COOPERATION 843Imagination alone is not enough to ensure success. Millions of
people have Imagination and build plans that would easily bring them
both fame and fortune, but those plans never reach the decision stage.
Demosthenes was a poor Greek lad who had a strong desire to
be a great public speaker. Nothing unusual about that; others have
"desired" this and similar ability without living to see their desires
realized. But Demosthenes added decision to desire, and, despite the
fact that he was a stammerer, he mastered this handicap and made
himself one of the great orators of the world.
Samuel Insul was an ordinary stenographer, in the employ of
Thomas A. Edison. Through the aid of his Imagination he saw the
great commercial possibilities of electricity. But he did more than see
the possibilities-he reached a decision to transform the mere possi-
bilities into realities, and today he is a multimillionaire electric-light-
plant operator.
Edwin C. Barnes reached a decision in his own mind to become
the partner of Thomas Edison. Handicapped by lack of schooling,
without money to pay his railroad fare, and with no influential friends
to introduce him to Mr. Edison, young Barnes made his way to West
Orange on a freight car and so thoroughly sold himself to Mr. Edison
that he got his opportunity which led to a partnership. Today, just
twenty years since that decision was reached, Edwin Barnes lives at
Bradenton, Florida, retired, with all the money he needs.
William Wrigley Jr. reached a decision to devote his entire business
career to the manufacture and sale of a five-cent package of chewing
gum. He has made that decision bring him financial returns running
into millions of dollars a year.
Henry Ford reached a decision to manufacture and sell a popular-
priced automobile that would be within the means of all who wished
to own it. That decision has brought enormous power to Ford, and has
brought travel opportunity to millions of people.