We would receive, for example, a shipment of marble from Vermont to Cleveland.  This involved handling by railroad, canal, and lake boats.  The cost of losses or damage had to be somehow fixed between these three different carriers, and it taxed all the ingenuity of a boy of seventeen to work out this problem to the satisfaction of all concerned, including my employers.  But I thought the task no hardship, and so far as I can remember I never had any disagreement of moment with any of these transportation interests.  This experience in conducting all sorts of transactions at such an impressionable age, with the helping hand of my superiors to fall back upon in an emergency—­was highly interesting to me.  It was my first step in learning the principle of negotiation, of which I hope to speak later.

The training that comes from working for some one else, to whom we feel a responsibility, I am sure was of great value to me.

I should estimate that the salaries of that time were far less than half of what is paid for equivalent positions to-day.  The next year I was offered a salary of $700, but thought I was worth $800.  We had not settled the matter by April, and as a favourable opportunity had presented itself for carrying on the same business on my own account, I resigned my position.

In those days, in Cleveland, everyone knew almost everyone else in town.  Among the merchants was a young Englishman named M.B.  Clark, perhaps ten years older than I, who wanted to establish a business and was in search of a partner.  He had $2,000 to contribute to the firm, and wanted a partner who could furnish an equal amount.  This seemed a good opportunity for me.  I had saved up $700 or $800, but where to get the rest was a problem.

I talked the matter over with my father, who told me that he had always intended to give $1,000 to each of his children when they reached twenty-one.  He said that if I wished to receive my share at once, instead of waiting, he would advance it to me and I could pay interest upon the sum until I was twenty-one.

“But, John,” he added, “the rate is ten.”

At that time, 10 per cent. a year interest was a very common rate for such loans.  At the banks the rate might not have been quite so high; but of course the financial institutions could not supply all the demands, so there was much private borrowing at high figures.  As I needed this money for the partnership, I gladly accepted my father’s offer, and so began business as the junior partner of the new firm, which was called Clark & Rockefeller.

It was a great thing to be my own employer.  Mentally I swelled with pride—­a partner in a firm with $4,000 capital!  Mr. Clark attended to the buying and selling, and I took charge of the finance and the books.  We at once began to do a large business, dealing in carload lots and cargoes of produce.  Naturally we soon needed more money to take care of the increasing trade.  There was nothing to do but to attempt to borrow from a bank.  But would the bank lend to us?