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Random Reminiscences of Men and Events by John D. (John Davison) Rockefeller
page 9 of 131 (06%)
closed, and only obstinacy remains. Now these improvements had to be
made--as I said before, it was essential. Yet we could not quarrel
with our old partner, but a minority of us had made up our minds that
we must try to get him to yield, and we resolved to try another line
of argument, and said to him:

"You say that we do not need to spend this money?"

"No," he replied, "it will probably prove to be many years before such
a sum must be spent. There is no present need for these facilities you
want to create, and the works are doing well as they are--let's let
well enough alone."

Now our partner was a very wise and experienced man, older and more
familiar with the subject than some of us, and all this we admitted to
him; but we had made up our minds, as I have said, to carry out this
idea if we could possibly get his approval, and we were willing to
wait until then. As soon as the argument had calmed down, and when the
heat of our discussion had passed, the subject was brought up again. I
had thought of a new way to approach it. I said:

"I'll take it, and supply this capital myself. If the expenditure
turns out to be profitable the company can repay me; and, if it goes
wrong, I'll stand the loss."

That was the argument that touched him. All his reserve disappeared
and the matter was settled when he said:

"If that's the way you feel about it, we'll go it together. I guess I
can take the risk if you can."
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