Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-10-11
Make Character for Yourself.

1t isrelated Of Girard that when youpo
tradesman, having bought and paid for q
bag OF coffee, proceeded to wheel it home
himself, the shrewd old merchant imme.
diately offered to trust his new customer to
as many more bags as the latter might de-
sire. The trait Of character revealed bv
the young man in being his own porter.
had given the millionaire confidence in him
at once. His reputation was made with
Girard. He became favored dealer with
the enterprising merchants tbrove rapidly.
and in the end amassed fortune.
Nomere capital win do So much for young
men as character Nor will always even
capital and connexion combined. In our
own experience, we have known many. be.
Eglnpers who have ufterlv fs,fed fhongh
backed NJ IA sfs ~ Al, ~
the influence of large circle Of friends. In
some cases, indeed, considerable experience,
as well as industry and perseverance, have
been added to these advantages, yet with
out securing success. We have known such
persons, after failure in their first pursuit,
to try second, and even third, yet with
no better result, although still assisted by
capital, by friends, and even by their own
activity. The secret was that they had
missed somehow, making character for
themselves.
On the other hand, it is common oc-
currence to see young men begin without
a cent, yet rapidly rise to fortune. They
achieve this triumph by establishing rep
utation for being competent business men.
Few are so fortunate as to do this by sin
gle characteristic act, like the purchaser
who won Girard's good will by wheeling
home the bag; for generally neither vete-
ran merchants are as shrewd as the famous
millionaire, nor young dealers as energetic
as his customers. But consistent life of
sagacity, economy and industry, invariably
establishes the right kind of reputation in
the end. Confidence grows up, in infuen-
tlal quarters, towards the young beginner.
Old merchants shake their heads approx
ingly, and say, he is Of the right stuff and
will get along Credit comes, as it were
unsought Connexion follows. The rep.
utation of the new aspirant widens and
deepens; his transactions begin to be quo
ted as authority trade flows on him from
every quarter; and in few years he re-
tires with competence, or remains to be.
come millionaire. All this is the result
of establishing at the outset, character Of
the right sort
We may say TO every young man, about
to start in life, make character for your
self as soon as possible. Let it also be dis
tlnctive one. It is better to have name
for exceeding all others in some one thing
than. than to to enjoy simply notoriety for merely
strip your fellows in skill. Are you young
lawyer ? become superior in q particular
branch. Are you clerk? be the bes
book-keeper your employers have. Are
you in a store make yourself acquainted
with the various buyers. In short become
known for au excellence peculiar to your
self acquire a speciality, as it is called
and success is certain, because you vii
have, as it were, a monopoly, and can die
tate your own terms.
Money may be lost, without fault Of ou
own by some one or another Of the accident
Of life. Connexions may be broken W
by death or failure, OF change Of interest
But characters remain through all. 1t b
longs to the individual, and is above tt
changes Of fate. Thousands, who hay
lost all else, have recovered themselves
having character to start anew with b.
no man without business character, h
ever risen from the ruin caused by the 10
of capital, or the destruction Of connexio
The above, as is denoted, is from tn
excellent paper the Philadelphia Ledger.