11. Control of the temper.
12. Last, and most important of all, Common Sense.
Now I say that unless a boy possesses to a certain degree these twelve qualifications he better not think about becoming a detective.
The office is an important one and performs a great use in the world, but it can easily be prevented and the detective degraded to the level of a hired spy.
Never in my life have I undertaken a case where I have not at least believed that I was working on the right side.
I don’t propose to sell my services to bad men to work out bad ends.
Others are not so particular. Such are not true detectives—they are simply spies.
As to the means of getting the opportunity to learn the business of detective, I can only say that it is just like everything else; there are all sorts of ways.
Application to some good private detective agency will give you that information. If it is not convenient to do that, consult some honest detective, either police or private, and he may be able to tell you how to get a start.
For a boy to throw up his business and go a stranger to any of our great cities with the idea of at once blooming out into a detective can only bring disappointment.