cleaning compound, dish washers, bath cabinets, and other useful articles. He made a sys- tematic canvass every so often of every house in the community where he was attending school. In this way he was able to secure enough orders for the articles he handled to pay the larger part of his college expenses. By devoting his summer vacations to the same kind of work he was able to meet all of his expenses while attending a small school where the expenses were comparatively light. Work of this kind does not require a great amount of spec- ial preparation. If one has had some experience in canvassing it will, of course, aid him materially in makng a success of this kind of work. Selling Sample Copies of Examination Papers. About fifteen years ago a young man attending a well-known university realized that always just before examination time there was, among all the students in the college, a decided anxiety about the kind of questions which the different instructors would ask when holding the examinations with their classes. This young man decided that if the students could in some way get at least a general idea of the character of the questions each professor was in the habit of asking at each examination it would help them to more successfully prepare for the examinations they were to take. The examinations at the school where the young 6o OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK man attended were usually furnished in printed form. This young man began to investigate and soon was able to secure a copy of each list of questions used by each professor at the last examination in his department. He then made a number of mimeograph copies of the different lists of questions. The next year he announced, about a month before each examination, that students could obtain copies of the questions asked at the last examinations. This, it was announced, would enable the students to form a fairly definite idea of the character and scope of the questions each profess.or was likely to ask in his examinations. The young man found that practically every student was willing to pay a few cents each for these lists in order to obtain a suggestion of what the examination in each subject would be like. This, student was expecting to leave college at the end of his second year, because his funds would then be exhausted. He found, however, that by making copies of lists of former examin- ation questions and selling them to students, he could easily make enough profit to enable him to pay his college expenses, and he continued his work and graduated with his class, a thing which he had before supposed was impossible. As soon as he left school others took up the same kind of work, not only in the department where this young man studied, but in every other department in that school. As a result, there are today in that school several young men who are making a con- siderable part of their college expenses in this way. There is nothing improper about this method. It is not an unusual thing for some professors to announce in advance the character of the past examinations in their courses, in order to give those preparing for future examinations an idea of just what preparation to make. If this plan can be worked successfully in one college, a sim- ilar one could be carried out in a great many other schools. It does not require a great deal of time and can be made to pay very liberally for the amount of time devoted to it. Soliciting Orders for Underwear. About fifteen years ago a young lady in southwestern Mich- igan made up her mind she would go to college. She was then doing ordinary housework for which she was receiving very low one's way through COLIvEGE 6i wages. She was able to save from her wages only a dollar and a half a week. She soon saw that she could never save enough in this way t|0 pay her way through college. What could she do to make enough money to enter college and complete a course? She consulted a number of friends. One of them was a young woman clerk in the village store. Her friend, the clerk, told her of a young woman who had recently called at the store. The caller was a traveling saleswoman representing a manufacturer of knit underwear. She secured a good order for the goods she was handling. The young lady clerk, in conversation with the sales- woman, learned that she was receiving fifty dollars a month and all expenses for such work. This led her to suggest to her young friend who wanted to go to college that possibly something of this kind might enable her to earn enough to take her through college. She, however, was inexperienced and could not secure such a position. One of the manufacturers to whom she wrote suggested that they would be glad to give her a liberal commission on all retail sales of the knit underwear she might make to the people of some college town, if she would go to such a place and take up the work. She finally decided to try the work at her own home for a few weeks. If she could make a success of it at home, she would then venture to undertake that kind of work in some college community in the hope that she might make enough, by devoting only a part of her time to it, to pay her expenses while in school. She sur- prised herself at her success as a solicitor. After a few months of experience, during which time she learned a great deal about the important facts with which a canvasser must be familiar, she found that she could readily make enough money by working two or three hours a day to earn at least two-thirds of her college ex- penses. She decided that during the summer vacation she could easily earn enough to cover the balance. It was, therefore, possible for her to begin her studies at once and to complete her college course without any trouble. She graduated with her class four years later, notwithstanding the fact that, in addition, she had found it necessary to do quite a little preparatory work before she could complete her college course. This she did while taking her course and earning her college expenses. Since graduating she has, so she informed the writer, been 62 OVEK lOO WAYS TO WORK instrumental in persuading several other young women to take ad- vantage of this plan in order to work their way through college. She declared that there is almost no limit to the opportunities to secure work sufficient to enable one to work one's way through college, if one is really determined to secure a college education. She says that as soon as it became known that she was work- ing her way through school and what kind of work she was doing, a great many people made it a point to look her up and give her their orders when they wanted such goods. Agents for Dress Skirts. Three young ladies, members of a recent graduating class in the literary department of one of our leading colleges, adopted this plan in order to earn their expenses while in college. This was possible because of late years there have sprung up all over the country many firms which manufacture dress skirts and tailor-made suits for women. They carry on their business largely by employ- ing agents to take orders for them. Such manufacturers usually pay a very liberal commission and at the same time offer their products at a considerably lower price than it is possible for the ordinary dressmaker to ask. As a result, these firms have been able to do a large amount of business. Some manufacturers em- ploy as many as a thousand lady agents. The work is emminently respectable. It can be carried on by persons giving a small part or all of their time, as circumstances may require. It thus offers an excellent opportunity for young ladies who wish to work their way through school. Such agency work requires only a very small amount of ready capital and takes but very little preparation and training to enable one to make the measurements and become suffi- ciently familiar with the business to carry it on to good advantage. It has been demonstrated in thousands of cases that this kind of work requires but little experience in order for one to succeed fairly well. As a result, this kind of work offers opportunities for a great man)' young women to earn readily all of their collgee ex- one;'s way through goIvI.e;ge 63 penses, since it is not difficult to secure orders for articles for which there is a constant demand. Thei'e is room for a dozen enterpris- ing agents in this line of business in every college community in this country. Teaching Music. A plan adopted by many young people who are prepared to do this kind of work is to give music lessons while attending col- lege. Those who have musical talent and sufficient training to give instruction in either instrumental or vocal music usually have very little difficulty in securing enough pupils in any college com- munity to enable them to pay their college expenses. It is a fact that thousands of young men and women have in this way been able to earn a large part and in many instances all of their college expenses. In every college community in this country one can find employment of this kind if he is thoroughly qualified to give lessons on some musical instrument or give drill in vocal music or voice culture. There is, among all classes of people in this country, a constantly increasing demand for a good musical training. Parents generally desire that their children have instruction in this art. This necessarily causes a demand for a large number of teachers of music. The demand for such instruction is likely to be stronger in a college community than in other places. Hence,, a good teacher of either vocal or instrumental music usually has no diffi- culty in securing a sufficient number of pupils to enable him to pay his college expenses and not be obliged to devote a very great amount of time to the work. Paper Hanging. About fifteen years ago a young man, living in West Vir- ginia, was working with his father, who was a paper hanger and decorator. In the course of business the hoy was sent to do some 64 OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK work in the home of a professional man. He was Tepapering the ceiHng in the library. The professor happened to be in the room at work when the young man came to do the job. Part of the time while the young man was at his work the professor remained at his desk and before leaving entered into conversation with the young man. The professor said that he envied the young man the skill which he displayed by the neat manner in which he hung the paper. The young fellow replied that he would gladly exchange all the skill he had acquired in paper hanging for an opportunity to go to school. He said he wanted to become a professor, like the gentle- man for whom he was at work. Upon being asked why he did not go to school, the young man replied that he could not afford to. "That is nonsense," said the professor. "Any young man can go to college if he really wants to." The young man asked how it would be possible for him to go to school when he did not have a dollar to pay his way. He was told to go to a college town and, if he would be enterprising and willing to work, he would have no difficulty in finding plenty of work at his trade to enable him to pay his expenses and at the same time rijot necessarily interfere with his college work. The suggestion impressed the young man very favorably. After thinking the matter over he decided to adopt the suggestion and at least make the attempt. This was in the spring. He at once began to save every dollar he possibly could. In the fall he had accumulated enough to enable him to pay his fare to an eastern college and have enough left to pay his entrance fees. He began to solicit work. He ordered neatly printed cards, giving his name, business and address. He left one of these at every home within a mile of the college campus, near which he roomed. He was more than surprised at the success of his plan. He soon found he had all the work he could possibly do and at the same time keep up with his classes. From the very beginning he was able ot earn practically all of his college expenses. During each summer vacation he worked constantly at his trade and was able to save enough to purchase his clothing and books for the following year so that he was able to complete his course with his class. The following year he secured a position as principal of a high school at a salary of eight hundred dollars per year. That was six years ago. He is now superintendent of a school in an Ohio city at eighteen hundred dollars a year. one's way through coli^ege; 65 There is in every college community in this country plenty of work such as this student did.- Any young jnan who is skilled in doing such work and is not afraid to work, and work hard, can obtain a college education if he really desires it. Railroad Agents. A young man living on a farm in southern Kansas decided to become a telegraph operator. He secured the consent of the agent at a little country station on the Rock Island railroad a few miles from his father's farm to teach him telegraphy. He had had a great desire to go to college, but his father was unable to send him as his small farm was mortgaged and for several years a partial failure of crops made it seem necessary for the boy to give up the idea of ever being able to secure a college education. He therefore began to study telegraphy, spending an hour or two every evening in the week at the little qountry station near his home. He soon became -sufficiently familiar with the business to read the messages that passed over the wire. He spent part of his time reading such messages for the purpose of ob- taining practice in receiving. One day he became especially inter- ested in a conversation taking place over the wire between the operator at another small station and the chief operator at the division headquarters. The young man was asking the opinion of the chief operator as to whether or not the latter thought it would be possible for a young man of his experience to go to some col- lege town and obtain work in a telegraph office sufficient to enable him to take a course in school. The chief operator said that he believed that this could be done, although the young man might have to wait Stome time before a suitable opportunity offered and then suggested to the young man that in the meantime it would be» advisable for him to perefect himself as much as possible. The chief operator said that he would be glad to recommend the young man to such a position whenever he learned of a vacancy. This conversation set the farmer boy to thinking. He had not at that time become very proficient as an operator, but it oc- 66 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK ciirred to him that possibly there was something he might do to work his way through school. A few days before this he had been reading some railroad literature in the depot and had noticed some- thing. about railroads employing agents to solicit passenger business. He decided to investigate this matter. It seemed to him that if he could find a good school located at some large railroad center where there was more or less railroad competition he might be able, by working among the college students, who necessarily did a con- siderable amount of traveling during the year, to work his way through school. A few jdays after this he learned from a rnessage passing over the wire that one of the traveling passenger agents of that railroad was going through the village near where the boy lived to a neighboring town on a certain train the following day. He decided to interview the agent and obtain Tiis opinion as to the feasibility of the scheme which he contemplated. It so happened that the particular traveling agent had worked his .own way through school and he naturally sympathized with this yonug man who was anxious to do the same thing. He informed the young man that railroad companies frequently employed such agents and that it was not an unusual thing for them to employ energetic college students in different colleges to look after the interests of their roads among the student population. The result was that the yonug man de- cided to trj' this plan. Knowing very little about railroading he, of course, at first found it rather uphill work. But he was determined to succeed. During the first year he was obliged to do various odd jobs in addition to his railroad work in order to make both ends meet. During the year, however, he learned a great deal about the railroad passenger business and how to go about it to the best advantage. He made it a point to get acquainted with every one ,of the students who might be induced to travel over the road he represented in going to and returning from school. The result was that the next year he found the work much easier and far more profitable, as he was paid a commission on the amount of actual business which he was able to secure for the railroad company. During his following three years in college he easily made his entire expenses in this way. Later two of his brothers also worked their way through collegt,' in the same manner. One of them was so successful at this kind of work that upon graduation he was given a splendid position one's way through college 6"^ with the railroad company. The oldest brother is now one of the most successful physicians in the state of Kansas. He writes that any 3'oung man with ordinary ability and with a reasionable amount of grit and determination can easily work his way through school of he only sets out to do so and is willing to stick to it through a few discouragements which are alomst sure to be met with dur- ing the first part of one's course. Selling Gasoline Lamps. During the past ten years the use of gasoline lamps with Welsbach burners has become very common, especially in the rural districts and in villages where there are no electric or gas plants. These lamps have been so perfected that they usually give very satisfactory service and afford quite as good a light as either gas or electricity and at a much smaller expense. The price V' moder- ate and manufacturers usually pay a liberal commission to their agents who solicit orders for them. During the past few years the writer has known personally several young men and a few young women who have adopted this method of earning their college expenses. Three cases in particular he remembers distinctly. In each case the young man earned all of his college expenses. In still another case a young lady did this kind of work. She suc- ceeded to such an extent that she found it necessary to borrow less than two hundred dollars in order to complete a four years' col- lege course, the total cost of which was twelve hundred dollars. Every dollar of the balance was earned by soliciting orders for gasoline lamps. There is a large field for work of this kind. Any enterprising 3'oung man or woman who will familiarize himself or herself with the operaton of these lamps and the arguments in favor of them as compared with the very best kind of oil lamps, can easily do enough business in soliciting orders for them to enable him to earn practically all of his college expenses. 