Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-01-10
From the New York Times.
HARD TIMES KEEP OUT OF DEBT,

Keep out of debt, aud you are rich; not ricl
in all senses, but in most, richer than many who
have the reputation. Mr. A., who drove past a
moment ago, is taxed rs if he were worth hun.
dred thousand, but his liabilities are hundred
and fifty thousand. He will fail in less than a
month and retire upon the profits of the failure
and be hereafter broken merchant with money
enough, and shabby reputation. You owe not
a cent and have barely cent 10 show after buy
ing your next dinner: but nobody looks on you
as the cause of his ruin, nobody fails because Of
! your failure to meet your engagements, no wild
ows turn their rcbukng eyes on you; no orphans
charge YOU with the authorship of their want.
With your empty pocket you are richer than he
! in his (un-) comfortable retirement with money
enough (that does not belong to him.
| Out of debt, every sixpence you get is your
own; you may look on it with an unalloyed
sensation of right to save or 10 spend it, 10 turn
it into any fashion of pleasure or enjoyment that
it is equal TO. But in debt, your money is not
your own it belongs TO your baker, butcher,
grocer, taor-or the old uncle who was silly
, enough to lend ta yog
|; is not hard FOR man who is making living
who gets decent wagcs-to keep out OF debt,
and generally he ought TO do it. If he does not
make living wages, it is Il different thing-For
borrowing is better than .starging, and debt is
less to be dreaded thspsP2 bread. And again,
when one has, MS capis9 S&sood trade or .profl-
table profession, or q stock on hand that is not
immediately convertible into cash, he is foolish
not to take 4 hundred dollars if he can have use
of it for six dollars year, and YET be sure OF
the principal to repay when it is demanded
But to 90 in debt for a luxury, or mere conve.
nence, or for any other than an absolute neccs-
>ity, is always a matter of doubtful propriety.
Some borrow and make fortunes on their borrow
ed capital before pay day comes. But for such
operations, great brains or an easy conscience
are required, and where one succeeds ten fail.
In these tigh, times, when Wall street is like
ones mouth after eating perslmnions when rents
fall fifty per cent, and the safest men are sllaK-
ing, it behooves all small dealers to look sharp
TO their accounts Let them owe no man, II
they are so fortunate as to be thus far out Of
debt, and be quite sure, too, that no man owes
them except his debt be secured by the most
undoubted security. Form these times whoever
has lent is around looking up the borrower
with the most assiduous perseverance, and 1t Is
distressing to note how many borrowers are not
at home when such call. Let the ornaments go
unbourht this season. Let the amusementS be
forsworn. Let the coas-we talk to unprelend-
ing peope-be coaser than last year |; and, ladies',
let the bonnet be dollar or Two palmer Put
what you inent to spend for Il wreath into the
coal bin, and what you designed for velvet
that should surpass Mrs. Smiths into the flour
barrel Be hard up for weeks together; wear
patch on Se@r gaERentt %eaE aes$s asR
= second floor instead Of q whole house, live
comfortably instead of keeping up appearances
do anything that ia honest never mnd whelher
it is spcctable-rather than IN such times is
these to run in debt.