Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-08-07
LET Me BE QUICKLY RICH.

so by the once -honored mode
of industry and economy piacticed by
our ancestors. OF the thousands who
make the effort, few become quickly rich
and much fewer remain so. The story of
those who prove successful, with fabulous
additions, spreads with telegraphic speed,
and infames the minds of the excitable,
and often many others, and they long to
become quickly rich. Forgetting or not
regarding the fate of the unsuccessful,
their whole energies are directed to the
rapid accumulation Of fortune. They
yainly imagine that the possession OF
wealth and living in style common with
those who have suddenly acquired it con-
fers happiness without alloy, although
experience has everywhe demonstrated
the fallacy of all such expectations. Man
is SO constituted that employment is ne
cessary. for his health and happiness. He
who devo:es his energies to business to
secure livelihood is far happier than
, man whose sole employment is caring for
and protecting wealth, while no system
OF measuring merit, can prove the latter
more honorable or noble. A false and
highly injurious notion that honor and
happiness flow from wealth, and that the
want Of it indicates di$honUr and misery.
This fa!laciOus theory has led to more
misfortune, suffering and disgrace than
wealth over prevented. 1t induces men
TO engage in the widest adventures, and
TO hazrrd. not only their own accumUIa
ted earnings. but also those Of others, and
AS far MS subject TO their control while
not one in hundred proves successful
The efforts to become quickly rich. is the
great cause OF the frauds upon merchants
by their clerks, and many OF their Gus
toners. and upon banks aud corporations
by their officers and employees. They
are not content to follow the path trod by
.A5tor. Glrard and others. and TO raise to
fortune by industry, and the pursuit of
q happiness, directed with skill and intelli-
geuce. They forget that AstOr COM
menced his commercial career by carry
e his stock upon his back, exchanging it
for furs and that regular business, skill
fully managed. conducted him to his im>
mense fortune. They do not remember
% that Girard. from a cabin boy on a vessel,
became first small ship grocer, and by
unremitted attention and great sagacity
accumulated his millions. They only re-
collect them as millionaries. They wish
to approach or rival them IN their accu-
mutation without subjecting themselves
to toll, physical or mental. necessary TO
accomplish the result desired. Girard
once made a remark which is worthy Of
much reelection. ~ young man had been
small, as he could lay up but limited
sum after paying his expenses. Girard
replied, IL labor far harder than you do
having all this property to manage and
take care of. and all l shall ever have out
of it is my victuals and clothes" Out
of his millions all he enjoyed was com.
prised in these two Items. Men are most
happy when engaged in business. and
arehm0st likely to perform all the duties
Of good citizens in the most acceptable
manner. OF course they are gratihed l(it
proves successful, so that it may guard
them and their families against want If
we'll and skillfully conducted, Elost kinds
of business lead to independence and
competence, which tend 10 happiness !;
whereas the mere possession OF wealth,
except with the sordid miser, never con-
ters happiness upon mankind. Those
who become suddenly rich lose all the
pleasure and reputation derived from
conducting successful business. One
lucky venture will lead to new hazards.
and often occasions the total loss of the
fruits of the first success. Among all who
engage in the mercantilebusiness, mot three
in a hundred are computed to die rich.
Among those who seek to become quickly
rich, probably not one in thousand
does so. OF the many thousand in Cali
foTpia, who became suddenly permanent
lYweathy, or were reputed SO, very few
are now even comfortably off. The rich
men there usually became so by the pro-
cess ofregular business. OF the thou
sands who have been suddenly made
rich by stock and other Wall street oper-
atlQns,y few, indeed, close their career
with wealth. Among the numerous "op>
eratlons" in land and other property,
where regular business course is not
pursued, but very limited number ever
come out with property, much less large
fortunes. We hear much Of those W ho in
all matters succeed. but lose sight of the
infinitely greater number who fail and fall
into obscurity, poverty, and often into
degradation. and misery.
The. fa.hersconfers; the greatest benefit
upon his son who educatcs him to some
regular, and respectable employment, and
encourages him to pursue il as the road
most likely to lead him to happiness and
reasonable share. of wealth. The
son who deyotes bis time and talents to