The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-23
Money Getting.
Substance of a Lecture Delivered by
p. T. Barnum, before the Houng
Mems Literary Association Of Rock
Island, in Babcock's Hall, Thurs
day evening, November 22d, 1865.

day evening, November 22d, 1865.
Mr.. Bafnum commenced by presuming
that the subject of his lecture had engaged
the attention Of all still be trusted to be able
to throw out a few ideas which might he new
even to the people of the thrifty city of Rock
Island. 1t might BIO said that his lecture had
sordd end, being confined to the art of max
ing money, bnt that did not detract from the
popularity of the theme. For ages people
had been celebrated by the love of money
Poems had been written and sermons preach.
ed, to show that il is the root of all evil and
comedies have been written to satirize the
art of getting il; sstill men determined to
work early and late in the pursuit of wealth
Ask the poet if he would sing as sweetly /;
the fashionable physician if he would pursue
his labors as energstically; or the advocate
his defense of injured innocence SO strongly,
if their iabors were not rewarded by money.
Let the people ask themselves if they were
not thinking and struggling for wealth. In
this relation, he rsmem bored the reply of q
millionaire friend of his in New York, to an
cquaintance who had repeated to HIM all the
sage objections to money getting that have
been raised since King Solomon: "All this
may be very true, but have been poor and
rich" Cheers and laughter.
After al that could DO said, continued the
speaker, regarding the evils of avarice it
would generally be found TO be the case that
the money getting men were the best friends
to humsnlty. Certainly misers exist, but as
an exception to the rule and people may
congratulate themselves upon the idea that
when they see man grasping together mon
sy without doing any good to any one, they
can remsm Der that as In this country there is
no law of entail, SO that some day the old fell
low will have passed away, and his money
will pass to his heirs. who will scatter it pref
ty widely.
1t was to q different class he trusted that
his audience belonged. The art of getting
money is easy, especially in this country
the difficulty is in keeping it when earned
The mistake of some people is that they be-
lleve that economy Is saving indie ends or
cutting off the servants wages twenty-five
cents month, or some other little mean
thing. Such people are considered mean and
not economical. Other people believe that
economy runs in one direction, at least their
actions show that much. for while they cave
a few cents month by trivial actions they
spend $50 or $40 once or twice month on
rats. mice. waterfalls, CT poodies. Laugh
ter This was not economy. Economy was
general, and chiefly sought to cause the ex-
penditures TO come within the income The
other kind was, in The words of Punch,
like q man who bought penny herring for
his dinner and hired O coach and four to send
it home in. In commencing the practice of
economy, his hearers should pu: down every
cent they spend under two heads the one
necessities =" the other "luxuries''-and
when they post the columns let them see
which of the two is the most f9rmidable.-
The great trouble is, that the n a ority Of the
people who might be independent if econo-
micsl, by attempting to follow the habits OF
the wealthy minority slwnys keep themselves
in debt.
As for another class of the community,
those who have bad habits, and mudde their
brains by drinking or other expensive vices, |
the speaker would say nothing such men
could not succeed in life until they reformed
their actions.
The first thing which should be studied i'll
the life of young man should be the selec
ton of the business Or avocation 10 which his |
natural talent or ability seem adapted. To |
place man in business for which he is not |
suited. will be to keep him always poor. In |
every profession in life it will be seen that |
some men have mistaken their avocasiop.-
The learned blacksmith should have been q |
while many philosophers and |
clergymen should have been biacksmiths.
But even when the right vocation is che |
sen, a man may not always succeed. The |
reasons for this are numerous. For example |
a usn should not locate his business whore
there is not room for him, nor should he go
where there ia too much com petition ; and |
men must DO careful not only to select |
the right vocation, but the right location
Young men starting II life should never run |
in debt. "Pay Gs you go" is nearer the phil |
osopher's stone than any alchenist has yet
discovered. Young men starting in life are
too apt to think they can eat and drink and |
wear to-day what they propose to pay for to-
Such will find that each to.mor-
row hss its wants, and that they are continu- !
ally working for dead horse, which will
prove Improbable. It is better to wear
patched clothes than ones not paid for, and
man is more honorable and far wiser to wear
and turn his old coat until he can afford to
pay for one.
Money, like fire, is 9 very good servant,
but very bnd master. The young man " no
is always running in debt will find that he is
the slave Of money. Let him but reverse
the picture and he will find that money is the
best and most faithful servant in the world
Money, by constantly Increasing by interest,
will work seveh days q week oil the year
round. What other servant will do this
Men must first lay down their plans, and
then persevers in them. They must not be
tmid or nevous, but must possess energy,
"goaheadtiveness," or, as it is said down
east, "sticktoitativeness." Perseverance is
possessed naturally by some, but all may
acquire it and must acquire it If they propose
to succeed. The timid loses the golden op.
portunity. ''Thsre is a tide IN the events of
men," as Shakespeare says, (which if taken
at its food leads ON to fortune" 1t won't
do to be always hesitating and calculating
without action. A man must depend upon
his own personal exertions, and not upon the
eyes of others. 1t is the eyes of others that
frequently ruin US. The eyes Of 81 employ