Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-08-24
From Freedley,s Practical Treatise on Business
p. T. BARNUM,S RULES FOR sue
CESS IN BUSINESS.

1 have delayed the further progress of
this book some three weeks, to obtain the
opinion of one who is known all over the
world as the ablest tactician, and one of
the most successful business men of the
age. and am happy to say that it is worth
waiting for. Had l received it earlier, L
would have been tempted to affix to it the
encomium which l passed upon Me-
Donough's, as the stmost valuable opinion
upon record" 1t is certainly volume
within itself. I am sure my friends, the
editors, will, after while, be wanting a
slice of it for ihe benefit of their readers,
and they are most welcome to 1t; but,
gentleman, do not, l pray you, forget to
mention the source from which you OBJ
tanned it, or to tell your readers that
&c there are few more of the same sort
left" Amidst the multiplicity of books,
there is danger that those which may have
the best effect will be unheard of by the
public without your fostering care. In
the following letter, Mr.. Barnum has Civ
en- me authority TO make alterations, &c,
which have not made, because l see no
need of any, and for fear of spelling it. 1t
is possible that his remarks on advertis
ing should be slightly qualified, to be good
advice to all men--for a man should first
be certain that his articles are really good
in themselves, and would be popular if
generally known and, secondly, he should
be certain of his own strength-that is, he
should be Barnum before he attempts to
rival Barnum.
BRIDGEPoRT, June %, 1858.
Eawin T. Freealy, Esq:
Dear Sir Upon receiving your tele-
graphic dispatch on Saturday that you are
waiting at an expense for my letter, | tele-
graphed you that you should receive it
on Wednesday. but on reflection deter
mined to keep you no longer waiting SO
sat right down and wrote the inclosed. l
! fear that it is not what you want--but
such as it is, send it. Very likely the
grammar may need correcting. and
also give you full liberty to curtail and
leave out everything you please. and make
any alterations and additions that YOU
please, provided you do not alter the ge-
neral meaning and spirit of the arti-
Gle.
Truly yours, P. T. BARNUM.
can scarcely expect to offer anything
new on the subject proposed, but, will
name IL few rules that am convinced,
from experience and observation, must be
observed in order to insure success in bu-
SinesS.
1st. Select tile KIND of business that suits
your natural inclination9 and dtemperament.--
Some men are naturally mechanics; others
have a strong aversion to anything like ma
chinery, and so on; one man has natu-
raltaste for one occupation in life, and an
other for another. am glad we do
not all think and feel alike, - said Dick
Homespun, " for, if VIC did, everybody
would think my gal. Sukey Snipes, and
. sweetest creature in all creation, and they
would all be trying to court her at
once"
never could succeed as a merchant
have tried it unsuccessfully several times.
| never could be content with fixed sal
AIRY, for mine is purely speculative dis
position, while others are just the reverse
and therefore all should be careful to
select those occupations that suit you
best
%. Let your plcIgeel egord eGer be sacred
Never promised to do thing without per
forming it with the most rigid promptness.
Nothing is more valuable to man in bu-
siness than the name of always doing as
he agrees, an that to the moment. A strict
adherence to this rule gives a man the
command of half the spare funds within
the range of his acquaintance. and always
encircIes him with host of friends, who
may be depended upon in almost any con-
ceivable emergency.
! Sd. Whatever yoa do, do lViM all your
might.-Work at it, if necessary, early and
late, in season and out of season not leav-
ing a stone unturned, and never deferring
for single hour that which can just as
well be done nor. Theold proverb is full
of truth and meaning.
Whatever is worth doing at all. is
worth doing we'll" Many a man ac-
quires fortune by doing his business tho
roughly, while his neighbor remains poor
/ for life because he only half does his bu
siness. Ambition. energy, industry; and
perseverance, are indispensable requisites
/ for success in business.
4th. SoJriety. Use no description Of IN
| toricating drinks.-As no man can succeed
/ in business unless he has brain to enable
him to lay his plans, and reason to guide
/ him in their execution, so, no matter how
/ bountifully a man may be blessed with
intelligence, if his brain is muddled, and
judgement warped by intoxicating drinks,
it is impossible for him to carry on bust
ness successfully. How many good op-
portunities have passed never to return,
while man was slipping a {. social glass"
with his friend How many foolish
bargin has been made under the Influence
of the neryine, which temporarily makes its
victim so rich! How many important
chances have been put off unlil tomorrow
and thence forever, because the wine-cup
has thrown the system into state of las
sitnde. nentralizino the energies so essen