68 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK Selling Shoes. During recent years it has become very common for certain manufacturers, especially manufacturers of shoes, to sell their pro- ducts direct to the consumers through orders by mail or by em- ploying agents to personally solicit orders from customers. In 1890, a young man, clerking in a shoe store in northern Ohio and earning five dollars a week, was trying to save enough money to enable him to attend college. Although he economized as best he could, he found that at the end of the first year he had been able \o save just ninety-six dollars. He was eighteen years old. He concluded that, at this rate, it would be at least eight or ten years before he could start to college and have enough money ahead to complete the course. He felt that he could not afford to do this, and there was not much prospect of his doing any better in the village where he lived. One day he ran across a circular from a well-known shoe manufacturer soliciting agents to sell his make of shoes direct to consumers at a moderate price. The young man wrote to the com- pany for particulars. The manufacturer offered him a dollar and a qua^rter on every pair of shoes he sold. The shoes were of a good qu^.ity and cost the consumer two dollars and seventy-five cents. Having become somewhat familiar with the selling of shoes, the young man concluded that he would try this plan in the hope that he could more rapidly accumulate the means necessary to enable him to go to school. He succeeded very well. After he became more experienced in that particular kind of business, he found that he could sell, on an average, two pairs of shoes a day. This was in the early spring. Between that time and the following September he was able to clear, above all expenses, nearly one hundred and seventy-five dollars. About this time the idea came to him that possibly he could take up his college work at once, and by devoting all of his Saturdays, holidays and a few hours every school day to soliciting orders for shoes, he could continue his work in school without interruption. He was able to do this without seriously in- terfering with his college work. It was a very easy matter for him to earn enough to meet all of his college expenses while taking both an academical and an electrical engineering course. He com- pleted both courses at the age of twenty-five. one's way through colIvEGe; 69 Since then he has held many important positions in electrical engineering work and has patented several important and very use- ful devices. The royalties he receives from the sales of the in- vented articles bring him in a large income. This is not an isolated case. A great many other young men and a few young women have adopted the same plan to earn their college expenses. This line of business certainly offers excellent opportunities for young people to work their way through school. Footwear is a staple article for which there is always a good de- mand. One adopting this plan is not compelled to waste valuable time trying to persuade people that they need an article of this sort. The only thing necessary is for one to be able to persuade people that the line of shoes he handles is a first-class one and worth the money asked for it. Selling Musical Publications and Instruments. About twelve years ago a young lady living in western Penn- sylvania was teaching a district school and trying to save enough money to go to college. At the end of the year she had succeeded in saving only seventy-one dollars. She concluded that it would be impossible for her to ever accomplish her purpose if she kept on at such work. How to better herself was the question. She was, however, fully determined to secure a college education. She finally hit upon a plan. It was to secure an agency for some large music publishing house. Her idea was that she might be able to secure enough orders for musical publications, such as music books, sheet music, musical magazines and other musical lit- erature, and possibly musical instruments, to enable her to make more money than she could teaching. She herself had considerable musical talent and was interested in musical affairs and was, there- fore, familiar with such things. She succeeded in securing the agency for the publications of several large houses which handled music books. She also made arrangements ^th the leading music dealer in a neighboring town to Siolicit ordSw for the musicaLwn- struments he handled. She went to work with a great deal oA-en- 70 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK ergy, for she meant business. At the end of three months she had saved more than twice as much money as she had done as a school teaclier during the entire year preceding. It then occurred to her that by devoting only a small part of her time to such work she could earn enough to pay her college expenses and have the greater part of her time for study. By doing this, she would not have to delay her college education any longer. After thinking the matter over more carefully, she decided to make an attempt. This was only a short time before the college year opened. A few weeks later found her located in a well-known college town with all ar- rangements made to represent the goods handled by one of the music dealers in the place. Her brief experience was very helpful to her. She was soon able to secure a considerable number of regular customers among the various musical societies in the place. She made it a point to visit regularly those who had charge of the music in each of the churches and religious societies and in the various other associations and clubs. She had nx> difficulty what- ever in securing practically all their orders for whatever kinds of musical merchandise they might need. By going at the matter in such a tliorough way, it took very little time to earn in commissions an amount sufficient to meet all her really necessary college expenses. Besides taking her reg- ular college course, she was able to perfect her musical talent and became a very successful pianist. A few months of steady work at the same line of business, after completing her college course, enabled her to earn enough money to pay all of her expenses for six months of musical study abroad. She is now in charge of the department of music in a leading women's seminary in this country. This woman had no particular advantage to start with. She was a stranger in the college town where she attended school. She had to depend wholly upon her own energy, good sense and willingness to do hard work in order to gain an education. She says that there are every year opportunities for hun- dreds of young women to do as she did and that no young woman need go without a college education if she is really anxpus to ob- tain it. • one's way through college: yi Lecturing for Anti-Saloon League. One young man with whom the writer was well acquainted was noted while a student in the high school for his natural apti- tude for public speaking. He concluded that possibly his ability in this direction might be of assistance to him in working his way through college. He was a strong temperance advocate and an ar- dent prohibitionist. About the time he completed his high school course, a public meeting was held in the village where he lived under the auspices of the State Anti-Saloon League. At this meeting an address was given by a well-known temperance lecturer. In the address the speaker remarked that there was great need of more people to work in the interest of the temperance cause. The young man thought the matter over and concluded that possibly there might be a chance for him to do something of this kind and thus earn enough money to enable him to go through college. A talk with the lec- turer, whose address he had just heard, confirmed him in this be- lief. As a result, he began studying the temperance question more fully than he had ever done before. In the course of a month he was able to prepare an address suitable for delivery in the small villages throughout the state. He was highly pleased soon after this when he secured an appointment from the State Anti-Saloon League. He was to receive a small salary and a certain per cent of the amount obtained by contributions to be asked for at the places where he lectured. The young man proved to be especially well adapted to this kind of work, and by lecturing Friday and Saturday evenings during the school yeear and practically all the time during summer vaca- tion, he was able to pay his entire college expenses during the four years he was taking a literary course and the three following years while taking a course in law. This young man says that the work he did was not difficult and that he derived a very great advantage from his lecture work, as he learned how to say things in a manner which would please and interest his audience. As a result, his work as an attorney later on was far more suocessful than it would have been, because of his success as a lecturer. The young man is today a very suc- cessful attorney in one of the large cities in his native state. 72 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK Repairing and Cleaning Watches. A young man living in Indiana had spent nearly two years working in his father's jewelry store. He had dropped out of the high school at the end of his third year, having decided that he wanted to become a jeweler. Although he was interested in his work, he concluded at the end of two years as a jeweler that h,e had made a mistake in not finishing at least the high school course. He, thereupon, went back to school again, t,o "complete his educa- tion," as he then expressed it. Upon graduating from the high school he wanted to go to college, but could not see how it would be possible for him to do so, as his father was unable to help him at all. It finally occurred to him that he might secure enough work in a jewelry stote to enable him to attend college, but he failed to find work of this kind. About this time he learned that he would have to do con- siderable preparatory work before he would be able to enter col- lege. Nothing daunted, he set about trying to plan some way by which he could secure the means necessary to enable him to go on. It finally occurred to him that possibly he could secure sufficient means by repairing and cleaning watches for the students and other residents in the vicinity of the school to enable him to enter college. Of course, he did not know how well the plan would work out, but he was willing to make the attempt. He secured a small, though well-selected, outfit of tools and a limited stock of repairing mat- erial and set out for the college. At first he found it decidedly up- hill work and at times it required the most determined resolves to keep at the work. Gradually, however, his customers increased. His work, which was always well done, pleased those whom he served, so that, before the end of the first year, he had worked up a good patronage and was able to earn more than his necessary college expenses and at the same time carry on his school work in a very satisfactory manner. During the summer vacations he made up for the deficiencies in his previous preparation and removed all the marks standing against him at the time he entered 'college. He graduated with his class and is today a successful consulting engineer in a large southern city. A number of other students prepared to do this kind of work have been able in like manner to obtain a college course, which otherwise would have been beyond their reac'h. one's way through coi^lege; 73 Making Rubber Stamps, Seals, Dies, Etc. Ordinarily it would not seem that there could be a very great demand for or much profit in doing work of this sort. There is, however, a greater demand for such articles than most people sup- pose. Every business man has use for a great variety of rubber stamps. It is not an unusual thing for a business man, especially a manufacturer or wholesaler, to make use of from twenty-five to fifty stamps and to have occasion frequently to reject certain ones and buy new and different ones. A number of years ago a young man secured a position with a business house in Toledo, Ohio, where rubber stamps were manu- factured. He soon became impressed with the extent of the busi- ness done in that line. In a very short time he became quite an expert in making articles of this sort. He also learned to make seals and dies. Before going into the business he had had a great desire to take a college course, but, being without means, he had given up the idea. It soon occurred to him that possibly he could utilize his knowledge of the rubber stamp business in working his way through school. By practicing the most rigid economy he was able, in the course of a few months, to save enough money from his small salary to purchase a small outfit for making rubber stamps. He then set out for college. He selected a school located in a good sized city. He had ascertained in advance that there was no one in the place who made rubber stamps. He gave up his work -several months before college opened in the fall and went to the city and established himself in the business. While he found it a rather slow process and decidedly up-hill work during the first few months before college opened, he stuck to it patiently. By the end of his first year in college he had secured enough business to enable him, with what he had earned during the few weeks before college opened, to pay all of his college expenses. During the re- mainder of his college course and while taking a course in law he found it possible to earn evejy .dollar of his expenses. This young man is now a successful attorney in one of the leading cities in Texas. He writes that his experience in dealing with business men while working hs way through school and- the 74 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK spirit of self-reliance which his work necessarily developed have been of the greatest help in enabling him to make a success of his law practice. He says that any young man can work his way through school without very great sacrifices if he is only willing to make the effort, and that he will be a better man for having done so. Substitute Mail Carrier. A rather unusual method adopted by some young men to earn their expenses while attending college is that of acting as substitute mail carrier. Of course such work as this is possible only in school towns where there is free delivery of mails. The writer has known of at least four young men who have succeeded in this way in earning practically all of their expenses while taking a college course. One of the disadvantages of doing work of this kind is the danger of being called upon to substitute for some carrier who is sick, at times which would interfere with one's school work. How- ever, this is not likely to happen very frequently and hence is not a very serious objection. There is, on the other hand, an advan- tage in this kind of work. It is sure to give one an abundance of outdoor exercise, a thing which so many students neglect. One young man, whom the writer knew very well, carried on his work in college for four years and earned practically all of his expenses as substitute mail carrier. He was employed nearly all of his time during the summer vacation, while the reg- ular carriers were taking their two weeks' vacation, which is granted to every carrier. While the young man necessarily missed his classes occas- ionally, he was always very careful to make up the work. When asked about his college work, several of his teachers stated that it was fully up to the average, if not above it. This young man is now mining engineer for a large gold mining company in California. He is exceptionally successful in his work, having rapidly earned the reputation of being one of the best mining engineers in the country. ONE^S WAY T^HROUCH COIvL^C^ ^'75 Making and Selling Pyrography Work. Some ten years ago the seniors in the literary department of an eastern university were astonished to learn, as they did ac- cidentally a short time before commencement day, that one of their most popular classmates had earned his expenses during his entire college course by spending his Saturdays in an art store in the city where he was attending school, doing all of the pyrography work which was sold at that store. A large part of his work con- sisted in filling special orders for the house for which he was working. He had developed considerable artistic ability in this line of work and was able, by putting in a few spare hours each week in addition to his Saturday's work, to earn practically every dollar of his university expenses. By supplementing this with what he was able to earn during the summer vacation he had ample means to enable him to enjoy all the "extras" which go to make up much of the real pleasure of college life. Although now a successful physician in Chicago, this young man finds pleasant pastime in continuing to do pyrography work during the few spare hours at his disposal. Although not generally known, it is a fact that some of the most artistic pieces of work in this line to be found in one of the leading art stores in Chicago is the work of this young physician. Taking Photographic Views of Homes. Lying side by side in Marshall county, Iowa, are two farms. One consists of a section of land and is owned by a wealthy stock raiser. The other is a forty-acre tract and is owned by a man of limited means and a large family. The oldest sons were rivals in school and in their boyhood sports. , Both were good students and both looked forward to a better education than that obtainable at a district school. The wealthy man's son was sent to an academy 76 OVe;R 100 WAYS TO WORK to prepare for college. Later he entered Cornell University and graduated. He then studied law and began practice in a western state. All through school and until he had worked up a law practice, his father met all of his expenses promptly and liberally. The other young man had an entirely different experience. He could see no way by which he could obtain a college course, so he decided to become a photographer. He began as an apprentice in a gallery in a neighboring village. He applied himself earnestly to his work and in a remarkably short time was a fairly good operator. One day he was sent by his employer to take a photograph of the stock raiser's home. He succeeded in obtaining an excellent negative and noticed that a large order was made for prints at a good price. The young man thought the matter over and con- cluded that such work offered him ,an opportunity to work his way through school. He at once began to save money with which to purchase the necessary outfit. The work was both pleasant and profitable. Within a year he had accumulated enough to pay his way for a year at the same academy where his rival was preparing for college. During the year his Saturdays and holidays were spent in canvassing for orders and making prints. He devoted the following summer to the same kind of work. By the time the second year at the academy opened he had accumulated the means necessary to remain in school during the entire year. The four years at the academy were spent in this way. He was thus two years behind his neighbor and school-boy rival. When the pre- paratory work was completed he at once entered a well-known college and continued to earn every dollar of his expenses by his photographic work. He, too, then decided to study law and com- pleted the course in two years. By a curious coincidence, he happened to locate in the same western city where his former schoolmate had begun practice two years ahead of him. Later it happened that each of these two young men became rival candidates for a seat in the state legislature, one on the demo- craic and the other on the republican ticket. The man who had worked his way from the start was handicapped by being on the ticket of the party that was so greatly in the minority that his case was considered hopeless by his friends. But the young man did not know what the word failure meant. He set out to win. His ONE S WAY THROUGH COLIvEGe; 'J'J ten years of experience while a student dealing with all kinds of people enabled him to approach and influence men far more suc- cessfully than his rival could. He knew what work was. These two valuable lessons he had learned outside of his college course. In this later struggle for success in life he found them quite as valuable as his college training. He easily distanced his opponent, being elected by a substantial majority. From that time he left his former schoolmate and rival far in the rear, because his work in earning a college education had given him the strength and training that made this possible. Other cases might be cited where both young men and women have done the same kind of work and succeeded in meeting all or nearly all of their college expenses. There is plenty of room for hundreds of young people to do this kind of work in order to se- cure a college education if they will only fit themselves for it. Finishing Work for Amateur Photographers. In every community, and especially in every college com- munity, there are a great many amateur photographers. Usually such people do not have the facilities or the inclination to develop the negatives or to print and finish the pictures they take. As a result, there are always opportunities for some enterprising stu- dent who is able to do this kind of work. In some of the larger schools there is usually plenty of such work for several students. The young man or woman who will make a careful canvass of the university and townspeople where he is at school will find a large number of amateur photographers, many of whom will be glad to give him an order to develop the negatives they take and print pic- tures from them. The writer has known a considerable number of students who have done exceptionally well at this kind of work. He has in mind one young man in particular who, soon after en- tering Qollege and beginning work of this kind, found himself liter- ally overwhelmed with orders and obliged to employ an assistant. Sometimes during busy seasons it was necessary for him to employ as many as four assistants in order to keep up with the work. He was an excellent workman and did his work rapidly and always ob- 78 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK tained good prices. Consequently he had no difficulty in earning enough money to more than pay his entire college expenses and at the same time carry a full college course. The young man in question had spent only a few months in a photographic gallery hefore entering college. By close application during the short time he was at work in the gallery he acquired sufficient skill to enable him to finish up amateur work satisfactorily. The use of this skill enabled the young man to go through college in the usual four years. He is now an electrical engineer doing a large business in an eastern city. There is so much work of this kind to be done and it re- quires so little time to fit one to do such work successfully that it opens up a large field for many young men and women without means to earn the necessary funds to obtain a college education. Managing Employment Bureaus. A young man attending a country school near Zancsville, Ohio, decided that he wanted to attend the high school at Zanes- ville. His parents were unable to send him and so he decided to find something to do to pay his expenses while taking a course in the school. Going to the city for that purpose, he inquired of various people about the place and was informed that a certain employment bureau could very likely direct