Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-01-04
"BE DILIGENr IN BUSINESS"

Franklin has somewhere said, that pc
owed a considerable share OF his success IN
life to the impression made upon him, while
yet boy at home, by passage in the Book
Of Kings, that those who will be ''diigent
in business should stand in the presence Of
princes. 1t is well known that few men
were more industrious, more energetic 1t
is equally well known that while he began
his career as a poor boy and labored assldu-
ously as jour printer, he lived TO be an
able and honest ambassador at the court of
the proudest monarch in Christendon. He
was an example, therefore, proud one-of
the tultillment of the text
But he was not the only manwho realized
its truth. We doubt indeed If any man
ever succeeded in life, who was not diiigent
IN busInesS-who was negligent and fond
OF pleasure. The supposed instances TO the
contrary, SO often popularly quoted, invaria-
bly, prove fallacious when carefully inveStI-
gated. Curran, the great Irish orator, was
said to have eloquence native born. But
on the contrary, he has left it on record
that he took the greatest pains TO perfect his
eiocutlon, his gesture, and his knowledge OF
law. Burke, distinguished for his el0quence
and learning, built upthe ediice OF his fame
by slow perseyering, laborlous effort; 1t is
a well known fact that the Philadelphia
tOiIJN,S'i lpi
tune by assiduOus attention to business.
Clay, Webster, Calhoun, and Benton, all
worked hard-the latter necessarily. And
Napoleon the First, who was Il born genius,
If ever man was, achieved most Of what he
did .by uncessing labor often debating to
seyrraI secretaries at once, and always tIrlng
out everybody about him.
If these great men achieved distinction
only by their diligence iii business, or even
if this, as none can deny, was the principal
cause OF their success, how can those OF lar
inferior abilities expect TO prosper unless
they follow the same examples? lie who
neglects his business viii soon find his
business leaving him Ability without in
dustry will not do, and rarely accomplishes
AIRY thing worthy to mention. Men who
think to succeed by doing half day work,
must sooner or later 90 to the wall. There
is but one way to rise; 1t is dlllgent, always
diligent. Without energy and industry no
man ever conquered difficulties or achieved
greatness. The merchant, who leaves his
store to take a social drink :" the mechan
Ic, who stops work to have blue Monday;
the professional man, who goes off on par
ties Of pleasure, and misses the chance Of
clients or patients caling-all these either
fail utterly in life at last, as is the case in
nine examples out of ten, or fail short OF
tnaG complete success WnlCH Iiley might
otherwise have obtained. The old fable OF
the tortoise, who beat the hare to the goal,
because the latter stopped SO often, is real
lied every day and hour in life The cid ad-
age, frequently ridiculed, slow but sure,
is verified continually by experience. Even
genius itself has been said by no less think
er than Sir Jas. Mcintosh, to De only another
name for industry. Go and ask of the
scores of beggard old men who, once pros
porous, now eat the bread of dependence,
what it was that ruined them and they will
answer, if honest, because We were not dill
igent."
BY diligence in business" thousands of
poor lads have risen to opulence, and come
at last to have all the leisure they desired.
But tens of thousands, who could not
wait to enjoy life till they had won the right
to it by diligence in business, have gone
helplessly and despairingly down in the full
meridian Of existence, like the crew Of IA
leaky ship, sinking in sight Of harbor, be-
cause they ate and drank and made merry
when they should have been working at the
pumps Young men, midde-age men, aye,
and even INDECENT old men, follow the exam
pie of the successful and illustrious, by being
''dilgent In business.