Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-10-11
miscellaneous.
MAKE A CHARACTER Fog YouRsELl

1t is related ct uifard, that when young
tradesman, having hossh, and paid for bag
Of coffee, proceeded to wheel It boue himself,
the shrewd old merchant Immediately offerei
to trust bis new customer 20 As many more
bags as the latter might desire The trait
Of character revealed BY TIE young man in.
being bis own porter, had given the million
aire confidence in hifa at onec. His reputa-
tioa was made vita Girard He became
favorite dealer With the enterprising merchant,
throve rapidly, and in the end amassed ior
tune
No mere capital viii do 50 much for young
men as character Nor viii always erea cap.
ital and connexion eomhined. Ia cur own
experience, we ha.,s kaSwn rnau5 htgiasesp
who have utterly iauel. tbougb backed by
ample means. and assisted by the influence OF
large circle of friends In some cases, in
deed, considerable experience, as well as in
9ustry and perseverance,, na.9 been addoa f.
these advantages yet without securing sue
eess. We have trosa such persons, after a
failure in their first pursuit 10 try second
and even BY their own activity. The secret
was that they had missed, somehow, making
q character for themselves.
Gu the other hand it is a common occur
renee to see young men begin without cent,
yet rapidly rise to fortune They achieve
ills triumph by establishing, at The outset, a
reputation for being competent business men.
Few afe SO togtunate as to do this by sim
gle characteristic act Ike the purchaser who
won Girard' good will BY wheeling home the
bag; fer. generally, neither veteran mer
chants are as shrewd as the famous million
aire, nor young dealers as energetic az bis
customer. But consistent life of sagacity,
economy and Industry, invariably establishes
the right kind ofreputatioa il the end Con
fdence grows cp in Influential quarters, to-
wards the young beginner. OLD merchants
stake their leads approvingly, aud say, She
is Of the right stuff and wni get a.sag -
Credit comes, Al i were, uaso0slt. Con-
nexion follows Tie reputation of the new
aspirant wideus and deepeos; lis trausac
sons begin to be quoted as authority: trade
1ows in on him from every quarter; and, in
a few wears, he retifes with con- ctence or
remains to become millionaire. All this is
the result Of ea.a.4iehiog. at the oaislt, g
character of the right sort.
We may say to every young man, about to
start in life, make character for yourself as
soon as possible. Let it also be distinctive
one 1t is better TO have name for excel
ling all others ia some one shpg than 70 ou-
Joy simply a uotorety f.r mere.y geno.al
merit Are you q mechanic oulstsip your
fellows ia IRE you i Young lawyer ?
become superior ia particular branch Are
you clerk be- the best book keeper your
employers have. Are you IN a store make
yourself acquainted visa Tn various buyers.
IN short become known for an excellence pc
cular to yourself; acquire speciality, as it
is called: and success is certain, because you
viii have, as it we're a monopoly, and can
dictate your own terms.
Money may be lost without fault Of our
own by some one or another The accidents
Of life. Connexions may be broken up by
death, or failure or change Of interests But
character remains through all 1t belongs to
the individual and is above the chances Of
fate. Thousands who have lost all else, have
recovered themselves, by having character
to statt anew With but no man, without a
business character, has ever risen from The
ruin caused by the loss of capital or the De
structon of connection.