him to places where he could find the work he wanted. He was surprised to learn that he would have to pay a "fee of two dollars" if the manager suc- ceeded in finding a suitable place for him. The fee was paid, and a place was found in an hour. When the high school course was completed the young man wanted to go to college. He, of course, had no more means with which to attend college than he had had to pay his expenses at the high school. The "two dollar fee," however, had set him to think- ing. In a talk with his pastor, who was a college man, the young man learned that a great many young men at college found it necessary to earn a part or all of their college expenses. The thought came to the young man : Why can not I hunt up places for fellows who want to work their way through school and make one's way through COIvIvEGE 79 my expenses easily by charging a small fee f,or such services? After thinking the matter over carefully he decided that such a plan could be carried out successfully. The next fall found him at college several weeks before school opened making a careful can- vass of the city for every possible job a student could do and ar- ranging to look up suitable young men or v\romen for each place. The first year he succeeded by this means in making all of his colege expenses, except his board, which he earned by waiting table at a boarding house. By the second year his business had grown to such an extent that he was able to meet all of his college expenses by this kind of work. When he graduated he sold his business at a good price. He took up library work, for which he made special preparation while in college. He is now at the head of one of the best libraries in the country. A considerable number of students have adopted the same plan, and where strict attention has been given to the business they have been fairly successful at it. Typewriting. About ten years ago a young woman called upon the secretary of the faculty of a well-known college and asked him if there were any chances at that school for a young woman to earn her college expenses by doing copying on the typewriter. The secretary in- formed her that there was considerable demand for work of this kind ; that the demand was constantly increasing and that those who were able to do really first-class work, rapidly, usually obtained an. abundance of work of this kind. She said that she wished to enter school, but would be unable to do so unless she could be as- sured of enough work to pay practically all of her college expenses. The secretary, in order to ascertain just what she could do, gave her a very thorough test by asking her to copy some difficult tech- nical matter. The result was so satisfactory that he gave her a v'ery strong letter of recommendation to the different college pro- fessors. He then told the young lady to call upon each professor and solicit work. Within a very few days she had secured the promise of enough copying to enable her to meet easily all of her 8o OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK college expenses. She was able to work rapidly, and as she did most of her work by the folio, it did not require a very great deal of . her time to earn enough to pay her entire college expenses. Copying on the typewriter has come to be nowadays one of the most ordinary methods by which young men and women, es- pecially the latter, work their way through college. The writer recently had occasion to make a careful estimate of the approximate amount of money paid out each year by college professors and stu- dents at one institution for copying on the typewriter. He was surprised to find that the sum amounted to over seven thousand dollars and that the greater part of this work was done by college students who were working their way through school. Any young man or woman who will take the time necessary to become an ex- pert operator on the typewriter is not likely to have any difficulty, if he is willing to work and work hard in order to earn enough to meet all his college expenses. Rapid and accurate operators can do this and the work need not seroiusly interfere with their college studies. Shorthand Amanuensis Work. A young man living in central Iowa decided that he would like to go to college. He had nothing but his own efforts on which to depend. He had, however, heard of young men working their way through school. For a long time he could think of no way which seemed available to him. He had been raised on a farm and was familiar only with the ordinary work done on a fa;rm. But, unwilling to give up his desire to obtain a college education, he finally decided to learn shorthand and use it as a means to en- able him to take a college course. He attended a school for this purpose, having saved up the small amount necessary to enable him to spend four months in a shorthand school. He then secured a position as stenographer for a commercial firm in order to gain some practical experience. He then decided to attend one of the best universities in the country. On arriving at the college he at once began to look for enough work to enable him to earn all one's way Through collegk 8i of his college expenses. He made a careful canvass of every per- son in the university or near it who would be at all likely to have stenographic work to do. Fortunately for him, he learned the sub- ject very thoroughly and had given special attention to English while attending the high school. Consequently he was able to do very excellent work as a stenographic amanuensis. The excellent work he did aided him materially in securing additional work. Within a month after beginning his college course he had succeeded in rinding four regular patrons, whose work paid him in the aggre- gate $6.00 per week. The work did not seriously interfere with his university studies. By practicing the most rigid economy he was able to meet with this amount all of his. college expenses. As he became better known he was able to secure additional woi'k. At the beginning of his second year his average income had increased to ten dollars per week, and at the same time required but little more time than he had devoted to the work during the previous year. This gave him^iiore means and a better opportunity to enjoy more of the luxuries of college life and at the same time to keep up his university work. At the end of his college course he had saved over and above his college expenses between three and four hundred dollars. This, with what he earned during the summer vacation following his graduation, enabled him to spend several inonths traveling in Europe. Upon his return he entered the ser- vice of the president of one of the largest railroad corporations in America. His position as stenographer with fhe president of the railroad gave him an exceptionally fine opportunity to learn a great deal about the management of railroad affairs. Within a year he had proven himself so valuable a man to the company that he was promoted to an important position as head of a department at a salary of four thousand dollars per year. This is a fairly typical case. The growth of the demand for shorlhand amanuenses has been very great. Today there are actually thousands of young men working their way through school by doing stenographic work. Selling Butter. A young man living on a farm near a college town in Ohio desired to obtain a college education. The question of means was a serious one with the young man. His father owned a small farm and had a large family. He was, therefore, unable to assist 82 OVER TOO WAYS TO WORK liis son in gratifying his desire to attend school. The young man kept thinking the matter over and wondering how it might be l)ossi!)le for him to go to college. One day a boarding honse keeper living in the college town called at the young man's home and inquired if they made butter to sell. He offered to contract in advance for all the butter they could make and deliver to him during the college year. He said that one of the most 'difficult things for boarding house keepers to procure was plenty of really good butter. This gave the young man an idea. It occurred to him that possibly he could contract with farmers for their butter and then contract with boarding houses for what he could supply. He went to the college town and visited a number of boarding house keepers and talked the matter over with them. He was assured by several that if he would undertake to do as he promised, he would cer- tainly have no difficulty in securing the patronage of as many board- ing houses as he could supply. The young man then proceeded to make contracts with just as many farmers as he could within ten or tifteen miles of the college town. He collected and delivered the butter every Saturday. The plan worked admirably. By devoting his Saturdays only to the business, he soon worked up patronage enough to pay him more than ten dollars a week, net profit. He was. therefore, able, at the beginning of the next school year, to enter college and make all his expenses during his entire college cour.se by carrying on a business of this kind. There are similar opportunities in practically every college town in the country. The question is whether a young man is willing first, to make a study of the butter business so that he may know what good butter is, and .second, to take hold of such an enterprise in real earnest and put a lot of energy and hard work into it. The young man who is willing to do a thing of this kind can undoubtedly find plenty of opportunities to succeed in such an undertaking. Acting as Assistants to Professors. At every large school a considerable number of college stu- dents are able, especially during their junior and senior years, to secure positions as assistants to various professors. This is par- one's way through college 83 , ticularly true with the professors in the departments of botany, chemistry, physics, engineering, dentistry, pharmacy, and in the hospitals connected with the medical schools. For such work stu- dents Jire usually paid from $100 to $300 or more per year for a few hours' work each day. Students wishing to secure such posi- tions must have a good record in their college w.ork during the previous years Those who secure such appointments are able to make from half to two-thirds or more of their entire college ex- penses. The number able to gecure such appointments will depend upon the size of the school. In some of the larger institutions from fifty to one hundred young men and women are required in such positions. Students Avho secure such appointments are able to derive much more benefit from such work than the mere finan- cial remuneration, since such positions give them a splendid op- portunity to do special work and to do it more advantageously than would otherwise be possible. Such positions are considered especially desirable, as often those holding such places, if they manifest special ability, are re- tained and promoted to better places after graduation. The writer has known of a great many young men who have found such places stepping stones to professorships in some of our leading educational institutions. Assistants in Libraries. It is a connnon practice in libraries connected with colleges and universities to employ students as assistants. In many of the larger schools a considerable number of students are given a few hours" work each day in the library, their duties being to deliver books called for and return them to their places when the users are done with them. If a student wishes to use a book, he must go to the library catalog, which is usually a card catalog and accessible to all, and from that fill out a blank giving the title of the book wanted and its section and shelf number. This is handed to one of the student attendants, who goes to the book room and procures the book or hooks desired, These are used by the students in the 84 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK library reading room. After the person who drew the books re- turns them to the student assistant, he must return them to their proper places in the book room. School libraries are usually kept open from early morning until late at night. Since in most schools a great many students make use of the college library in reference work, a library even in a school of medium size requires a number of attendants. These are almost invariably college students. They divide the time be- tween them, each one spending from two to four hours a day at this kind of work. For this service the school pays them a reason- able sum. A number are thus enabled to earn their board and room rent and in some cases even more than this. It is comparatively Jight and pleasant work. Such a position gives one an excellent opportunity to become familiar with good libraries and to learn a great deal about modern library management. The head librarian in one of the largest libraries in the country began his work along this line as assistant in a college library when he was working his way through school. Soliciting Orders for Tailors. There are always a great many young men who earn prac- tically all of their college expenses by acting as agents for some b.rge city tailoring establishment, usually in New York City or Chicago. Such agents are always supplied with an elaborate line of samples and solicit orders from both students and citizens. The majority of such establishments make very good clothing at a moderate price. The agent is always able to show a nice line of patterns from which to select. The student agent is usually al- lowed a liberal commission. The average student dresses well. Among so large a number of students as there is at a majority of the larger schools it is a comparatively easy matter for a wide-awake young man who has the sympathies of his fellow students to secure a sufficient number of orders to enable him to meet all of his college expenses. There is at every school a constantly growing field for work of this .sort. An enterprising young man who wishes to earn hjs way through ONE^S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 85 college and who is willing to make a little effort to fit himself es- pecially for such work is reasonably sure of being able to earn his way through college if he really wishes to do so. If a young man expects to try work of this sort, the one important thing necessary is to obtain some little experience in it before he attempts to make his own way by doing such work. He should know something of the different kinds of material from which clothing is made. He should be somewhat familiar with the prevailing styles and also how to take proper measurements for suits of different styles. He should also have some little degree of skill in talking up his different lines of suitings. With a little experience and a real determination to succeed at all hazards, one need have no misgivings about being able to earn one's way through school by acting as agent for some respon- sible city tailoring establishment. Selling Season Tickets. In every large school there are musical and various other societies which give each season popular concerts, musical festivals and courses of lectures and entertainments. The sale of season tickets for these courses is usually in the hands of students who receive a commission on all sales they make. Such organizations as Good Government Clubs, Lecture Associations, Musical Societies, Christian Associations and other organizations give each year series of very excellent entertainments. Such associations, societies and clubs usually offer a liberal commission to student agents to sell their season tickets. Usually these courses are popular and a great many thousands of season tickets are sold. In every large school a number of students are each year paid a liberal commission for selling tickets for these courses. The writer has known a number of young men and women who, because of the opportunity to earn money in this way, have been able to go on with their college course, when, if it were not for this extra help, they would have been obliged to drop out of school until they had earned money enough to continue. ~ This would often have prevented many of them from ever returning to complete their education. 86 OVER TOO WAYS TO WORK One young lady student recently informed the writer that during her senior year in college she made over one hundred dollars in commissions by selling season tickets for the courses offered by the various university organizations. Soliciting Orders for Job Printing. In every college town there is always a considerable amount of printing done, not only for the professors and various college societies, but also for the students themselves. Especially at a school of any size, the printing in the course of a year amonuts to many thousands of dollars. Many a bright student who is familiar with the printing business has taken advantage of the opportunity which such conditions offer and has made arrangements with the proprietor of some good printing office for a commission on all orders for printing which he succeeds in securing for him. Such students make it a business to come in touch with those in every faculty and student organization who are likely to have the placing of the printing for such organizations. Those who do this have little difficuty in securing orders for the printing which these people control. Often such student agents look after the work to the extent of seeing that proofs are furnished, promptly read and re- turned to the printing office and of delivering the work and col- lecting for the same. Those who attend to all of these details usually receive a liberal commission for their services. If a young man or woman has good taste and some experience in various kinds of printing, can figure accurately and closely on all kinds of job printing, and also keeps up to date in the latest styles of printing, he may easily secure commissions sufficient to pay a large part, possibly all, of his expenses in almost any college community. At the present time, the writer knows of two young men, each of whom is making nearly all of his college expenses in this way. Both of these young men say that they are able to carry on their college work without interruption and at the same time earn prac- tically all their expenses. Neither one of these young men had over fifty dollars when he began his work in college. one;^s way ThrouCh cotxeCe 87 Janitor Work in Public Buildings. Tn every college community a considerable number of enter- prising students secure jobs as janitors in stores, office buildings, churches, etc., and earn enough to enable them to go through col- lege. Opportunities for obtaining work of this sort are much more numerous in large cities than in smaller places. The writer knows a number of students who earned their college expenses in this way and are now successful business or professional men. One well- known student, now a state treasurer, says the fact that he had an opportunity, while taking his college course, to sweep out and dust a certain large church every Saturday enabled him to complete his college education, and he is glad that he did it. The writer re- members a young man who is now a dean in a prominent western college who made his expenses by sweeping the floors, dusting the furniture, carrying coal and building fires where he attended school. Residents in every college community are always glad to give such work to students wIto are willing to do any kind of honest labor. Agent for Mail Order House. The name of a young man in Wisconsin, a country school teacher, was sent by a friend to a well-known mail order house in Chicago. The firm sent him some literature. The young man be- came interested and sent for a complete catalogue. He compared prices on many household articles, especially kitchen utensils, and found that a good margin could be saved by ordering from this house instead of purchasing at the small general stores in the neigehborhood. He decided to spend a few Saturdays with his cata- logue canvassing among the neighbors. He charged five per cent extra for his trouble and added also the usual freight charges upon single shipments. He surprised himself at his success. At the end of the third Saturday he was able to send the house an order large enough to pay him, from the five per cent commission and the margin saved in freight by having all the orders sent at one time, more than he had earned as a school teacher during the entire three weeks. 