The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-04-21
Business versu. Brains.

ooe reason WHY many men do not saceeed 10
ba-ne.s is seldom taken into account 10 after"aTd
determining TIE causes OF their failure Ii Is not
because they have been dishonest, or alter long
overfeaching, find themselves al last oTerreached;
not because after many brilliant winnings al the
gaming table they at last t1ke all and lose all;
not because after having made partial success,
they expect greater, and build fine houses, and
buy ine horses. taking the risk of being able TO
pay: not because of the old folly OF Investing IN
Il t.Ty tickets and always drawing blanks not be-
cause of ndulging u the newer and more COM
mon folly Of Injurious living small means, an-
Ill they waste their substance in a kind Of fashion
able riotousness Nor is Il because he times are
hard, trade so dali, or the West is SO back
ward or HE banks 50 obsiinateIy refuse u dis
count poor paper. 1t is simply because hundreds
Of men every year % into bus ness without sn1l
cent natural capacity 70 carry it on successfully.
Wtca a man thinks OF becoming musician,
he first satisfies himself that he has natural ear
for music When another sets out to be lawyer,
or pEysican, a minister he usually thinks 1t
necessary TO q1alify himself for his profession by
some preliminary study; for we trust the time is
past when anxious father finding that his son
will not make blacksmith, or a carpenter, or
day laborer, finally turns him over to be minis
ter.
But scores of men in every large town - AID
scores upon scores in every large city-embark IN
business without aay more previous experience In
il or any more actual fitness for It, than If man
should undertake to play the violin a. the Acai-
envy Of nasic. who did not know the bass from
the tenor, or the Heroic symphony from the
tune of "Wildham.'
A young clerk who has been two or three years
in great counting house, fances that during that
time he has learned all that can possibly be known
OF the business. He accordingly listens 10 the
advice of some jldicious aud ambitious friends
retres from good position which yielded COM
Portable salary. and sets up for himself to better
his fortune. He issues a circular to his business
acq Iaiutances, prints advertisement IL all the
sspapers, and thus begins an independent busi-
ness career Now, how long will 50 slender a
stalk be able to stand alone: lie will write his
history gently and teadery! II hourishes perhaps
during the first spring like grass, it willis and
ruggies for life during the first miner, then on
the first winter day, 'the wind passes over it, and
it is gone" Snch would be graphically
described by Western creditors as dead broke.
We do not mean to offer Encouragement to
anybody We do not say that this is fault in
young men to be hopeful, bat rather that it is
common misfortune to be over sangane. For in
stance many a farmers boy would rise to wealth,
il be to keep TO his fathers farm, instead OF
hurryng 10 some great city to make his fortune IN
more brilliant Style Many an honest and in
dlstrious youth who might be good mechanic,
prefers TO be poor clerk; many clerk insists on
being poor third partner, aud many good third
partner would ruin the firm in one year If he were
20 he one year at its head Promotion ~ busI-
ness should be like promotion in the army on the
ied-oniy from merit of services and evidence OF
character. Bat when young man possesses him
self of vain ambitions, and strives TO jump at
once into great business aud fac store, aud
fails ia hi foolish atteU pit, he is oten likely ever
afterwards to be unified for anything else than a
succession of Just such delusive experiments ter
minatlng always III a succession OF ll't sach DIS
astrous results until lie is finally ruined beyond all
r. 4
rnere is lch thing spelling horse shoe so
that it will not even make nail; aad there are
other men besides blacksmths who have been
known to do it.
We were some time ago in a large Western
city, in which it was almost impossible to hhd (as
told by prominent merchant there J
any man over twenty five yeas OF aye who was
not in business for himself! Now, it is almost
needless for 20 say, that in an inte ligant
and enterprising Western city, ii is not likely that
every man over twenty five years ot age IS able
10 conduct independent business on his owa
responsibility Nor is it likely that more than q
quarter of the whole number TINS engaged ior
themselves. will ever be dually successful.
We give therefore, as orr advice shat no man
should take upon himself tae responsibility Of be-
ing chief coadurto. Of "a large business who does
not Al the beginning, TO certain degree, see his
way clear to success. Merely to hope that he will
come out well IS Hot enough; he must be able 10
give reason Of his hope. For many man
thinks he can throw a stone across the Nort0 XIV
er-until he tries. Many man attempts to badd
a tower without counting the cost, till finally 1t
falls and crushes him, And many 4 maa who
now thinks of giving up good Subordinate pos.
tioa in order to promote himself iato a more IN
depen leat but at the re time more precarl0as
would do well to 90 beforehand among his friends
and ascertain whether il is the opinion OF any one
else beside himself that he has the necessary tact
common sense, aud euergy to succeed in what he
proposes to attempt. We are very radical 10 our
creed as to what constitutes the necessary quail
dcltions for "a successful merchant. We hold no
less than three separate and distinct articles-lst
honesty; u, industry; Sd, brains,