Paderewski

During one of his early tours of the United States, Paderewski played a concert at San Jose, California. Two ambitious students at Leland Stanford University managed the recital. They had guaranteed the pianist $2,000. The affair was not much of a success. Only a small audience appeared. The box office receipts were only $1,600. The two despairing students went to the pianist's secretary, and, in tones of anguish, told him that they could turn over only the $1,600 at the moment, but that they would pay the other $400 if they were given a little time to raise it.

According to the story, as told in The World's Work, the arrangement did not please Paderewski at all. He directed that the two students should pay out of the $1,600 all the expenses that they had incurred, should deduct from what was left 20% for their labors, and should turn over the remainder to him.

Years afterward Paderewski was moving heaven and earth for the relief of the suffering people of Poland. He sought aid on every side. One of the two students who had managed that disastrous concert at San Jose was Herbert Hoover.