88 OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK This set the young man to thinking. He had for several years been looking forward to the time when he could get a better place and be able to save enough to take a course in college. He saw in the new work a way to accomplish this. He gave up school work at the end of the term and devoted his entire time to the soliciting of orders for kitchen utensils and other household articles. He was able to secure from the firm whose goods he was selling an additional five per cent commission. He proved an excellent canvasser aiid he made money so much more rapidly than he had l)een able to do as a school teacher that he decided that with what he could earn during vacation times, Saturdays and holidays, he could pay his way through school. He began this work in April. The ne.xt fall found him at Madison enrolled at the state university. He graduated with his class and then entered an eastern law school. He continued to earn his expenses in the same manner. Within six years after leaving school he was elected a district judge. He has since been offered a very honorable place in the judiciary in the Philippine Islands, but refused it because of his bright pros- pects for a place on the supreme bench in the state where he now resides. Clerking in Grocery Store. Twelve years ago a farmer's boy in Kansas secured a place as clerk in a general store at a cross-roads near his father's farm. He drew a salary of two dollars a week and boarded and roomed with his employer's family. One day, soon after he had given up farming and begun work in his new position, a traveling man from Chicago called to see the proprietor. The latter happened to be away for a few hours and as trade was dull that day, he fell into conversation with the new clerk. Something about the boy's frank manner attracted the attention of the traveling man. He asked the lad if he intended always to be a clerk. The youth said he did not see much prospect of anything else. '"Why don't you get an education and then you will stand a better show?" said the man of samples. "Go to college?" sa'id the boy. "How can I go to col- lege? My father has a big mortgage on his farm and he gan't help one's way through college 89 me. I am getting two dollars a week. Will that enable me to go to school ?" The traveling man then told him that money was not necessary ; that if he would learn to be a first-class clerk and do his -work as an honest clerk ought to do it, he could go to any college town and find work in some grocery store for a few hours during tj»e busy part of the morning and on Saturdays and that, with what he could earn during the summer vacations, would enable him to complete his preparatory work and then obtain the best col- lege education to be had in this country. This set the boy to thinking. The more he thought over it and the more he investigated as to the least possible amount neces- sary to attend a good school, the more he became convinced that the traveling man was right. The result was that the young man made up his mind to see how good a clerk he could really be. Sooo.his salary was raised This was in January. By the next fall he had saved enough to clothe himself and pay his fare to a well-known university town and leave him a little margin on which to begin. He soon found all the work he could do at a fair remuneration. By putting in all of his summer vacations and living very economically he was able to make both ends meet while spending two years in a preparatory school and four years in the university. After graduation, he secured employment with a large publi- cation house in the east. The second year he became a partner in the firm. During the six years which have elapsed since his grad- uation he has gradually risen until he is now at the head of the business. He has also become a writer of considerable note. He had no better chance than other boys similarly placed, but he was willing to take advice and work hard to carry out his resolves. Managing a Teachers' Agency. In 1882 a young man, a farmer's son, who was teaching a district school in Illinois, applied to a teachers' agency, seeking em- ployment as an assistant in the office. He was told that if he were only a better penman he could secure work in the addressing de- partment of the agency at six dollars a week. He promptly tele- graphed the manager that if he would hold the place open ten 90 ovrr too ways to work days he would see to it that his penmanship would be entirely ac- ceptable. The manager was pleased with the young man's energy and evident determination to succeed and sent him word to come ni two weeks. Promptly on time, the young man appeared, having in the meantime greatly improved the character of his writing. He went to work on December first. In three months he had, by the strictest attention to business, learned more about teachers' agencies and how they are carried on than the average clerk would learn in three years. Besides his work at the agency, he had ob- tained work at waiting table in a restaurant several hours each evening, and in this way had earned his board and room rent. By the middle of the following September he had saved enough, with what he could earn at odd jobs during the school year, to pay his e.xpenses during the first year in college. The first thing he did upon arriving at the school was to rent a room centrally located and announce that he would carry on a teachers' agency in connection with his college work. It was with this in view that he had been so an.xious to .secure a place in a teachers' agency so that he could learn the business. He offered free registration to all prospective teachers and by a careful canvass soon had enrolled practically every student in the school who intended to teach during the following year. Then he proceeded to write to superintendents and boards of education concerning those whom he had enrolled. By the end of the year he succeeded in locating ten teachers at an average commission of nearly twenty-five dollars each. His summer was spent clerking in a grocery store in order to earn money to begin the next college year, as the commission from the teachers he had located would not be due until the end of the first month after school opened in the fall. The second year he did even better. By strict attention to business and by exercising judgment in carrying on his agency, he was able t') earn more than his necessary expenses. His income from the agency during his senior year was over seven hundred dollars. For several years after graduation the young man was man- ager for the western branch of one of our best known teachers' agencies. Since then, he has become interested in mines in Utah and has been unusually successful, having become one of the prom- inent citizens of that state. onk's way through college QI The writer has known of several other young men who have first become familiar with the management of teachers' agencies and then used their knowledge to enable them to earn their col- lege expenses. Selling Wire Fence. An enterprising young boy living on a farm in western Iowa wanted to go to college. During the winter seasons his father had devoted his time to soliciting orders for woven wire fence and in this way had derived quite a little income in addition to what he made at farming The young man conceived the idea that possibly he could do something of the same kind during vacations and on Saturdays in a college community and thus work his way through school. He finally resolved that it was worth while to make the attempt. For a while he worked with his father and soon was able to "talk" wire fence to farmers in a very successful manner. He had no difficulty in securing the agency for a well-known fence in two or three counties near the town where he wished to attend school. On Saturdays and holidays, and often on afternoons when he could do so without missing classes, he would put in his time soliciting orders for woven wire fence. He was unusually success- ful and was able to meet all of his college expenses in this way. Another young man from New York, accidentally hearing of this and learning of the success which the Iowa boy had made, took up the same kind of work after the former had graduated. He was nearly, if not quite, as successful. There is also plenty of opportunity for work of this kind during the summer vacation. One could, of course, during the sum- mer, work territory which would be inaccessible during the school year. The second young man referred to above, by using a bicycle, was able to cover during the college year territory within a radius of fifty miles of the town where he was at school. The writer has learned of a number of others who have done the same kind of work and in that way been able to obtain a college education. Similar work could be done by young men in the locality of any school, so that this one thing oft'crs opportunities to hundreds of young men who are fitted or will fit themselves for such work to earn their way through college. 9^ OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK Handling Second-Hand Books. The buying and selling of second-hand books is one of the ways adopted by many students to earn their college expenses. There are always a large number of students in every school who sell their text-books as soon as they are don^ with them, and as many others who find it necessary to economize by purchasing such text-books. It requires but a small amount of capital to start in a business of this kind. Those who have little or no capital to invest are often able to make a start by securing as many books as possible to be sold on commission. By thoroughly advertising at the proper time and place the books one has bought or secured on a commission, a good business may be done. The writer has known a number of students who have made in this way from $ioo to $300 a year from the very start. Those who have a little capital upon which to work are able to buy second-hand books at the end of each term and then re-sell them at the beginning of the next term or the next year. Usually when a student wants to sell a second- hand book it is because he needs the money at once and will sell his book very cheaply in order to obtain it. With a small amount of ready cash one is, therefore, able to secure much better bargains than it is possible to obtain when one takes books on commission. The writer has known at least a dozen young men, some of whom had no money at all to start with and others who were able to raise only $50 or $100, who made their entire college expenses in this Way. It must be understood that in order to succeed at a thing of this kind one must be familiar with the books used in the school and must exercise good judgment in carrying on such a business. Soliciting Bookbinding. Many young men and women, especially those who are fam- iliar with the simpler kinds of bookbinding work, find it profitable to act as agents for some city bookbindery. Such agents usually receive a liberal commission on all orders for binding which they are able to secure. A few years ago the writer was well acquainted ONIS'S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 93 with a young woman who was able to meet her entire college ex- penses by doing work" of this kind for a large city bindery. Another student, a young man, did fully as well by acting as agent for a large Chicago bookbinding establishment. In both of these cases, the majority of the orders which they secured during the school year was necessarily obtained in the city where they were attending school and in adjoining villages. The work which they secured during the summer vacation was in new and more remote fields. One important item to be taken into consideration in the case of each of these students was that each one had had a few weeks' ex- perience in doing actual work in a bindery. While at work in a bindery they made it a point, as far as possible, to familiarize them-' selves with the different styles and prices of various bindings. By so doing they Avere abfe to handle such business far more intelli- gently and successfully than would otherwise have been possible without any previous experience with such work. The large majority of people take one or more of the lead- ing monthly magazines. It is not a difficult matter to persuade many of these to have their magazines sent to a bindery and neatly bound. Nearly all medical men and attorneys take regularly sev- eral magazines published in the interests of their professions. They usually have them bound. A capable agent will find in every com- munity an abundance of such work, the larger part of which may be easily secured. This is especially true in the smaller towns, where usually there is no bindery and where people who have bind- ing to be done are , apt to let it accumulate rather than take the trouble to ship it away to be bound. One of the students referred to above found a doctor in a neighboring town with over a hundred volumes of various magazines ready to be bound and glad of the opportunity to send them to a good bindery. Soliciting Orders for Canned Goods. People in college towns are to a very large extent dependent upon grocery stores for their food supply. One young man, who had had a little experience as a grocer's clerk, thought he saw in this an opportunity to work his way through college. He secured 94 OVER TOO WAYS TO WORK the agency for a large wholesale grocery house in Chicago. He then proceeded to solicit orders for all the staple canned goods that could be handled with small danger of loss and which paid a fair nmrgin of profit. He confined his efforts mainly to the fifty or more boarding houses in the town where he entered college. He visited liieni regularly every week or ten days, selling the canned goods for cash in case lots. He allowed a slight discount so as to induce patronage and still make a fair margin of profit. It did not re- quire a large number of patrons to make it pay fairly well. ' By this method this young man was able, so he told the writer, to se- cure orders amounting, on an average, to over $30.00 a week, Tcaving him a commission, after making a liberal reduction for cartage, of about six dollars a week. In this way he was able to meet all of his really necessary expenses while taking a university course. This young man had less than $25.00 in cash to begin with. 1 If was able to get a start by naving a friend go his security at the wholesale grocers to the extent of $75.00. This enabled him to carry an account at the wholesale house not to exceed that amount. This occurred a number of years ago. The writer has since learned that several others have adopted a similar method and have done well at it. A young man who is familiar with the grocery business, especially one who has solicited orders for a grocery store, would be likely to succeed at this kind of work. As far as the writer has been able to learn, every one of the yoimg men referred to above had had at least some experience either in a general grocery store or in handling some one line of provisions or grocery supplies. There is room in any college town for one or more young men to work up a successful business in this line, and thus be able to meet a considerable part or all of their college expenses. Selling and Repairing Fountain Pens. A great deal of the instruction in every college is given now- adays by means of lecture courses. Consequently nearly every -tiidcnt in any school must necessarily own one or more fountain jjcns. It is also a common thing for all business and professional ONE S WAY THROUGH COLLEGE Q5 men to use such pens. Consequently there is a large sale of fountain pens in every college town. The writer has known a number of students acting as agents for fountain pens who have been able to secure each year among their fellow students from two to three hundred orders, on which they would net from 75 cents to $1.00 each. Those who have done this have usually added to their in- come by repairing fountain pens. The best of fountain pens are liable at times to get out of order or to be dropped and broken. One young man told the writer not long ago that he had made during the past j'ear over $90.00 in doing repair work of this sort. To make a success of such work it is necessary that one thoroughly understand some fountain pen and how best to talk up its good points and demonstrate them. If he does repairing, he should own a good kit of the simple tools needful to do work of this sort and understand how to use them skillfully and rapidly. For many years past there has been each year a number of young men in almost every college community who have sold and repaired foun-' tain pens and have found it very remunerative. In small schools the sale of fountain pens would necessarily be limited and some- thing else would have to be done in connection with the selling of pens, in order to enable one to meet all of his college expenses. Tutoring Fellow Students. In every large college or university, especially where there is a numl^er of foreign students, there are at all times many stu- dents who, because of sickness or inability to enter the school promptly at the beginning of the semester, through negligence and carelessness, or because they are foreigners and unfamiliar with our language, fall behind in some one or more studies. Being anxious to pass in their courses, it is not an unusual thing for such students to employ a fellow student who is well along in his work to give them some extra help. There is always a considerable de- mand for work of this kind. The student who is able to do such work usually receives liberal remuneration for it. He also receives the benefit of a thorough review of his work by going over it with the student his is coaching. Thus he not only makes his expenses 96 OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK by such work, but at the same time is more thoroughly perfecting himself in that study. In every college of any size there are many students who find profitable employment each year by doing this l-ind of work. The writer has known personally a large number cf young men and women who have earned a considerable portion of their college expenses in this way. One young man who is now an instructor in one of our leading universities, finding it necessary to earn a large part of his college expenses, took up this kind of work and was able to obtain all that he could do. He had made considerable special preparation to do this class of work. He has since become 7 very successful science teacher in one of the lead- ing universities of the country. Soliciting Advertisements for College and City Papers. The writer has known a number of students who have se- cured work as advertising solicitors for some one or more city or college publications. Such students usually receive, as compensation, a commission on the advertising contracts they are able to make with business men. One young man. the writer remembers dis-' tinctly, was able, during a single year, to secure from out of town advertisers over $500 worth of contracts. He did all the business by correspondence. On these contracts he received a commission of thirty-three and one-third per cent. This, supplemented by a considerable income for soliciting local advertisements at a smaller commission, enabled the young man to meet practically all of his college expenses. Many others have engaged in similar work for both college and city papers. Any wide-awake student who is at all fitted for such work cau in this wav easily earn a considerable part or all of his college expenses. Those who have had experience in this line of work are much more likely to secure employment and to be successful in it._ One young man in an eastern college made a contract with the manager of a large city daily paper to solicit want advertise- ments alone. The student was so successful at this work that he made more thaq his college expenses. He showed such great ability one's \vay through cou^egE 97 for all kinds of newspaper work that tlie manager of the paper em- ployed him as advertising solicitor as soon as he had completed his college course. He is now assistant business manager of a large and very successful daily paper in Ohio and has become one of the influential and wealthy citizens of the place. Soliciting Subscriptions for Magazines. A young lady living in western New York wished to attend college. She began to cast about for some plan by which she might be able to earn the means sufificient to enable her to do so. Hei parents were not able to assist her at all. Her friends, with one exception, discouraged her. The exception was the principal of the high school in the village where she lived. He told her that many young women in practically every college town in the coun- try worked their way through school. He referred her to several young ladies who had actually earned all of their college expenses. She corresponded with some of them in order to find out how they succeeded. They told her how they themselves managed and also explained how other young lady friends succeeded in working their way through school. She thought the matter over carefully and finally decided that her best chance lay in securing the agency for some good magazine, or literary weekly, and devoting enough time to such work to pay her expenses while giving the re- mainder of her time to her studies. She finally decided to secure, if possible, the agency for some well-known lady's magazine and also that of a literary weekly. The one she could work among women and the other among the men. She decided to spend a few months in the neighborhood of her home in order to gain some experience. She soon discovered that with persistence she could make fair wages at that kind of work. She then selected a school in a large city where she could have plenty of people near at hand to work among. She entered college in September with barely enough money to pay her tuition for the first term and a month's board and room rent in advance. However, she felt from what success she had already met with that a few hours' work each school day and the entire day Saturday, she could succeed. She 98 OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK went at the work in a very systematic manner. She procured