Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-12-18


Our people are peculiarly constituted.
Thy iegs excitement, and can scarcely live
without Il. The slow Flooding method in
whicA they used to make their gains 10 a.
wose entirely ignored, or u least arc no,
worthy 70 be taken into account. The msr
VIZ plods along in his business ~ Of yore,
- Tie principal Of "slow and sure" ID
scarcely thought Of ia the strife for fortune,
while he Who makes his City or hundred
thousand dollars in speculation, is held up
70 The admiring gaze Of the public - . rard
ssis Of shrswdness and talent, worthy to b
copied sitsr, and is pointed out - model
fos young men to follow though IL . man
loses his oil 10 . speculation there is no
wonder expressed, save BY his creditor, and
those who may be somewhat interested in
the speculation.
All kinds Of speculation have the same
tendency. The farmer who gets an ex,raor.
diusry large vel Of grain finds himself "a
msus through the country, while the great
majority Of the tillcrs Oft soil are scarcely
ever spoken ri. The successful mechanic
TOO, 10 never at loss to and claquers whc
magnify his talents and shrewdness; but
one who lacks executive ability though
equally % good workman, is never heard
Of out of HE own circle. The same with tn,
manufacturer and the artizan. Ifby chance
they become suddenly rich, they find them
selves Is suddenly famous, while theil
equally deserving neighbor is nero moth
Ing.
Let csc same men lose their suddenly
acquired wealth and there is no one L
shout their praises or 10 point out the pccu
liar phase Of their shrewdncss and tact
The winner is the one that is her aided e
the world, while those vino are not so for
tunatc go down to time without recognition
beyond their own circle. Wealth has pow
eriui charms, and he who obtains it sud
denly is looked up to AZ . superior genus
possessed quslit's Of higher order The ma,
whoplods along faithfully at his every da,
vacations. and does his duty as citizen and
neighbor, without entering INTO the spccu.
lations Of the day, is not taken into account
and il set down as . mere noodle without
spirit, and unworthy the consideration Of
men OF sense. This class men Of maze ny
the preponderance Of thebody polite and ar,
looked after only when their votes are need
ed bv the Spectator and politician. Fol-
oil this they form . large majority Of the
people.
We have said that the man Who makes
his money by plodding industry, or he who
fails to accumulate . fortune is pas sed by
almost unhecded; while the man that
makes sudden dash into fortunes favo,
and Is successful, receives the plaudi,s OF
the multitude. and is made famous. This
story can be illustrated by the one that i.
going the rounds Of the papers jus. now
about the wonderful discoveries Of gold in
Montana. The thousands in that lOcality
who have failed to make fortune aic moi
noticed At oil. Their names are never heard
ofbeyond the gulch in which they labor
The world, and the press, do not appreciate
them. They may be honest, labor hard
and fulfil their duties as good citizens, yet
they have not discovered immense wealth
They are nobodics. The same rule oper
atcs everyw here. and in every avocation o
life. Chance makes a man rich, and he i
famous, while thousands sink away in pov-
erty and are forgotten. Such are the cx
periences Of life. and such they will con
tinue till the end Of time.