I felt quite sure that this particular property was doing well, and it was somewhat of a shock to me to learn through his clear and definite account that it was only a question of time before this enterprise, too, which had been represented as rolling in money, would get into trouble if things kept on as they were going.
NURSING THE COMMERCIALLY ILL I then arranged with Mr.Gates to accept a position whereby he could help me unravel these tangled affairs, and become, like myself, a man of business, but it was agreed between us that he should not abandon his larger and more important plans for working out some philanthropic aspirations that he had.
Right here I may stop to give credit to Mr.Gates for possessing a combination of rare business ability, very highly developed and very honourably exercised, overshadowed by a passion to accomplish some great and far-reaching benefits to mankind, the influence of which will last.

He is the chairman of the General Education Board and active in many other boards, and for years he has helped in the various plans that we have been interested in where money was given in the hope that it would do something more than temporary service.
Mr.Gates has for many years been closely associated with my personal affairs.

He has been through strenuous times with me, and has taken cares of many kinds off my shoulders, leaving me more time to play golf, plan roads, move trees, and follow other congenial occupations.
His efforts in the investigations in connection with our educational contributions, our medical research, and other kindred works have been very successful.

During the last ten or twelve years my son has shared with Mr.Gates the responsibility of this work, and more recently Mr.
Starr J.Murphy has also joined with us to help Mr.Gates, who has borne the heat and burden of the day, and has well earned some leisure which we have wanted him to enjoy.
But to return to the story of our troubled investments: Mr.Gates went into the study of each of these business concerns, and did the best he could with them.

It has been our policy never to allow a company in which we had an interest to be thrown into the bankruptcy court if we could prevent it; for receiverships are very costly in many ways and often involve heavy sacrifices of genuine values.