a list of over a thousand possible subscribers to one or the other of the publications she represented. People became interested in her efforts to obtain a college education. Many women, simply because of a desire to help one who was trying to help herself, sub^sribed for her lady's magazine and continued to take it for four years. Many women even took the pains to ask their friends to subscribe, be- cause they wanted to help a deserving woman. A great many men prompted by the same motive did likewise. The young woman's energy and determination to succeed won the same consideration wherever she worked. This young lady student soon found that she could make enough money to meet her moderate expense ac- count and ha\'e enough time to do all of her regular college work and do it well. During the summer time she was able to earn enough to keep herself well supplied with good clothes and to meet the necessary incidental expenses during the college year. Another interesting case is that of a young man, who graduat- ed in June, 1900, from a well-known university. Every dollar of his college expenses was earned acting as subscription agent for a popu- lar magazine. The publishers of the magazine which this young man represented pay their agents twenty-five per cent of every year- ly subscription, either new or renewal, which their agents send them. This young man, in order to earn the $300 necessary to pay his ex- penses in college each year, was therefore obliged to secure at least twelve hundred subscriptions. He reached this number by the end of his first year in college. His principal work after that was to look after the renewals closely each year and to secure enough new subscribers to offset those which did not renew. He went at the business systematically and in real earnest. He kept a careful list of his subscribers and the date on which each subscription expired. He called upon each one some weeks before his subscription expired in order to secure his renewal before it was given to some other agent. In this way he had no trouble in holding from year to year almost every sub- scriber he secured at the beginning. Thus it took but a few months each year after the first for the young man to secure enough in commissions to pay his" entire college expenses. The publishers of many of our best magazines, realizing that (College students usually make excellent solicitors, often offer to one's way "Through college 99 college men and women special inducements to take up the work for them. This makes it possible for a large number of young men and women in the many college communities in this country to hind opportunities to do work of this kind. Ry spending a few weeks in energetic canvassing, any wide- awake student can obtain enough subscribers to pay in commissions his first year's expenses at college. In vacation time and on Saturdays it will not be difficult to secure renewals and new subscriptions enough to enable one to meet all expenses during the following year. One is justified in letting those with whom he is dealing know just what his purpose is. People generally are very willing to favor young people who are making an effort to obtain an education. The writer has on various occasions turned a number of sub- scriptions to the student referred to above because of his laudable purpose. The most difficult part of this kind of work is at the be- ginning. Once a list is obtained, it becomes comparatively easy work to secure renewals and enough new subscribers to offset dis- . continuances. This field is an exceedingly large one. There is plenty of room for all who wish to try this method of working theiW way through college. Any bright young man or woman who is really anxious to secure a college education and has the right kind of material in him can succeed by this method if he will. Doing Photographic Work. In every community in which there is a good school, espec- ially one with a large attendance, there are always several good photographic galleries with plenty of work to do. Young people who have iiad experience in doing photographic work, especially those able to do Hrst-class work as retouchers or as printers, us- ually find plenty of opportunities to do this kind of work in a col- lege town. Good retouchers who are unable to procure work' of this kind in a college community have in many cases been able to secure orders for retouching from galleries in other cities. Such ^vork can easily be forwarded and returned by mail. The writer lOO OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK has known several young men and women who have been able tc earn from one-lialf to tvvi>-tliirds and in some cases their entire college expenses. Young people who have had enough experience to do such work well, or who will take the time to acquire experience in retouching negatives, will have little difficulty, as a rule, in secur- ing such work in the community where they may be. attending school, or elsewhere, and in obtaining a fair price for it. There are nowadays many people interested in amateur pho- tography. This is especially true in college towns. This makes it possible for an energetic student, capable of developmg and finish- ing such work, to find plenty of work to occupy every minute of his spare time. Many a wide-awake student has been able to se- cure enough orders to enable him to meet all of his expenses. Giving Massage Treatments. People are coming more and more to realize the great benefit to be obtained from massage treatment for certain ailments. Not a few students, who have had training in this kind of work, lind opportunities to give treatments of this sort. For giving such treat- ments they usually receive from fifty cents to a dollar or more an hour. Those who have had experience .ind are able to obtain good recommendations are usually able to find corisidf:raI)le work of this kind to do in a college community. Tt is always easy to arrange to give such treatments at times that will not interfere with one's studies. At the prices paid for such treatments it is not difficult to earn all of one's college expenses, if one is able to secure even a small amount of it to do. .* A j'oung man who is now auditor for one of the largest railroad corporations in this country obtained some instruction in gi\nng massage treatment by assisting his father, who was a phy- sician in a small western town. The father was unable to sup- port the young man while taking a college course. The boy, however, conceived the idea that possibly he might find at least some employment of this kind while in school, and thus be able to meet at least a part of his college expenses. He was so successful in ]iis efforts to obtain such work that he was kept busy every min- ONES WAY THROUGH COI.LEGE lOI ute he could spare from his studies and was actually able to ac- cumulate several hundred dollars more than he needed to defray his college expenses. Other young men have done nearly, if not quite as well. It does not require a great deal of training or experience to enable one to give massage treatments successfully. Acting as Night Watchman. In every town of any size there is always more or less demand for men to act as watchmen. Business blocks are being remodeled, new buildings are being erected, and often valuable property is necessarily exposed for a time and a night watchman must be employed. A great many factories, banks and large busi- ness establishments employ watchmen regularly. It is not diflfi- cult for a few young men attending college to secure work of this kind. They usually go on duty at ten or eleven o'clock at night and are not expected to remain later than half past three or four in the morning. Such work does not interfere seriously with their studies. They can usually arrange to obtain the necessary sleep between three p. m. and ten p. m. Usually the greater part of the time they are on duty as watchmen can be devoted to study, only a small part of the time being actually required to do their work as watchmen. The writer has known a number of students who in recent years have adopted this method of earning their college ex- penses. It is certainly not the most pleasant way for one to choose in order to obtain a college education, yet if no other suitable way offers itself there is nothing about it that is so disagreeable as necessarily to prevent an ambitious young man from undertaking it. Many an enterprising young man would be only too glad to have an opportunty to do such work and would accept such an offer without a moment's hesitation rather than forego an oppor- tunity to secure a college training. 102 OVKR lOO WAYS TO WORK Selling Stereopticon Views. Some ten years ago three young men and one young lady rrvhiated from a Northern Indiana village school. One of the young men's parents were well to do and the son was sent to a large eastern school. Another of the young men succeeded in bor- rowing enough money to enable him to spend two years at a normal school after which he became a teacher and later studied law. The third young man. whose parents were unable to aid him in securing a college course, set about trying to plan how he could go to college. He had heard of young people working their way through school and he decided that, if possible, he would do the same. But how? That was the question. About this time a young man called at his home and succeeded in persuading his mother to give an order for several dollars worth of stereopticon views. The agent was a good salesman and secured the order quickly and apparently with ease. This set the son to thinking. An hour later he set out to find the agent and consult him about doing something of the kind. From the agent he learned that there was a profit of fifty per cent, on such goods and that the young man was mak- ing, on an average, five or six dollars a day. He concluded thai he could do work of this kind and at once decided to secure an agency. During the week following, he spent several days with the agent in order to learn how the work was done. He then de- cided that he was ready for business. He determined to succeed and he did. Four years later he was the proud possessor of a uni- versity diploma, every dollar of his expenses having been earned by selling stereopticon views on Saturdays, during holidays and summer vacations. The young lady who completed her course in the same class with this young man, hearing of his success, concluded that she also could do as well. Although opposed by her parents and dis- couraged by practically all of her friends, she, nevertheless, stuck to her resolve to work her way through school. She also tried the work of selling stereopticon views and surprised herself as well as her friends at her success. She began in July and by the time school opened in the fall she had earned enough money to pay her expenses during the first semester. By spending a few hours each day in the vicinity of the college and by canvassing neighboring ONE^S WAY THROUGH COLLEC'.e; i03 towns on Saturdays and holidays, during the second semester, she was able to earn enough to finish the year. She kept up her work and at the end of the foitrth year she, too, received her diploma at a well-known girls' school in Massachusetts. Taking Care of Furnaces. All of the better class of residences are now heated by fur- naces or by steam, the former method of heating being the more common. In every college town it is a common thing, in every large house with student, roomers, to give pne student his room rent for taking care of the furnace three or four times a day. This is comparatively light work and enables the student to pay his room rent which otherwise would cost him from forty to sixty dollars or more per year. Each year a considerable number of students tak« care of furnaces not only in the houses where they room, but also in other houses in the vicinity where no rooms are rented to students, thus very nearly meeting the entire expense of attending college. The writer is acquainted with two young men who paid their entire college expenses in this way. One of these young men is now a professor in one of the leading universities in this country. The other is superintendent of schools in a large western city, re- ceiving a salary of $3,000 a year. Tt takes very little instruction to enable an intelligent young man to properly care for and run economically an ordinary furnace or simple boiler for furnishing steam heat in a residence. It does, however, require careful ?nd regular attention to this work if one expects to make a success at it. The young man who does work of this kind is able, usually, to arrange his college recitations so that he can attend to several furnaces without seriously interfering with his school work. Soliciting Orders for Engraving. A young man was at work in his father's printing office in a small town in southern Nebraska. He had finished the high school course the year before and had decided to enter the news- paper field. He had not been at this work very long before he 104 OVm TOO WAYS TO WORK realized that he needed a great deal more than a high school edu- cation so he decided that if possihle he would go to college. His father was imahle to send his son to college. The young man hegan to look al)out to find some means hy which he could work his way through school. At this time his work in the printing office was upon a pamphlet booming his home town. It was being issued under the auspices of the Business Men's Association and was to be illustrated with numerous halftone engravings of prom- inent citizens, important buildings and especially attractive views about the city. The young man was instructed to negotiate for prices for halftone work. As -a result of his correspondence with engraving companies he received a considerable amount of printed matter from engravers. He became greatly interested in the samples sent. One of the companies .sent a special representative nearly a thousand miles to solicit the order for the large amount of engraving which was to be done for the pamphlet. The young printer, in his talk with the representative (^f the engraving establishment, mentioned that he was becoming greatly interested in engraving and also that he was anxious to go to college. The agent, who was a college man, suggested to him that if he was willing to go to some good school and act as agent for the engraving company he represented, the chances were that he would be able to earn a sufficient amount to pay all of his college expenses. The agent told him that the company was anxious to secure good solicitors in college towns. They preferred young men who were thoroughly familiar with the printing business, although they often employed Iwight young men who were not printers. The young man thought the matter over carefully. He finally decided to try this kind of work and made arrangements with the engraving company, which -agreed to give him a liberal conunission on every order he secured for them while in college. The young man went to one of the leading universities in this country. He immediately sought the acquaintance of everyone in the university who was interested directly or indirectly with col- lege and other publications. The student daily, the literary monthlies, a comic weekly, the various society and fraternal annuals, the printing offices, and sev- eral of the college professors who had printing to do, were seen one's way through coIvIvECe 105 regularly and frequently and almost without exception gave their work to the student agent. During his first j'^ear in school he se- cured orders for over eight hundred dollars worth of halftone work, zinc etching and other kinds of engraving. The commission on this supplemented with what he earned during the summer vacation enabled the young man to pay every dollar of his college expenses while taking a Hterary course and during two years of post-graduate work. There is a large number of colleges and universities in this country in any one of which there is a sufficient amount of en- graving done to enable an enterprising student to pay his college expenses if he will secure the agency for such work and make a reasonable effort to obtain orders. Lettering Signs. While attending the high school at Grand Rapids, Mich., a young man had devoted quite a little of his spare time to learning to do lettering in the shop of a sign painter near his home. He had gained considerable skill in doing plain lettering neatly and rapidly. After finishing his course in the high school he decided that he would like to take a course in some college. His father was unable to help him. He then decided to try to borrow the money, if possible. He was unable to find among his acquaintances any- body who could spare the necessary amount. He did not give up, however, but decided that if he could find something to do in some college town he would try to work his way through school. He thought the matter over for several weeks, but could not think of any means by which he could possibly earn his expenses and have very much time to devote to college work. One day, while talking with the sign painter, in whose shop he had learned to do lettering, it was suggested to him that very likely he could secure work enough from the large department stores in some city, lettering window cards and price signs, to enable him to meet nearly all and possibly *the entire amount of his college expenses. The young man at once T06 one's Wy\Y THROUCH COTJ.EGE j Ijegan to investigate by writing to department store proprietors in various college towns. With his letter of inquiry he sent samples of his work. He was very much gratified to receive favorable re- plies from a number of different establishments. Several of the proprietors stated that they had special sales in one or more de- partments every week, for which they required a great many hun- dreds of special price cards. He succeeded in making arrange- ments with two different department stores in an eastern city where a well-known university is located^. From these he obtained enough work to enable him to pay nearly all of his expenses. During the summer vacations he was able to earn enough to supplement his earnings during the school year and could thus complete his college course without interruption. He spent six years in school, taking both a literary and a medical course, and paid his entire expenses by doing such work. There are opportunities of this kind in nearly every college connnunity in this country. It does not take long for one to learn to do excellent and rapid work of this kind. This field alone offers opportunities for hundreds of young men every year to earn nearly if not all their expenses while attending college. Soliciting Orders for Rugs. In 1894 a young man completed his course in the high school at his home in Kentucky. The parents of two of his class-mates sent their sons away to school. This young man's parents were unable to give him a college training. He was obliged therefore, to give up his desire to go to college and decided to learn a tirade. He secured a position as apprentice in a large machine shop in Cin- cinnati. He had been there less than a month when he learned that in the same shop there were two young men who worked only three hours each afternoon and all day Saturdays and who were earning their expenses while taking a course in a school in the city. The young man began to think the matter over and wondered why he could not find something to do by which he could also work his way through school. He could have had the same oppor- tunity which was given the other young men but for his lack of OVER lOO WAYS TO WORK 10/ experience. He began at once to look for something he could do which would pay his expenses and leave him enough time to take a course in college. About this time his attention was called to an advertisement of a rug manufacturing company soliciting agents to represent them in different cities. The rugs were called "fluff rugs" and were made from old carpets. The young man called at the factory and was offered a liberal commission if he would give up his work in the machine shop and take hold of this work for the manufacturer. He was given references to three young men representing this com- pany in different college towns. He wrote them in regard to their work and learned that they were in this way paying nearly all of their expenses soliciting orders for rugs. The young man decided that he could do as well and at once gave up his position in the machine shop. He first spent nearly two mo'nths at work in the rug factory, making it his special business to learn all about the various kinds of rugs made from the different kinds of carpet and their prices. He then went to a well-known college in Ohio. This was in August and about six weeks before college opened in the fall. He at once began to make a thorough canvass of the city. By the time school opened he had secured orders the profits on which would net him more than a hundred dollars. By working every Saturday and during the holidays throughout the school year he was able, with the hundred dollars he had earned before school opened, to make every dollar of his expenses during that year. During the summer he solicited in other cities, leaving the towns in the immediate vicinity of the college to be canvassed during the school year. During the following three years the young man had no difficulty whatever in earning his entire college expenses by soliciting orders for rugs. He writes that during his senior year he did even better than that, making enough more than his expenses to enable him to take a trip to Alaska. He is now superintendent of schools in a large city in the south. Rev. Richard C. Hughes. D. D., President Ripon College, Ripon, Wis. I Kii'dx c()i.ij-r,i:, Jrelyr yours, B. C Jenkins. I'nE'iiMPNT. Rev. Wm. G. Frost, Ph. D., President Berea College, Berea, Ky. l^IUr'A COLLEGE. ^ l>i:i EA.ivKN , rCKY. May ist, 1905. ;\Ir:. Sklbv a. Moran, Ann- * rjij. Michigan. My Dear Sir: — I began my education away from home jn 1S71, and since that time ]\-.