Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-09-09
Make A Character for Yourself

| is Telaed OF GIrard. that when a
young tradrsman, having bought and
paid for bag of coffee, proceeded to
wheel it hone himself, ,ho shrewd cid
merchant Immediately offered to trust
his new customer 10 as many more bags
as ,he latter might desire. The trait OF
character revealed by the young man in
being his own porter, had given the mil.
liunare confidence in him at once. His
reputation was made with Girafd. He
became n favored dealer with the enter
Prising merchant, throve rapidly, and in
the end amassed fortune.
No mere capital will do as much for
young men as character. Nor will al
ways capital and connection combined
IN our own experience, we have known
many beginners who have utterly failed,
though backed by ample means, and as
sisted by the influence of large circles
friends. In some cases, indeed, consider
able experience, as well as industry and
perseverance, have been added to these
advantages, yet without success. We
have known such persons, after failure
in their first pursuit, to try a second, md
even third, yet with no better result,
although still assisted by capital, friends,
and even by their own activity. The Sc
cret was that they had missed, somehow,
making charac cter for themselves.
On the other hand, it is common oc-
currence II see young men begin without
ii cent, ye, raridy rise to fortune. They
achieve this triumph by establishing, al
the outset, reputation for being compe>
tent business men. Few are so fortunate
as to do this by Single characteristic eel
like the purchaser who won Girard' S
good will by wheeling home the bag: for,
generally, neither veteran merchants are
as shrewd rs the famous millionaire, nor
young dealers as energetic as as his cus>
toner. But consistent life ofsugacity,
economy and industry. invariably estab-
fishes the RIGHT kind Of reputation IN the
end. Confluence grows up ir influential
quarters, toward The young besnner.-
O,d merchants shake their heads and say.
he is of the right stuff and will get along.
Credit comes. us il We're, unsOughi. Con>
nexion follows. The reputation of the
new aspran widens and deepens; his
transactions begin TO be quoted as author.
Ity; trade flows in on him from every
quarter: and ina few years, he retIres with
d competence, or remanS 10 become 4
millionaire. And this is the result Of rs.
. f,t tD1ip it,r a., th,, rhD ,,f, a.
right kind
We may say 10 every young man,
about to start in life, nuke a charncte.
for yourself as soon as possible. Let i
also be distinctive one. 1t is better tc
have name for keeling all others ir
some one thing ,hon 10 enjoy simply 9
no!oriety for merely general merit. Arc
you merchanic ? outsirip your fellow;
in skill. Are you young lawyer be
come superior in a particular branch.
Are You clerk? be the best book keep.
er your employers have. Are you in 6
store? make yourself acquainted with
the various buyers. In short, become
known for an excellence peculiar 10 your
self acquire speciality. rs 1t is called
ard success is certain, because you will
have, as it were, monopoly, and can
dicate your own terms.
Money may be lost, without fault of oul
own, by some one or another of the acci
dents If life. Connexions may be brok'
On up by denth, or failure. or change o.
interests. But character remains thro
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 tc
start anew with but no man, without q
business character, has ever risen from
the ruin caused by the'loss of capital or
the destruction of conneXion.