On a wager he called a messenger boy, gave him a letter addressed to his fiancee in Chicago, told the messenger boy to deliver the letter to the lady and bring back an answer. That fifteen year old boy carried the message to Garcia, or in other words to Mr. Davis' sweetheart.
The Colonel of a regiment has under him about twelve hundred men. Directly under him are his majors, and then come the captains, lieutenants, sergeants, corporals and privates. The first rule in the army is obedience of orders without question.
If obedience were subject to question on the part of the subordinates, the colonel could win no battles.
When your superior gives an order, the thing to do is to carry it out. If the order is wrong you will not be to blame, but your superior will suffer.
There are times, of course, when an order is given that is manifestly impracticable and initiative on the part of the employe might save trouble.
On the other hand, an executive would be greatly handicapped if his orders were subject to interpretation and analysis by his subordinates.
The executive may give an order and in the giving have in his own mind the relation of this order to some other order he has given in an entirely different department and upon the proper execution of all the orders given through the various departments depends the ultimate success of his plan.
The thing for the employe to do is to obey orders willingly, quickly and to the letter.
The employe is not blamed when he does his duty.
It is a source of great satisfaction to the boss to know he has dependable employes and that when he gives an order the thing is done so far as further effort on his part is concerned.