\e been connected as student and teacher with hnlf a dozen different insti- tutions, at all of which I had opportunity to know and observe a considera- ble number of self-supporting students. I believe that fhey have on the whole averaged better in life success than those who were supplied with ab.'.ndant means from home. The effort to earn money while pursuing an education itself keeps a student in contact with the practical world, develops self-reliance, and gives a certain independence which is of the highest value in after life. The boy or girl who is not ashamed to seek employment has already acquired a self-possession and force of character which promises large success in the work of practical life. Of Berea College it may be said that without' exception our most emi- n :nt graduates are men and women who have assisted themselves while pur- suing their several courses of study. The stories of the particular ways in which these now distinguished men and women earned their way in Berea are among our most cherished traditions. A noted professor in a western college was our champion wood-sawer. A great divine and author was stew- ard of a boarding club. A distinguished inventor is remembered for his in- terest in gardening. Of course the faculty connived with the students to assist in these laudable schemes for earning money while attending school. We are very sure that on the average a 'student who had had this training in addition to his class-room opportunities is more quickly adjusted to the con- ditions of real life and rejoices all his days not only in the exploits of stu- dent experiences, but in the real powers which they have given him. Faithfully yours, W. B. Frost, President. Flavel S. Luther, LL. D., President Trinity College, Hartford, Conn. TRINITY COLLEGE, IL^RTFoRD, Conn. May 5th, 1905. Mr. Selby a. JNIoRAN, Ann Arbor, ^Michigan. Dear Sir: — I have read the Intrcductory Note, of your proposed book and I be- lieve that what you intend to publish will be of value both to young men looking forward to college work and to those in charge of the administra- tion of college afTairs. The number of men at Trinity who support them- selves in part by work during the term and especially during the vacations Is increasing and we have had some cases of men who have earned sub- s'antiary their entire living. (Jf course the necessity of devoting time to earning money does inter- fere, and in some cases materially interferes, with devotion to their academic labors. Dut, for the most part, the men have been able to learn their les- r^ons and do their work beside. I recall several instances of men who have in this way earned enough to meet their expenses while in college and later have done the same thing in professional schools. They are now earnest and successful men. I do not care to give their names, at least without their consent, though to have done such a thing is, or should be, a matter of pride, I recall only one instance, out of the many attempts, in which the health of a student thus supporting himself was seriously weakened. Undoubtedly this is a danger which should be kept in mind, though a rugged, hearty, young fellow, especially if he comes from the country, can endure a good deal, Sincerely yours, Y. S. Luther, President, Rev. Wm. D. Hyde, LL. D. President Bowdoin College, Brunswick Maine. BOWDoiN college;, Brunswick, ^Lmne April iStli, 1903. Mr. Selby a. Moran, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dear Sir : — In reply to your iu'iuiry, permit' me to say that we always have young men working their way through Eowdoin College entirely by their own exer- tions, and such students are among the best we have. The large influx of summer visitors to Maine provides employment for needy students in bote's, steamboats, and on electric cars, and in connection with offices, stores, and newspapers, which spring up in summer colonies, .Although some of our students still teach, the most of them who help them- selves prefer to resort to this summer work, since it is more remunerative and interferes less with their work. Perhaps the most distinguished man who has worked his way through Bowdoin College was the late Hon. Thomas B, Reed, who helped himself largely by teaching school. One of the leading real estate men of Chicago, and one of the leading lawyers of New York paid their way through the college and have expressed their gratitude for what it enabled them to do by substantial gifts to the institution since they hav?i become weplthy themselves. Yours very truly. Wm. DeW. Hyde. Presipent, Rev. Rush Rhees, LL. D., President University of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y. THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, RoCIIESTEK, N. y. May 23, 1903, Mr. Selby a. Mgpan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dear Sir: — Your letter to President Rheps, asking for information witli reference tc Students earning tlieir way through college, is received. I am authorized to answer for the President. We have several men in college who are earning their entire way. A few aclually make money above their expenses. The- writer of this letter entered the University of Rochester in 1892 with about fitfy dollars. At the end of the four years he left college with a bank ac- count of about $350. In the meantime he had contributed largey to every demand in college life, took an active interest in athletics, and was president of the Atliletic Association. This money was learned largely by tutoring. Tlitre is a man now. ^Ir. Charles Heaton of the Sopliomore Class, who is making more than his necessary expenses. There are four or five men who are making money because of their natural musical talents. The city offers many opportunities for men wlio are at all ambitious to make their way. So far as I can see there is no reason why a man. even though he has no money, should not be ab'e '.o make his way through tho University of Rochester. Ver}' truly yours, E- L. Lamson, Rf'.GISTBAR, Rfiv. Rush Rhees, LL. D.. President University of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y. THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, Rochester, N. Y. May 23, 1905, Mr. Selby a, Mcp.an, Ann Arbor, Michigan. - Dear Sir: — Your letter to President Rhees, asking for information with reference tc students earning tlieir way through college, is received. I am authorized to answer for the President. We have several men in college who are earning their entire way. A few actually make money above their expenses. The writer of this letter entered the University of Rochester in 1S92 with about fitfy dollars. At the end of the four years he left college with a bank ac- count of about' $350. In the meantime he had contributed large'y to every demand in college life, took an active interest in athletics, and was president of the Athletic Association. This money was earned largely by tutoring. There is a man now, Mr. Charles Heaton of the Sophomore Class, who is making more than his necessary expenses. There are foiu" or five men who are making money because of their natural musical talents. The city offers many opportunities for men who are at all ambitious to make their way. So far as I can see there is no reason why a man. even though he has no money, should not be ab'e to make his way through tho University of Itochester. Very truly yours, F. E. Lamson, RF.GIgTRAR, Rev. S. PI.ANTZ, Ph. D.. President Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis. i..\\\ki;nc-.-: lm\'i;ksitv. A-MLEioN, Wisconsin April 29tli, 1905, ,Mu. SSLBV A. MORAN. Anx Arbok, Michigan. J;^ar Sir:— Students wlio are dependent upon llieir own resources know the value of time, are schooled in self-dependence, develop energy through necessity ;uid almc.st un formly go forth from col cge to .vin. A man who will endure .he incnvenience cf ex:ra burdens imposed by poverty, while in college, may be ccunted as one wjio values cduca ion, who is dominated by deter- ■m.natlcn and purpose, and who I.as wili power surlicient to keep at a task. ,More men fail through lack of energy, application, tenacity, than through jack studen" who works his way through school must possess and mutt develop ail hese qualities. This institution, because. ;n pait. of its location, and. in part, of its inexpensiveness, has always had a large number of students who were poor and who paid their own bii)s. The experience of the institution testifies that .liese men have beccme our mjst prominent and eminent alumni. More flan thirty years ago in my ca:ly ccl ege experience ? young man came here (.ntire'y without means. He did eve.y.hing honorable that came to hand to do. Sometimes ;t was ncccsscry to d.cp ou: a term and earn money. He li.d not ha\ e time i( r the social tunciicns which are consuming so much of ;he t:nie of students at .l.e present day. Deing compelled to earn his way, 1:6 'ailed every minute. He was graduated with lienor and today is counted as i,ne cf tlie greatest theologians in the United States, occupying a position in cnc of he f.remost Theolcgical Seminaries and being known as a most eicqutnt preacher and able author. Ten years ago there came to this school a man cf thiriy with 3 wife and one chj d. He was able to enter the first year of e ur preparatory department and had less than fifty dollars in money, liy all kinds of menial work he supported his family and paid his expenses, being graduated from the Academy and later from the collegi He subse- quently took one year in a Theological Seminary. He has for two years been pastor of a promising charge and the work has deve'oped under hiin in such a way as to show that the energy v\'hich put him chrovigh school is sure to make of him a successful and eminent preacher. Another instance comes to my mind of a student in the early seventies in this institution, who was dependent upon his own resources, teachiii}; sehool occasionally winters, canvassing for books summers, working at odd jobs during the school year, who now is one of the foremost senators in the I'nited States Congress. We could cite hundreds of such cases from our lists, and st m it all up by haying that many years of observation have convinced us tl at the student who earns his way is more apt to make iiimself felt in subsequent life than the boy who has been indulged at home and who wants to be indulged when he becomes a student. Strong men in all periods of history have for the most pirt Clonic from homes of the honest, working, co.Timon people. Tni y yours. S, Plantz. Pkfsidext. HiTj, M. Beli,. a. M.. President Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. DRAKIv UNIVERSITY. Des Moines, Iowa, ^lay 6th, 1905. Mr. Selby a. Moran. Ann Arbor, IMichigan. My Dear Sir: — In .answer to your letter of April 28th, I have to say that a large per- centage of Drake University students earn a part, or all of their expenses while here. Probably not less than 75 per cent, do this. I trust that your book may have a favorable reception at the hands of ihe public, as I believe that it will be worthy and is likely to accomplish great good. Very sincerely yours, HiEL M. Bell, President. Note. — President Bell might have cited, as an illustrious example of promi- nent men who have worked their way through college and became eminent in their profession and a great power for good in the world, the Dean of one of the departments in his own institution. He is a man who came from the common people, but who has not forgotten them, though he has risen to an eminent position in the professional world entirely by his own unaided efforts.— Editor. Thomas Nicholson, Ph. D., President Dakota Wesleyan Univer- sity, Mitchell, S. D. DAK TA \\].;si.i:\ AN LXl VKRSITY, M iTc: ELL, S. Dak. April i8th, 1905. Mn. Seldy a. Moran. An-; A:.c):;, Miciiican. Dear S.'-:- Dur ng n-y fif ctn \ ears cf cducaticnal wirk, 1 have seen perhaps fifty young men work ihej' way throiigli college. All sorts of work have been dent by ir.em. They hav; been janitors, book-keepers, etc., and have done a -r.riely e;f w>_rk whith wcu!d fill up a long list. One of these men is now ihc ler.d ng dry g' eds merchant ;n ,he city in which I live; another is the f.rst a,-;.' '.htr.n" on my faculty; another is the head of my science department. They r re all thoroughly efficient men. My experience leads me to believe ; h:'.t any y>^ung man who is under twenty-five years of age, who has goo«i ': (.."!'.h and the ccmiT^and of his own time and means, a reasonably good in- lel.eci. can work liis way through any college in the United' States. I am liming to belie\e that those who do this obtain the practical adaptability which makes lliem among the very strongest men. Very cordially youiEj, Thomas Nicholson. President. Note — The i^ditor takes the liberty to say that President Nicholson is Iiimsel^ an illustrous e.xample of the enterprising young men who work their way through school. Every dollar required to enable him to go through high scl:ool, college prepriratory, classical course of Northwestern University, Gar- rett Biblical Institute and a post-graduate course at the University of Chicago was earned by himse'f. ,T. C. JoxEs. Ph. D., Acting President University of Mis- souri, Columbus, Mo. L"\l\'l-;i«iTV (il- MISSDl'RI, Coi.t MBi \, MK,s:ni;i. Apil 2$. 190J In response to a let'er to President R. H. Jcs'=e. of the University of Missouri, the following is in brief tlie answer received from Acting President J. C. Jones: ''The (juestion is often asked. What chan<;cr is there for a young man without means to p;ty his way at our State University? A large number of the students at our State University pay their way by their own exertions. Some do this by teaching part of the time. A large number annua ly pay their way by what they earn during the sessions of the school and in the summer vacation, thus completing their work without inlerrup'.ion. Our in- stitution issues an announcement for the encouragement of the hundreds ot young men who are anxious to attend the University, but are wholly de- pendent upon their own exertions. The offer of free tuition and an appro- priation by the legislature for student labor enables the University to help still more effectually these noble young men. God speed ihem in their efforts. It is a privilege to help them." Sincerely yours, ; J. C. Jones, Acting President. E. G. Lanc.\ster, Ph. D., President of Olivet College, Olievt, Mich. OLIVKT COLLEGK. Olivet, Mich. April 20th, 1905. Mr. Selby a. Moran. Ann Arbor. Michigan. My Dear Mr. Moran:— I g'adly hand you the following: I have been chairman of the self-help committee in Colorado College for seven years and could tell you many interesting stories. .\ typical case is that of a young man who came from the western part of the s ate. He rode in on his wheel, and when he arrived had just $2.00 with him and no other prospects with which to begin a university course. He came to me for help and found work before tl'.e day was over, and entered the college the next day. He graduated last' June and found employment at a salary of $100 a month as principal of a school in the eastern part of the state. Another boy, who came from New York, not only earned his way, but assisted in the support of his invalid parents. He taught telegraphy, short- hand and typewriting, and was at one time ticket agent at Manitou and train dispatcher on the Peak. He graduated with highest honors in his class and has secured a position in a school with a salary of $1,000 a year. He is looked upon as one of the most promising gr.iduates of the college and is expected sooner or later to make a name for him.self. Usually the boys stand just as well in their classes as those who have plenty of leisure and do not work their way. The boy who is willing to do inferior work in order to get a college education does not come because of any family traditions that must be observed, as is the case in the eastern colleges, but he comes because he really wants the broadening influence that such a course will bring. It is a well-worn fact that the young men and the young women who have had the nobility of character and the strength of purpose to over' come the obstacles, no matter how disagreeable, no matter how menial, which beset their paths, are the men and women whose names in after life illumine the pages of history. E- Ct. Lancaster, PRESIDENT. George E. Fellows, LL. D., President University of Maine, Orono, Maine. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE. Orono, Maine. May 2nd, 1905. Mr. S::i.By A. Mouan. Ann AtBOR, Michigan. Dear Sir:— I have your letter of April 29th. I appreciate the effort you are making, as I have had much con'act with students who have supported themselves through college. I could give many illustrations from my own acquaintance, hut reply directly about a few connected with this institution. Two that I think of at once, who worked their entire way through col- lege, have both been made professors in this college and have served twelve or fifteen years in that capacity. One of them is a professor of mathematics, and one a professor of biology. Another graduate has a prominent position in the horticultural work of the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington. Another man, who was married and had a family of small chil- dren, being only a common laborer, came here, managed to work nights and holidays and supported his family until he graduated. He now has a very good position, certainly better taan he ever could have had otherwise. One graduate of last year's class earned every cent of his expenses during his college course, and now has an excellent position. Two brothers of this same man are following in his steps. One of them will graduate this year, and the other two years hence. Instances might be multiplied indefinitely. Yours very truly, Geo. E. Fellows, President. T. E. Cramhi.et, a. M., President Bethany College, Bethany, W. Va. liETHANV COLLEGE, BtiTlIANY, W. Va. May 2ncl, 1905. Mr. Selby a. Moran, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dear Sir: — Rep'ying to your letter of April 26th, I beg to say that in our institu- tion many of our best students are making their way in whole or in part by their own efforts. To my certain knowledge, some of our most illustrious graduates did manual labor while here to enable them to meet their ex- penses while in school. I recall just now one of the best known men in tTie Christian Church, who did janitor service while in school here. Any young man thoroughly in earnest can make his way through Bethany College. I say to all such prospective students, "Come right slong and do your best and we will do the rest." Very truly yours, T. E. Cramblet, President. Rev. a. B. Chukch, D. D., President of Buchtel College, Akron. Ohio. uuchte;!. college, Akron, Ohio. Mr. Selby a. Moran, Ann Arbor, Michigan. .My Dear Sir: — There are registered at JUuchel College each year a number of young gentlemen who have in sight less than a hundred dollars, and some with icsi than twenty-five dollars, to carry them through a four years' college course. They usua.ly have fair preparation, personal energy, determination and faith, and ask only the opportunity of making their way. The college records show scores ot young ^jentlemen and some young ladies who have been in a large measure, and some of them wholly, self-sup- porting during their courses and who have sustained themselves wiih excel- lent grades, been popular with the student body and have graduated with high standing. These alumni have since made their way .o places of eminence in law, medicine, the ministry, education, manufaccuring, politics and finance. i!y working their way through school they acquired the habit of industry ar.a the power of application that the commonly supported stitdtnl knows not of, Tliese young men are object lessons in onginaiily, perseverance, indus- try and helpfulness. They come into the midst of a busy, thriving, manufacturing and com- mercial community. They \ ery soon found, or made, a way of rendering themselves useful to others, and by their usefulness and their industry of mind they accumulated in fcnir years a stock m trade of n.enlal enrichment and manly discipline which gave ihem a valuab e resource for their life achievement. "U'hat has been dene c.in be doae." The g.jtting of a college education is largely a matter of disposition with the iiulividual. A. B. Church, President, A. H. Buchanan, A. M., Dean Cumberland Univesity, Lebanon, Tenn. T.ITKRARY DEPT. CUMni':RI.A\D UNIVERSITY. Lebanon, Tenn. May 17th. 1905. AIk. SnLnv A. Mohan. Anv .^rbor. jMichig\n. n.-ar Sir:— If you can contribute anylliing that will aid Ihe class for whom you write, it will be indeed commendable. The boy or .