The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-01-16
From Hunts Merchants Magazine.

4 :
From Hunts Merchants Magazine.
HABIT As RELATED TO BUSINESS.
We cut from the late number Of lht
Dry Goods Reporter The followi. 9 hre
but comprehensive essay on. Habit as re
lated 10 business" commenting IFS yalna,
bic suggestions 10 the serious attention o.
The readers Of the Merchants Magazine
The power of habit is very well indi
Gated by The saying, Habit is second ma
ture." There Is no exaggetation in The
sdage, as we shall he forced 10 admit il
Ave consider facts. Take the frequently.
occuping case Of individuals born lind
or early deprived of sight, and observe
how The habii@s( nice observation through
The sense Of feeling will often aslonisl'
you by his accurate descriptions ol things
which he has examined by mefans oi hls
exquisitely praclicetl touch.
The wonderful accuracy OF The forest
bred Indian 10 detecting and describing The
number and character Of party who have
preceded him through the woods, and The
certainty with which he will determine
The time since they left any particular spot,
have often astnnished white men. who
could see no signs on which 10 predicate
an opininn. Yei the Indian /. rarely, il
ever, al fault. The reason is. that he has
schooled his senses into unerring habits
Of nice and accurate observation. HE
success in war and hunting, his life, and
the safety Of his tribe, depend upon his
correctness Of observation ofthose minute
signs.
Move can any one doubt that habits ofpa-
iient and accurate observation, such as The
savage exhibits, would be Of incalculable
value ifbroughi TO bear upon all the minute
details Of business life! Or can il be
doubted that habits ofnegligence and mat
ienlion in regard To the minutia Of busi-
ness, will prove detrimental, if not fatal !
There is this additional thought, which
is important and worthy 10 be considered,
that The habit Of closely observing, once
formed, is seldom a, fault, and performs
its Office spontaneously. To recnr again
TO the Indian habit Of minutely marking
all the indications ofa trail he is moi obli-
ged 10 force his mind; il is his pleasure,
and il forms one Of The attractions Of forest
life, TO watch every indented leaf. every
faint footprint, and every minute sign
that some one has passed before him.
So when man in any department Of bu-
siness has once made il the habit OF his
life 10 watch closely and minutely all that
bears upon and relates 10 his business OPP
eratons, il becomes pleasurable excite
ment instead Of laborious effort We
hardly ever knew man who had formed
habits of nice and detailed order, who did
not make them hobby which he delight
ed 10 ride as much as any child hls New
Years present. The reason is, that when
once habits of any kind, and especially
those which we know and feel are impor.
tant and valuable, have been formed, we
take plesure in acting conformably there
10.
The case Of Bulwer, the great novelist,
is sometimes quoted as illustrative Of The
advantage Of habits Of order. Benily's
Miscellany SAYS he worked his way 10
eminence, worked il through failure.
through ridicule. His facility is wonder
ful. but it is only the result of practice,
study, habit. lie wrote at first slowly
and with grea, difficulty, but he resolved
TO master the stubborn instrument of
thought, and he did master It. lie has
practised wiring as all art, and has re-
written some Of his essays unpublished
nine or ten times over. lie only works
about three hours day, from Ten in the
morning till one-seldom later. The
evenings, when alone, are devoted 10 read
ing. scarcely ever TO writing. Yet what
an amount Of good hard labor has resulted
from these hours!
These are thought worthy Of the consi-
leration Of all men, but especially ol
yonng men in business, who have the
most Of life before them. II may be con-
sidered as an lndubitable principle, that he
who succeeds in early life IN establishing
good business and moral habits, disposes
thereby of the heavy end Of the road Of
life; all ihat remains he can carry easily
and pleasantly. On the other hand. bad
habits, once formed. viii hang forever on
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