The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-11-08
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1OuCAfa0u.
MINER 4

Success in business depends - much upuk /
preparation - success in any other difsctiot /
and, 70 certain extent, the path Of Respar{
ton is common 70 eli trades and pro1ssioa
To believe this No need only rsmenb0Aat T
most persons do not choose their occupations
until they have gone through with esrsaiaf
amount Of mental training which they cor
uiAse nseuuuy4a1y snnIEEsss BsM1
q 70 tAsa amount Of general training that y
nscessxsy, but that some il necessary NO one
YIN assy OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
4 any rate. ! know Of NO pns VIA - trisd |
! tssss q sPhabJi Z ASssAy. But
some begin 70 talk Of ssbaisAss saaesaisn''
before thsy re veii out Of ths psimmer.
II fAsse mn purcAass ~eed Lola the 6rst
for the purpose of raising grain, the second
foe dsiuing, sid the third for gupsix vine,
their firn business viii not be 10 secure 70. I
spse6veiy Sod grAin, esws, and viOsS; but
before thess they must I'll % tie aame hard
work Of fslliss the trees Aisposins Of the
timber, stunpinss grubbins, blowing, har-
rowing, and in general getting the land into
condition; and it viii b found that he who
prepsrsa hia lasd mosl thd gsughlS ral hze
Aoh.it nea TplentifunJ. II, tAds bSyt are
70 b. ssvessIly lawyer, = physician, and
an engineer. The first duty Of the instructor
issursly mot 70 set before thsn lSa1pscting
Blackstone's commentaries, physiology,
and the ahstruse Of cslcabus; u introductory
to thess thersis mental grabbing, and plow-
ing, aud narrowing 70 be done, and it will
gsaerally be fouaA thai be Who dess 4 most
thoroughly viii realize most plentifhlly.
II these men we're going from Ksokak, the
iirst TO London, the second 70 Edinboro', and
the third to Berlin, they would b likely to
keep each other company IS Gar - Liverpool
ct least.
In building barnes, and houses, and pala-
ces, and temples, men oil begin in the same
way. They dig down into the Earth, and
bury great stones on which the structure may
rest firmly. They lay foundation and the
time and labor expended on the foundation
determine almost to certainty what will be
the value and durability of the structure.
The like is true in life. The time and pains
devoted to preparation may closely predict
for Us what viii be the value Of oul life work.
| II man wishes to build shed merely, It
10 only necessary to set a few post$ into the
| ground for foundation. And il q man fully
makes up his mind that be does not expect to
amount to much in any department OF life,
it il equally unnecessary that he have al elab-
| crate preparation. Little can rest on little,
and nothing needs no foundation. This is
/ true Of men generally without respect of oc-
cupa,ion, and applies equally to business men.
| If man only hesitate to know whether
he shall preside at center6r corner
grocery in come country yilsge, it
matters little how soon he commenced,
| or how little he knows. With ouly the two
grand rules Of Arithmetic he may make q
very good grocer, but be will be Terry small
man. In this, ~ in all other cased, there is
choice from these. He may be d man, q
grocer, or both. A general education may
make him man, specific education, gro
GER aud both both. On the other hand, il
. man is influenced by generou3 ambition
to do something in the world, he is careful to
first lay foundation proportionate TO what
he intends to build. And be must be careful
10 make the foundation large enough, for, il
is better to leave some of it unused, than
that the structure should be too large for the
foundation foundations are generally out
Of sight, or at least can be readily covered up,
in part, il they are found to be 100 large.
While this is true, it is equally true that .
serious difficulty arises when mans idea Of
what he is building enlarses after the s.ruc>
ture 10 begun. pr when the foundation proves
to be too weak. This difficulty is being met
in architecture in various ways Buildings
are propped up, or screwed up, or held up in
other ways, until the foundation il repaired,
or strengthened or enlarged, rs the case may
be. There is danger of downfall under
| such circumstances, as our recollection may
teach US. On the whole. il there we're al>
Ways an abundance Of time, the better way
| would be to tear down and build anew &C
cording to our enlarged ideas.
| Whs, is true Of buildings is being proved
every day equally true of education. Men
have, either from choice or Necessity, spent
the period Of foundation laying TO little pur.
pose, and been obliged - suspend the bust
ness of lie, to 60 back and lsy foundation
-or rather to enlarge and strengthen what
little they did lay. 1t is a sorry sight to see
a man of middle life going back to do what
should have been the work Of his boyhood
Let history and biography furnish us many
instances Of men who have done 20, and many
more instances Of men who ought to have
| done SO. The better way for them would be
TO begin anew, and lay the foundation from
| the very bottom, using ss much of the old
building as can be worked in readily; but life
| is no. for sways, and there Is general not
time.
Certainly the best Of all ways for those who
are yet yourg is to lay good liberal founda.
ton for fear they might amount 70 more than
they expect 1t can do no harm, and will at
least add little strength to a character which |
may otherwise be helpless. 1t has been re-
marked BY multiplicity of able authorities
that all the training young man can get in |
the Academies and Colleges Of America will |
Be none too much to begin life with. He
should take the highrv up the hin Of sci
snce until he is an olumnus at least. There
will be time to turn into the by. roads. II he
have talents they will be by that time some.
what exercised. His mind will be developed
according to its capacity, and be will be rea.
sonably fitted to take up his specific studies,
and give himself to : special occupation.
All have not facilities for going so far, and
must leave the highway sooner, but they are
regretting it oil over onr country. Those
Who cannot must yield to the necessity; those |
Who can must snswer st the bar Of success
for their neglect. The attainment OF : COX |
legiate education ia being greatly facilitated. |
The system Of Public Schools in al our CT |
les, and towns Of any sine, is placing the ne
cesasry preparation within thu roach IF all |