^ir! with a God-given pur- pose to secure a thorough education in spite of poverty or the lack of as sistance of others is prophetic of mere real worth, ultimately, than can be c ain-ied for those with ample means. The discipline and development resulting from a struggle, unknown to those with money, gives the strength which almost invariably enables the possessor to distance the other class early in the race for success in life. A vciy important work of the teaching world is to devise and suggest ways ?nd means to encourage and help this class of students. God has made them thus that they may bring out all he has p'aced in them. "Such a boy," it is ^r:'d. "is paying his own way." The other side of that equation may be writ- ten at once. — "To be a man among men." I say this after forty years' experience in teaching. Respectfully yours, A. H. Buchanan, Dean. S. B. McCoKMiCK, Ph. D.. sident Western University of Pennsylvania, :\l]eglieny. Pa. \\'1';S'I I'.KN l'Nl\'KRS!'l ■^■ OF PEXXSY lA'AX I A, Ai.!.Er.nANY, 1'a. y[-:y 2nd. 1906. Mk. Sklby a. Mora.v, Ann Aubok, Michigan, My Dear Mr. Moran: — Since I became a college president eight years ago. I have carefully I bserved the young men and women who are earning their college expenses in whole or in part. Tlie result of that observa'ion convinces me that any young man or woman, possei^.sed of good hea th and good mind, may secure a college education, whe'her he has any money or not. It may require a somewhat longer period in which to complete the course; certain very pleas- ant and very helpful aspects of college life may necessarily have to be given up; self-denial and toil must be cons'ant and u.nremitting. But if there be willingness of mind, there need be no other hindrances. No ambitious young man or woman need go without a co'lege training, if he is determined to have it. Moreover, my observation further convinces me that the college student who acqifires his education in ihis way forms habits cf economy, industry hn<\ determination of purpose that practically insure his success in later life He loses sometliing. of course, that other students freely enjoy; but he gains much in development of self-reliance and moral purpose. Yours truly, S. r.. McCORMICK, Chancellor. Ri;v. Charles A. Blanchard. D. I). President of Wheaton College, Whcaton. Ill UtiliATON COLLEGE. WiiEATON, III. April 29th, 1903. Mr. Set. by A. Mor.\n. .\n\- Arbor, ?i1ichig.\n. Dear Sir: — Sr.me years ago I was in the study of a prominent Chicago clergyman, lie had been a student in W'heaton College, and was an alumnus of the In- >t;fu'.ion. Cn the mantel in his study there 'ay the central round of a saw lorse. deeply indented from the teeth of the saw. I was surprised to see it in such a place, ard taking it up. said to him. "What is this?" He said. "That is the central rrtind of the horse on which I rode through college." ITe had had practically no assistance through his college course, — what w.ns done for him he did himself. By hard labor he completed his course. and was at this time pastor of an influential church. He is at present pastor < f a gord. strong church in Philade'phia. A'most everything that a yotmg fiian can do in a country village he did to secure the education which has given h'm his present post of usefulness and honor. T remember well a young man who used to recipe to me in Latin and Creek. Tie af'^^rward had rther studies with me. I believe, but my vivid rec- ollec'ions of him are in the studies above named. He was. throughout his college cciTse. one of our ian't'^rs. and was always a fai'hful ianitor as well PS r fp'tl-fu' studf nt. He l-a< he n for a good many years a judge, and his prcsen* salary i-^ icn thousand d^l'ars a year. He has a pleasant familv. is an honored member of a Christian church, and his lifs. measured from every side, is a success. I rc-ollect anrlher vouig man who came to us with a small sum of p-irncy. hoping to be ab'e fo s*udv one term. He remained with us seven years, earning all the money on which he lived during the whole tim.e. It was a ha'd struggle, but was nob'y carried through. He was recenMy in the city of Washington, and was invited to luncheon or dinner by the president of the I^ni'ed S'a'^es. He has already come in direct touch with millions of liv^s. Wi'hout his education none of these things, so far as we can iudge. would have been po=sib"e Every young man or woman who reads this note should understand that any hard working man or woman can secure a college education in these days, if willing to work for it. There are discouragements, but they are not greater in connection with college life than in any other part of our earthly careers. There are always discouragements, always labors, but' if we trust God and do what is right, there will always be victory. .Charles A. Blanchard, President. Rev. T. .T. Bassett. D. D., President Upper Iowa University. Fayette, Iowa. L'PPER IOWA UNIVERSITY. Fayette, Iowa. May 3rd, 1905. Mr. Selby a. Moran, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dear Sir: — I have received your letter of recent date, announcing your purpose to publish a little book to lencourage young people without means to make their way through college. Pfermit me to thank you in advance for so doing. For several years I have wondered that some one did not do so, and a constant pressure of hard work has alone kept me from entering that field. I feel the more deeply on the subject, since thirty-four years ago I went from a little farm in Wisconsin to Indiana Asbury University (now De Pauw) at Greencastle, Indiana.' I had only a s'.rong body, a willing pair of hands, $35.00 in cash and some ambition. I worked my way through, completing the course, academy and college, in five years. I have since achieved no dis- tinction, since I have no genius, save an ability and a willingness to work. I have, since graduating, taught nineteen years in Alma Mater, have been three years principal of Jennings Seminary, five years in the pastorate, and during the past three years have been president of this Upper Iowa University. Fully fifty per cent; of our students here are earning from half to all their means while going through co'.lege. A large number earn every dollar. Almost invariably they are our best students and never fail in after life. The number of successful alumni who have worked their way through this Uni- versity and who now rank high in law. in the ministry, in missions, in con- gress, and at the educator's desK, is so great that I have no time to even mention names. By all means publish your book and send it broadcast among the noble young people of America who are poor. Sincerely yours, T. J. Bassett, President. E. B. Craighead, A. M. Pres. Tulane University of Louis- iana, New Orleans, La. THE TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA. New Orleans, La. May 2, 1905. iVIy Dear Sir: — I am very much interested 'in the book you have in preparation. I have known of many men. now holding prominent positions in Church and State, eminent lawyers, physicians, college professors, financiers and others who have literally worked their way through college. I am of the opinion that any really ambitious boy, who has pluck, may make his way through Tulane University, -jl am not at liberty, to mention names, but many of the distinguished graduates of tliis University are mr-n who have earned the money with which .to meet their expenses as college students. Yours truly, E. B. Craighead, President. Rev. Henry C. King, D. D., President Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. ( lii-.KI.lX CMlJ.HOh. ( EF.KLIN. CkiO May Jnd, 1903, Mu. Sei.by a. Moran. Ann Akbou. Michigan. ne.r Sir:— My observation is tliat the yi^iing men am! women who have to help themselves during theii college cour- e often prove exceptionally successful in their la'er life work. Truly Tours. H. C. KiN-G. Presidext. C. C. RowusoN, Ph. D.. President of Hiram College, Hiram. Ohio. HIRAM Cf/LLEGE. Hiram, Ohio. Mgy :6;h. :905. Mr. Selby a. Morax. Ann Arbor. Mioiigan My Dear Sir:— Your note regarding the book you are preparing ccncerning 'lie young men and women who, witliout me^ns, ha' e sujcei?d.d in help'ng themselves to a college education, is at hand. I ghidly make the following statement for you. During the whole history of Hiram College, f.rcbab y fif'y per cent, of llie students have been dependen' upon their own resources, wholly or ir\ part. No enterprising young man can in this day excuse himself for lacking an education, unless he is loaded down wi'h. the care of dependents. Every sucli student can put himself through any insrit'.itii>n that he may choose. James A. Garfield 's tlie most conspicuous e.xamp'e of such student enter, prise at Hiram, though many -of the most successful business and profes- sional meii among our alumni testify to the same fact. Yours very Iru y. C. C. Rowr.iS'iN, |'ni:SM>l;NT, Riiv. James G. Merrill, D. D. President Fisk University. Nashville, Tenn. I'lSK rxi\i;Rsn V, .\.\SM\ IM.K, TENN. May 8lh, 1905. ^Ir. Selby a. Morw, Ann Arbor, ^Michigan. Dear Sir: — The names of those wlio have had a fight with poverty during their cd'ege course at Fisk are legion. I will cite two instances. One was Dr. F. A. Stewart of our city, w'.io graduated in the class of 1885. After receiving his A. B. here, he went ;o Harvard Medical School and earned much of his way through that institution by tutoring. He grad- uated at the head of his class there, came hack to Nashville, si.x hundred dollars in debt, to a good Congregational deacon in Boston, who had loaned him the money on his personal note, with a life insurance policy as a col- lateral. This was sixteen years ago. He now owns a fine brick house on an excellent street in Nashville, has holdings in considerable other property, a large practice, not only among tlie colored pecplr.-, but also has not a few white patrons. His standing among the physicians of both races in Nash- ville is unquestioned. Another instance is that of Prof. T. S. Inborden, principal of the Joseph K. Rrick Industrial School, Enfield, North Carolina. He was desperately pocr when in college. The traditions concerning his struggle against poverty are vivid even to this day. He graduated in 1891 and was sent to organize a school at Helena. .\rk. He was so successful that he was later sent to .\lbany. Ga. '1 hence he went to Enfield. N. C. This school has five build- ings and eleven teachers. It has a farm of eleven hundred acres and is steadily growing and is doing excel ent work. Miss llaggie Murray, who is now Mrs. Booker T. Washington, struggled through our college course against not only poverty, but the malarial trou- bles which she brought with her from her home in Louisiana. She has not c.nly taught literature and sociology at Tuskegee. but has also had a marked influence upon the life of the school and is known r.nd loved in the homes of the coored people of Alabama no less than she is honored by the people of culture and refinement from the North, who in their visits to Tuske^ee are guests .-".t her home. I think the book which you purpose -publishing will be of great interest. Very truly yours, J. G. Merrill, President. Wtluam G. Tight, Ph. D., President University of New Mex- ico, Albuquerque, New Mex. im\-i-:r£ity of xN'ew mkxico, Albuquerque, N. M. May 29th, 1903, Mr. Sei.by a. Moran. Ann Arbor, Michigan. My Dear Sir:' — I am indeed interested in th6 subject of the lit'fle booklet which you ))i-opose to publish, as outlined in the Introductory Note enclosed in your letter. T am fully convinced that if a young man or woman has the right spirit and determination, he or she may succeed in gaining a college edu- cation independent of any financial resources. Almost every school in our broad land makes a special endeavor to encourage young merj and women to make their way through college entirely on their own resources. During my experience as student and teacher I have known many young m.en and women who have made their way through college and it has been a matter of common observation that they have afterwards made a success in life work. ' I consider it much more a matter of determination on the part of the student than a question of money as to whether that student secures a col- lege education or not and I am fully convinced that the old adage, "Where there's a will there's a way," is especially true in this matter. I wish you every success in your endeavor to encourage young men and women of small or no means to gain a college education. Very sincerely yours, W. G. TiGirr, President, Edmund J. James, Ph. D., President University of Illinois, Urbana, 111. 'nil'; IXiVEKSITY OF ILLINOIS, L'rbanaj Illinois. April i8, 1905. .Mr. Sei.by a. Mohan. .\nn Akbor, Michigan. Dear Sir: — President James has handed me your letter of April 15 for reply. I have been at the LTniversity of Illinois either as a student or as an in- structor for twenty years. In very large part I paid my expenses while in college. I believe that every man who wants to go to college, whether he has money or not, if he has certain other qualities, may do so. I should advise most boys either to earn their money before going to college, even if they have to delay the going some time, or to borrow money, or perhaps to compromise and do a little of both. I think it is about as hard, and as undesirable, for a boy to work his way through college, as it is for a minister to attempt to earn his living by working with his hands, and to preach good sermons at the same time. I think I have known every student who has graduated from the L'ni- versity of Illinois in the last twenty years. It is because I have known them pretty intimately that I advise every one who can possibly devote his time to a college course to do so, and not to waste his energies by working whi'e he is in college. If he must work in order to get money. I agree that he should, because it is a good thing to have a college educaVion, even though one does not get cut of it all the possibilities. I have seen a few cases, not many, where I think the man paid more for his college training in suffering, and self-denial, and economy than it was worth.' You will see, perhaps, that my point of view is somewhat' different from that of the average man, though this difference does not come from lack of experience. It' so happens, on account of my position, and my ability to get acquainted with people, and to remember them, that I have known more students here than perhaps any other man at the L'niversity. It is for that reason that I am not so enthusiastic over every man's working his way through college as I once was Very truly yours, Thomas ArklE Clark, Dean of Undergraduate: F. P. Vexaiu.e, LL. D., President University of North Caro- lina, Chapel Hill. N. C. rXIX'HRSITV OF NORTH CAROLINA. CiiAPEi, Hill. N. C. May 2nd, 1905. ?\Ir. Selby a. Moran, ■ Ann Arbor. Michigan. Dear Sir :— Your introductory note to the work vvliich you have in preparation has been received. I think that the publication will have value. A great number of our students are in such financial stress that they must virork for their educn'ion. T cannot give any definite statistics as to the success of these men in after years. Very truly yours, Francis P. Venablb, President. 0f ptjtlahf lpl|ta Insurance In lorce $167,000,000 Assefts - - 55,500,000 Surplus - - 8,250,000 T HE PROVIDENT Life and Trust Com= pany has been conducted in accordance with the idea that Life Insurance is a sacred trust, and the best management that which secures permanence, unquestioned safety, moderate cost of insurance, fair and liberal treatment of policyholders, and which best adapts plans of insurance to the needs of the insurer. That the Company has not been excelled in accomplishing these results is a matter of record. ^Particular attention is giv= en to training agents. 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The flour does its own "talking" after that and all you have to do is to go around to the dealers and book the orders. Many men make a life business of selling flour and there are a great many of them who are making from $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 a year. You can do the same and if you start it now while in college you may like it so well that you will have a nice business to drop into when your term has expired. W^e furnish advertising matter, stationery, etc. Don't fail to investigate this opportunity. Write to us TODAY. Remember what you will do you can do, but thinking alone will not accomplish anything; you must ACT. LISTMAN MILL COMPANY, La Crosse, Wisconsin. > ^ ^V ^^W ^ ^V^^V^A^ ^ /»^^ Get in Touch The world that lies between the covers of your books is not the only one that will be opened to you during a college career You will come in contact with young men and women from ever}' part of this great busy, throbbing country of over 80,000,000 peo- ple. 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Send two 2- cent stamps for our Blue "Beauty" catalog and our "Blue Booklet on Den Work." They are full of val- uable hints for arranging your rooms, with illustra- tions from real dens. For particulars address Picture Dep't, Judge Company, 225 Fourth Avenue, New York City. SOME OP THE ADVANTAGES OF REPRESENTING THE LITTLE CHRONICLE A WEEKLY PAPER FOB ALL WHO ARE NOT TOO OLD TO LEARN It is inspiring work because of the educational value of the paper. "There is more real education to the square inch of The Little Chronicle than there is to the square foot of any text book on earth." —JohnL. Lewis, Prin. Fuller Hchool, Chicago. Because of its wide use in school and from the fact that it interests both old and young there is a possible order at every call. "I get my best bird's-eye view of the world from your marvel of a newspaper I wish such a plan for a dally paper could be carried out."— Bishop Cheney,, Christ Episcopal Church, Chicago. "The children read The Little Chronicle to pieces. "—Miss Ahrends^ Lincoln School, Peoria, III. (Not the hest and not the worst. You can do as well.) Canvassed 5^4 days this week and secured 43 orders. Commission amounts to almost jpSO.OO— J. F. Sinclair, Itasca, Co., Minn. Only worked 314 days this week, canvassing but 45 people, but secured 41 orders.— TT'. E. Judson, Wright Co , Minn. A report of 5 days' work in tlie country in which but 36 people were canvassed. 28 of them ordering with 17 out of these placing or- ders for two years with double ■ Jemium, thus making commissions of $.55.00 from 3b calls ( more than $1.50 per call) comes from Mrs. P. F. Loughrey, Wairl Co., N. D. Canvassed 39 people last week and got 31 order.s. My profits for the 4i4 days I worked amount to $43.00.— Cftos. A. Sunderlin, Tirurston Co., Neh. Canvassed six people this afternoon and got six orders. Went out again later and secured four more.— Fred b). Porter, Ashland Co., Wis. Goods we'-e here all right and are now all delivered. Found every- one enthusiastic over the paper and glad to get premium —C L. IT a?- dron, Fremont Co., la. For more information with terms and particulars address the: L,ITTLrE: CHICONICLrE: PVBL,ISI1ING CO., Pot^tisLc Bisilclin^, Chxcsk-^o. moore:'s NON-LEAKABLE FOUNTAIN PEN UNLIKE ALL OTHERS .MCLEAN TO HANDLE CLEAN TO CARRY^CLEAN TO FILL ^GUAR- ANTEED TO WRITE FREELY AT THE FIRST STROKE j6 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ AMERICAN FOUNTAIN PEN CO., ADAMS, GUSHING & FOSTER, Selling Agents. BOSTON, - - MASS., U. S. A. OF ALL THE WAYS, NO WAY LIKE THIS! ^[There are many ways of paying your ex= penses through college. ^[There is no way more attractive than selling life insurance. ^It is professional work and it yields re= turns in direct ratio to the energy and brains you put into it. ^[You do a real ser= vice to every fellow student or other you write. ^You widen your circle of acquaint= ances and friends — to your great benefit both in college and after life. ^jYou study human nature along with your books. ^With vacation comes multiplication of opportunities and not cessation. ^jYou meanwhile qualify yourself at graduation to enter a large and inviting field as a skilled worker. ^There are fair, square reasons why Fidelity policies are better and easier to sell than any other policies. ^[We will gladly tell you what these reasons are — so clearly and candidly that you'll see them for yourself, ^jlf you can and will furnish character and energy, we will equip you to put yourself through any American college or university. THE FIDELITY MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY. L. G. F0U5E, President, Philadelphia. ONE STUDENT in each college community can make very substantial earnings by selling proofs of great paintings and draw- ings, the works of such well-known artists as Frederic Remington, A. B» Frost, Charles Dana Gibson, Maxfield Parish, F. X. Leyendecher, Henry Hutt, Walter Appleton Clark and Jessie Wilcox Smith. These proofs are carefully made and mounted ready for framing. The subjects cover nearly the whole field of modern art, and are especially appropriate for decorating college rooms. Following a demand for these proofs among students throughout the country, the opportun- ity is offered to one student in each in- stitution to act as the publishers^ rep- resentative, on terms of liberal profit. For details of the plan, address Proof Department, P. F. Collier & Son, 416 West 13th Street, New York City. AGENTS WANTED 0\irrei:it Will Pa.y a. IIa.n* Oo., 34 West 24tK Street, New York, N. Y. WE WANT Bright, hustling people to get subscribers for our paper. WE WILL PAY SALARY J- J- OR COMMISSION J^J- Our paper is THE NEW VOICE. It has the LARGEST CIRCULATION of any journal of General Reform in the United States. It is published by Hon. John G. WooLLEY who was presidential candidate in 1900 on the prohibition ticket. Mr. Woolley is one of the most talented journalists and eloquent orators in the country. It should be no trouble for you to get sub- scribers for THE NEW VOICE. It costs but $1.00 a year and should be in every home. You can use no more PROFITABLE MEANS to work your way through col- lege. Write us for full particulars. THE NEW VOICE COMPANY, Hyde Park Chicago " There is no other business so honorable to mankind as the business of selling good books." Charles H. Spurgeon, England's Great- est Preacher. "I always feel like taking off my hat to the book agent. He is doing more good than I can ever hope to do." T. DeWitt Talmage. SYLVANUS ^TALL, D.D. BOff TO PAY YOyR COLLEGE EXPENSES Hundreds of stu- dents have earned their college expenses by selling .