Throughout his hard-working life he had been irresistibly impelled to action by an absolute genius of commerce, expressing itself at the outset by the exhibition of courage in mere exchange and barter.

An alert power to perceive the potential value of things and the possible malleability of men and circumstances, had stood him in marvellous good stead.

He had bought at low prices things which in the eyes of the less discerning were worthless, but, having obtained possession of such things, the less discerning had almost invariably awakened to the fact that, in his hands, values increased, and methods of remunerative disposition, being sought, were found.

Nothing remained unutilisable.

The practical, sordid, uneducated little man developed the power to create demand for his own supplies.