Young
men after they get through their business training, or apprenticeship, instead
of pursuing their vocation and rising in their business, will often lie about
doing nothing. They say, "I have learned my business, but I am not going
to be a hireling; what is the object of learning my trade or profession, unless
I establish myself?"
"Have
you capital to start with?"
"No,
but I am going to have it."
"How
are you going to get it?"
"I
will tell you confidentially; I have a wealthy old aunt, and she will die
pretty soon; but if she does not, I expect to find some rich old man who will
lend me a few thousands to give me a start. If I only get the money to start
with I will do well."
There
is no greater mistake than when a young man believes he will succeed with
borrowed money. Why? Because every man's experience coincides with that of Mr.
Astor, who said, "it was more difficult for him to accumulate his first
thousand dollars, than all the succeeding millions that made up his colossal
fortune." Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by
experience
M
K O Abiola started life as a poor boy, yet He died as one of the richest
Nigerians. Stephen Girard started life as a poor cabin boy, and died worth nine
million dollars. A. T. Stewart was a poor Irish boy; and he paid taxes on a
million and a half dollars of income, per year. John Jacob Astor was a poor
farmer boy, and died worth twenty millions. Cornelius Vanderbilt began life
rowing a boat from Staten Island to New York; he presented the government with
a steamship worth a million of dollars, and died worth fifty millions.
"There
is no royal road to learning," says the proverb, and I may say it is
equally true, "there is no royal road to wealth." But I think there
is a royal road to both. The road to learning is a royal one; the road that
enables the student to expand his intellect and add every day to his stock of
knowledge, until, in the pleasant process of intellectual growth, he is able to
solve the most profound problems, to count the stars, to analyze every atom of
the globe, and to measure the firmament--this is a regal highway, and it is the
only road worth traveling.
So
as regard to wealth. Go on in confidence, study the rules, and above all
things, study human nature; for "the proper study of mankind is man,"
and you will find that while expanding the intellect and the muscles, your
enlarged experience will enable you every day to accumulate more and more
principal, which will increase itself by interest and otherwise, until you
arrive at a state of independence. You will find, as a general thing, that the
poor boys get rich and the rich boys get poor.
For
instance, a rich man at his demise,leaves a large estate to his family. His
eldest sons, who have helped him earn his fortune, know by experience the value
of money, and they take their inheritance and add to it. The separate portions
of the young children are placed at interest, and the little fellows are patted
on the head, and told a dozen times a day, "you are rich; you will never
have to work, you can always have whatever you wish, for you were born with a
golden spoon in your mouth." The young heir soon finds out what that
means; he has the finest dresses and playthings; he is crammed with sugar
candies and was almost "killed with kindness," and he passes from
school to school, petted and flattered. He becomes arrogant and self-conceited,
abuses his teachers, and carries everything with a high hand. He knows nothing
of the real value of money, having never earned any; but he knows all about the
"golden spoon" business. At college, he invites his poor
fellow-students to his room, where he "wines and dines" with them. He
was cajoled and caressed, and called a glorious good fellow, because he was so
lavish with his money. He gives his game suppers, drives his fast horses,
invites his chums to fetes and parties, determined to have lots of "good
times." He spends the night in frolics and debauchery, and leads off his
companions with the familiar song, "we won't go home till morning."
He gets them to join him in pulling down signs, taking gates from their hinges
and throwing them into back yards and horse-ponds. If the police arrest them,
he knocks them down, is taken to the lock-up, and joyfully foots the bills.
"Ah!
My boys," he cries, "what is the use of being rich, if you can't
enjoy yourself?"
He
might more truly say, "If you can't make a fool of yourself;" but he
is "fast," hates slow things, and don't "see it." Young men
loaded down with other people's money are almost sure to lose all they inherit,
and they acquire all sorts of bad habits which, in the majority of cases, ruin
them in health, purse and character. In this country, one generation follows
another, and the poor of to-day are rich in the next generation, or the third.
Their experience leads them on, and they become rich, and they leave vast
riches to their young children. These children, having been reared in luxury,
are inexperienced and get poor; and after long experience another generation
comes on and gathers up riches again in turn. And thus "history repeats
itself," and happy is he who by listening to the experience of others
avoids the rocks and shoals on which so many have been wrecked.
"In
England, the business makes the man." If a man in that country is a
mechanic or working-man, he is not recognized as a gentleman.
In
this Republican country, the man makes the business .Whether he is a
blacksmith, a shoemaker, a farmer, banker or lawyer, so long as his business is
legitimate, he may be a gentleman. So any "legitimate" business is a
double blessing--it helps the man engaged in it, and also helps others. The
farmer supports his own family, but he also benefits the merchant or mechanic
who needs the products of his farm. The tailor not only makes a living by his
trade, but he also benefits the farmer, the clergyman and others who cannot
make their own clothing. But all these classes of men may be gentlemen.
The
great ambition should be to excel all others engaged in the same
occupation.
The
college-student who was about graduating, said to an old lawyer:
"I
have not yet decided which profession I will follow. Is your profession
full?"
"The
basement is much crowded, but there is plenty of room up-stairs,"
was the witty and truthful reply.
No
profession, trade, or calling, is overcrowded in the upper story. Wherever you
find the most honest and intelligent merchant or banker, or the best lawyer,
the best doctor, the best clergyman, the best shoemaker, carpenter, or anything
else, that man is most sought for, and has always enough to do. As a nation
Americans are too superficial--they are striving to get rich quickly, and do
not generally do their business as substantially and thoroughly as they should,
but whoever excels all others in his own line, if his habits are good
and his integrity undoubted, cannot fail to secure abundant patronage, and the
wealth that naturally follows. Let your motto then always be
"Excelsior," for by living up to it there is no such word as fail.
.
Give
a boy twenty thousand dollars and put him in business, and the chances are that
he will lose every dollar of it before he is a year older. Like buying a ticket
in the lottery, and drawing a prize, it is "easy come, easy go." He
does not know the value of it; nothing is worth anything, unless it costs
effort. Without self-denial and economy, patience and perseverance, and
commencing with capital which you have not earned, you are not sure to succeed
in accumulating. Young men, instead of "waiting for dead men's
shoes," should be up and doing, for there is no class of persons who are
so unaccommodating as regard to dying as these rich old people, and it is
fortunate for the expectant heirs that it is so. Nine out of ten of the rich
men of our country to-day, started out in life as poor boys, with determined
will, industry, perseverance, economy and good habits. They went on gradually,
made their own money and saved it; and this is the best way to acquire a
fortune
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