• .' ■' Books We have paid over $ 1 50,- 000.00 to student canvass- ers. They have promoted pure intelligence and moral- ity among the masses. THE GREATEST SELLING BOOKS OF THE AGE. These books contain a message for every man, woman and child. It is impossible to enter a house or to canvass a single person who is not in need of the information and a possible purchaser. These books lift the canvasser to the plane of the philanthropist and make him a benefactor to each purchaser. It is this element which has in- spired our canvassers and secured such large sales. A BUSINESS NOT TO BE ASHAMED OF. Gladstone, England's Grand Old Man ; Prince Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor of Germany; Abraham Lincoln, Jay Gould, Mark Twain, and scores of others of their class, were never ashamed of having canvassed. These men obtained a knowledge of human nature in this work which afterwards enabled them to deal with men successfully. These books are commended by scores of prominent educators like Presidents Faunce, of Brown University; Andrews, of the Universitj' of Nebraska; VVarfield, of Lafayette College, and by philanthropists, clergymen, and the great and good everywhere. Write direct to the publishers for full particulars. VIR PUBLISHING CO. 1304 Land Title Building, - PHILADELPHIA, PA. A FOVPITAIN PE;1H has become a necessary requisite for any student, and there is none more reliable than the: swan It is always ready for use and never fails. It is fitted with all grades of nibs, — coarse, medium and fine and to suit any style of writing. It is thoroughly guaranteed in every particular. Price, $2.25, $3.50 and upward, according to size and mounting For the young man or woman who is looking for some means to help them through college, there is nothing easier to sell than a good Fountain Pen. For further particulars and terms address the manufacturers, MABIE, TODD eSL BARD, 130 Fxxlton St., New York, N. Y. IF YOU MUST WORK WHIL E STUDYING Work at Something That Will Be ol Some Benefit To You After You Are Through Studying NO FIELD offers such favorable and promising an outlook for ambitious persons as Engraving and Advertising. No vocation can be chosen that will reward you with more immediate or greater returns than these. But you must know them to oblain the results and insure ccnfidence — so while you are studying prepare your- self for the entry into a line of returns — popular returns — by going after Engravings — H a 1 f t o n e s, Wood Engravings, Electiotypes, Zinc Etchings, Designs. You will find a welcome in every business establishment — even in your oivn college^in your society Journal— every place where there is Reading and Advertising there are Engravings. We will send you particulars which will enable you to go afier this work intelligently and with satiifaction — enougli to pay you through college — good the year 'rouhd. We can allow but one representative to a college, so write with a spirit of earnestness — and do it noiu. WMiiWfMfM WESTERN ENGRAVING AND COLORTYPE COMPANY, Wabash and South Water Strket CHICAGO Jt jt U. S. A. HERE'S YOUR CHANGE EOR COLLEGE EDUCATION WE WANT STUDENTS IN EVERY COEEEGE OR UNIVERSITY TOWN TO ACT AS OUR REPRESENTA- TIVES. WE MAKE IT A PAYING PROPOSITION FOR YOU. CAN GIVE YOU ALE INFORMATION REGARD- ING THE BUSINESS WHICH WIEE ENABLE YOU TO SOLICIi WORK INTELLIGENTLY, jt ^ jfc jt ^ IT^S VP TO YOV YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS. ON YOUR OWN MERITS. NO EXPERI- ENCE NECESSARY. WRITE FOR, FURTHER PARTICULARS. ^ ^ jt DEARBORN ENGRAVING COMPANY, En§:ravers, Desi§:ners, Illustrators 302 Dearborn St. CHICAGO, ILL. The above cut shows the position rif the cap when screwed on. Note that the gold pen is in the air-tigh safety pen-receiving chamber. Do You Need a fountain Pen? Why? It so, the Boston SAFETY Vounta'm Pen is the only Stu. dents' fountain pen. Because it never sweats, leaks, blots or drops ink and will write the same from the first drop of ink to the last. This marks it the only Perfect foun- tain pen. Do You Wish to Earn Your Way Throu§:h Colle§:e? If so, sell the Boston SAFETY Fountain Pen. lA/|-_.*^ Because it is the only -perfect students' fountain Iflr II V r 2'^'*- Every student must buy a fountain pen. They '" "'j ■ will want the perfect students' fountain pen. We want hustling students ta act as our agents for the Boston SAFETY Fountain Pen in every college, school and academy in the United States and Canada. Write for catalog. 46 ScKool St., BOSTON, MA.SS., V. S. A.. Department A. PBRSONAI^ Are you, with your college education, earning an income commensurate with your ability? ^A large Massachusetts corporation formed and officered by college graduates, is in need of a few more high grade men to extend its field of operation throughout the coun- try. It is prepared to oflEer exception- al opportunities to men of energy and ability. Any Alumnus who wishes to investigate, may do so by communi- cating with W. Harman Brown Jr. , Princeton '93 180 Federal St., Boston, Mass. Give References. Invest Yo\ir Sa^v-^ MOST PROF^ITVkBLrEsr bvsine:ss on e:a.rth Munsey's Magazine is said to have paid $960 000 dividends last year. Munsey made so much money out of his magazine, which he started without capital, that he bought the "New York Daily News" and the "Boston Journal, " both of which are great money makers. The I^^dies' Home Journal. Mc- Clure's, Everybody's and many others have made their owners immensely wealthy. You have an opportunity now of investing in an established and well known paying magazine which has a tremendously great future, as great, if not greater, than any of the above. Students Can Make Good Money During Their Spare Hours Selling Stock for Us. Wri e if you are interested, and we will send you free copies of the magazine and full particulars. TR^A^VELr PVBLrlSHING CO., 500 Odd Fellows Bld^., ST. LOVIS, MO. TO STUDENTS . You need to earn something at once, and in a pursuit agreeable to a man of intelligence, where energy and fitness command large reward. WHERE? HOW? There is no more honorable calling than that of life insurance^where you represent the right company. In its practice there is the widest opportunity for mental growth and culture. Young men of energy and reasonable qualifications for field work may add greatly to their income by coirresponding with the PENN MUTUAL LIFE, 921-3-5 Chestnut St., PHILADELPHIA, PA. HE request and the promise in the preceding column are made in all earnestness by the pub- lishers of GooIra^ To begin with, the magazine is good. It will help every member of every family in this country. We know this because we aim to make it so, and because everyone who reads it says it's so. Those who read it number a million. To those who know It not, it appeals upon first inspection, and therefore tde securing of new readers is comparatively easy work. Why We Want You In the past three years. Good House- keeping has wonderfully grown. We are ambitious to have it in every home in the land. We can accomplish this ourselves, but it will take time. We want to make a large forward bound this year, and to do this, we must have the help of an Immense number of men. women and young people —one, at least, in every town and city. Why We Are Liberal We realize that liberal pay will not only attract, but hold, those who will assist us in our campaign— will bring us in the end the best results; for subscribers once started for Good Housekeeping stay with it. Add to this that the work Is dig- nified, that you can devote all your time to it, or only a portion— as you please- that it is absolutely no expense to you for outfit or otherwise, and we think that you will agree with us that It Will Pay You to Investigate A postal card (if you do not care to write at length) will bring you full particulars. If you have had previous experience, please state same. Addresa THE PHELPS PIBLISHINO CO. SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 52 Lafayette Place Marquette Building New York Chicago, 111. Scientific Business Lretter 'Writing Ta^-u^Kt by Correspondence. m^H Sa^lak.rles Pa^Id io Competent Men. Scientific Business Letter-writing has never before been taught. The Page-Davis Company founded this practical system upon actual ex- perience. Our training in Scien- tific Letter- Writing will give you the essence of business principles, emanating directly from a business office. It will give you a profession that has created business amount- ing to millions of dollars. Harry Q. Selfridge rose to a posi- tion as manager for Marshall Field commanding a salary of $50,000 a year, through his ability as cones- pondent. Benj. L. Winchell, president of the Chicago and Eock Island Rail- road, owes his speedy rise to his important and responsible position to his tactful management of a large correspondence. We will teach you every detail of the science of building up busi- ness by correspondence; we will assist you in adding a mail-order department to the house with which you are connected ; we will fit you to conduct the correspond- ence of any kind of a business in a scientific manner; we will give you the sound, proved principles of a successful concern; we will not only impart to you this priceless information, but we will develop your faculties. Without this scientific knowledge a man has little opportunity to rise above the level of mediocrity. An applicant for a position, if an un- scientific letter writer, stands small chance of receiving any considera- tion, or even so much as an inter- view. Every business concern in the world employs the services of one or more correspondents and pays them a salary ranging from $15 to 150 a week. We can thoroughly and practic- ally equip a man or woman to hold a responsible position as corres- pondent, because we have a scien- tific system which has built a busi- ness to gigantic proportions, and afl:orded the man who possessed this knowledge the princely salary of $15,000 a year. If you really appreciate the vast importance of Scientific Letter- Writing, if you honestly desire to possess knowledge gained by suc- cessful men through years of. ex- perience; in short, if you want to know more about a profession that is the climax of modern business methods, you will write at once for our large book— it explains all. Students who wish to pay their way through college should write us In regard to our pleasant and lucrative line of work. Address Scientific Letter Writing Department 90 Wabash Ave., Cliicago 150 Nassau St., N. Y. City Page-Davis Company] CAMPBELLr^S ILrLVSTRATEP JOVRNAL e:sxa.bi«ishe;d in 1890 m^H Cla^ss F'ak.txYily Pxiblicsttion Otve Dollar a^ Yestr Its rich copper-plate illustrations, and literary features have won the admira- tion of the reading world. It was award- ed the Diploma and Medal at the World's Fair of 1893 ^""^ the Gold Medal at Paris in 1900. DEPARTMENTS In addition to the regular magazine feat- ures, our Journal is rendered especially valuable and interesting by the ''Home Department." "Literary Department," "Women's Realm,'' "Fashions," "Rec- reation," and "Music, Art and Drama." STANDAR.D FICTIONS During the coming year there will ap- pear a series of most interesting stories that have yet been published. A good publication elevates the home and is a source of universal education to every famil)'. Sf>eclctl Indxicements to Good Agents CAMPBELL^S ILLVSTRATED JOVR.NAI« ChIoa.^o, Illinois, V. S. A. Twenty-five Cents invested With Us Might be tlie Means of Giving You a College Educatinn ^ ^ A personal card is something which every student requires while attending school; in fact, all college functions; such as Commencement Invitations, etc, . are always engraved, also the separate fraternities require engraved stationery from time to time. An energetic young man or lady student always has a bet- ter chance of securing this work than the dealer, and the prices that we are going to furnish the student are such that other dealers cannot compete against. Our Engraving comprises Calling Cards, Business Cards, School Invitations of all Descriptions, Wedding Invitations, and An- nouncements, Monograms and Fraternity Sta- tionery. Send us 25 cents for our styles of en- graving and we will send you our outfit, which will enable you to figure on any engraved work. These styles and price list can be carried in your pocket and you will always be ready for business when you secure a prospective customer. After you send us $5 worth of orders we will rebate the 25 cents, or at anv time should you need samples for se- curing orders we will send same to you without extra charge. THE AMERICAN fNGR4VIN0 CO. 103 Seseca Street jx ^ Buffalo, New York. You Can Make From Four to Six Dollars a Day We have scores of men and women taking subscriptions for The Pilgrim riagazine who are making more money than bank cashiers. Honest, respect- able employment, congenial work and the most liberal commissions paid by any publisher. Write at once and ask for sample copy and special terms. Pilgrim Magazine Co^ Battle Creek, Mich. One of the Best Ways, In fact the best way, for one to earn all of his expenses while attending college, a way that Takes the Least Time and pays the best for the time actually required, is to enroll students for our Correspondence Course in Shorthand. There are more students today in the United States acquiring a splendid education by correspondence than there are students in all the colleges in the land. Our school has nearly one thousand students in the best positions in this country. We desire especially to enroll College Men and Women because we have ten times as many calls for college trained teachers of Shorthand for the best schools in the country than we can supply. We also have hundreds of calls every year for college men who are stenographers to take positions with the largest commercial establishments in the world at salaries of at least $1,000 a year to begin with and with splendid prospects for promotion. These facts make it Remarkably Easy to Secure Enrollments lor Our School. It will cost you only one cent to write us a postal for full particulars. We pay a liberal commission. It takes but little preparation to handle our work successfully. You can work among your fellow students and those who live near the col- lege. Every m.an and woman who is now soliciting for us is making, during the ^summer vacation alone, more than enough to pay his college expenses. What one makes on Saturdays and during odd hotirs while in college is EXTRA. Write us for full particulars. To Stenographic Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Forest and stream The work of securing subscribers to Forest and Stream has proved remunerative to a large number of people, and in many instances has been under- taken successfully and profitably by students. It is something which may be done in odd hours and days, as opportunity offers, and is agreeable work. The Forest and Stream appeals directly and strong- ly to those who are interested in its attractive field. The paper has been established thirty years, is well known and popular and has an excellent standing. It is its own best agent, and when brought to the attention of the shooter or angler or student of nature speaks for itself. A liberal commission is allowed for taking sub- scriptions. We would be glad to send to any one on request further particulars of this Forest and Stream work and its rewards. FOREST AND STREAM A Weekly Journal. Illustrated THE DEPARTHENTS ARE: The Sportsman Tourist Sketches of Travel and Adventure Natural History Note and Studies of Animal Ways Game Bag and Gun Sport witli Rifle and Shotgun Sea and River Fishing Angling Sketches, Hints and Helps The Kennel Field Dogs and their Trairing Yachting Designing and Construction. Cruising, iiacing Canoeing Building, Logs of Cruses, Club News Rifle and Trap Reports of Tournaments and Club Matches Subscription $4.00 per year; $2.00 ior six months: 10 cents per copy. Special trial subscription, lour weeks, 25c. FOREST AND STEAM PUB. CO., 346 BROADWAY. NEW YORK CITY. School Furniture Is a Never Failing Source of Profit to Agents. It is especially profitable during the summer vacation months for it is then that the great bulk of orders is placed. Andrews Scliool Furniture offers special opportunities for wide awake agents for it is well and favor- ably known through its 49 years' rec- ord on the market. Students and teachers having leisure time during the summer months will find it profitable to take up the sale of Andrews School Furniture and School Supplies. Write for terms, etc. THE A. H. ANDREWS CO., 174-176 Wabash Ave., - Chicago BIG COMMISSION TO Young Men and Young Women To Take Subscriptions for THE CANADIAN AMERICAN A weekly journal giving news of in- terest to former residents of the Dominion of Canada. For particulars write to CANADIAN AMERICAN, 358 Dearborn St., CHICAGO, ILL. I. E. Ilgenfritz' Sons Co. THE MONROE NURSERY MONROE, MICH. 900 Acres Established 1S47 Make Your Spare Time Valuable students ivill find the occupation ot soliciting orders lor the celebrated Monroe Nursery a pleasant, healthful and profitable manner of working their ivay through school. Highest Commissions Paid. Best Quality of Stock Supplied. Mention tbls Book. JOIN The National Housekeepers' Association Chartered June 25, 1904 EVERY HOME-MAKER IS ELIGIBLE TO MEMBERSHIP Fraternalism is today recognized as a principle absolutely essen- tial to the highest attainment in any and all branches of industrial activity, as well as in the professions. Women have accepted this truth, and while they have realized the innumerable advantages, in- tellectually, socially and economically, to be derived from class or- ganizations, and while almost every known object of woman's en- deavor is represented by some club or society, yet that niost im- portant of all occupations, that highest of all callings open to woman, that place which woman occupies by right divine — the making and maintaining of a true home — has gone without a national organiza- tion until the founders of The National Housekeepers' Association recognized and took up this great work. The N. H. A. Provides the Way to Increase the Pur- chasing Power of the Family Income. Save from 20 to 50 per cent on Everything You Buy. Members can buy every line of family supplies at manufacturers' prices. You do not have to buy in quantities in order to secure the benefit of special reduced prices. You can buy anything, from one pair of shoes to a grand piano, at absolutely manufacturers' or whole- sale prices. Suppose you buy one hundred dollars' worth of goods on which the saving is 25 per cent., you save $25. In other words, you pay $75 for what would otherwise cost you $100. Does it pay to join the National Housekeepers' Association? A Call to Women. We purpose to make the N. H. A. the largest and strongest Fraternal Society of women ever organized, and we call for women in every state in the ITnion to join us in achieving this end. The Membership Fee is One Dollar a year. One dollar a year entitles you to all benefits of the organization. A full course of Lessons in Household Economics (copyrighted) has been arranged for members. Each member receives an engraved Membership Cer- tificate, size 9x11 inches, bearing the Official Seal of the Association, and Registered Number of member. SPECIAL OFFER Send us 50 cents and the names of 10 representative home-makers, and we will enroll you as a member, with all privileges and benefits of the Association, and also send you the Household Realm for one year, which magazine devotes one page each issue to the interests of the N. H. A. Address ALICE WEBSTER, President National Housekeepers' Association, 356 Dearborn St., Chicago. WANTED STUDENTS — Students make money taking members to the N. H. A. Write for particulars. THE F. L. REEG CO. 213 Woodward Ave. Detroit, M icli. -MANUFACTURERS OF= ENGRAVED AND EMBOSSED STATIONERY College Commenceinent and Banquet Invitations, Calling Cards, Programs J- J- Seals, Etc. ^ ^ FRATERNITY STATIONERY A SPECIALTY. We want a representative in every college toii^. OVR I^ITTI^C WORK **Ho^v to Use Kindergarten Material in Primary Schools" to any primary teacher who will ask for it NOW. Don't delay. Send 20c for six months' subscription to C6e A.ncveriea.xv Pt*imak.ry«KIn.