Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-02-21
Am Old Merchant
Young Men.
Am

!
AT recent dinner given Jonathan
Surges, by the merchants of New York
city, on the OCCASION of his retiring
from active business, he said:
Now, gentlemen, since there IL moth
In that can talk about that you do
not understand a great deal better than
dc, propose TO say a few words TO
the young men outside, and II you ap-
prove Of w hat Is said, let 1t be considbrsd
as said by this Grand Jury of Merchants
now assembled,
One of the first lessons I received
was I'm 1913, when was eleven years
Of age. My grandfather had collected
d fihe flock of merino sheep, which
were carefully cherished during tile
war of 1925. l was shepard boy /,
and my business was to watch the
sheep in the fields. A boy, who was
more fond of his books than of
sheep, was sent with me, but LETT the
woik with me, while he lay in the
shade and read his books. | finally
complained of this to the old gentle
man. l shall never forget his benig-
mind If you watch the sheep, you
will have the sheep.n | thought
to my self; what does the old gentle
man meanS doh'texpect to have any
sheep. My aspiratioiis were quite
moderate In those days, and a first rate
merino buck was worth $l,00O. 1
could not make. out exactly what he
meant, but had great confidence In
Him. as he was q Judge, and had been
to Congress In Washington time;
SD concluded that it was all right,
whatever he meant, and went out con-
tentedly with the sheep. After got
to the field could not get that i,lea
out of my head. Finally / thought of
my Sunday fessori. "rhou hHst beeii
faithful over few things, i viii make
thee ruler over many things Then
understood IL: Never you mind who
neglects his duty; be you faithful, and
you will have your reward ! do not
think II will take maiiy lads "a long
as 1t did me TO understand this prov
erb. / received my second lesson soon
after came to this city, as aclerk
to the late Lyman Reed. He express
ed his qualification at finding me there,
and said to me: "You have got good
place. Make your self so useful that
they cannot do without YOU" took
his meaning quicker than / did the
proverb about the sheep. Well; /
worked upon these two ideas until Mr.
Reed offered me an Interest In his
The first moriii.ig aftsr the copartner-
ship was annouDced, Mr.. Jaifies Gebr;
the Old ted merchant, called To me and
snid 10 me: 'sYou are all right now !;
L have one word of advice to give you,
be careful who you walk the streets
with.p That was lesson number three.
In this connection l must repeat an
anecdote told of the late Robert len
nox. A country merchant came into
the store Of Mr.. Morton, q highly res
pectable Scotch merchant, 10 purchase
goods. He spoke about credit, refer
ences, &c. Mr.. Morton said; 81 will
give you what credit you wish. y
But said the merchant, IL am an en-
tire stranger to YOU" Mr.. Morton re-
piled: did / not see you TO church
with Robert Lennox?" Yes, I was
at church with him." Well, i will
trust any man whom Robert Lennox
will take 10 church with him.
| 1 hope these three lessons of watclt-
fulness over the interests of theft EN-
ployers, watchfulness over their part
ners' interests aud their own, after
they are Joined, followed by intense
watchfulness that no black sheep creep
into their folds, may be impressed by
these anecdotes upon the minds OF
those for whom they are intended.
/ One other lesson feel Ii v.ry neces-
sary to inculcate-that of patience.
h With patience most young men will
| find a position lis high as they have
! fitted themselves To fill,
In oil the changes which have taken
place In my firm since 1892, no part
ner has been brought In who has not
served as clerk In the establishment.
Aud now have my house well organ
ised, prosperous and free from compli-
cations, still i'm the hands of those who
have served In 1t as clerks for long or
short period. mention this as an en-
couragement to young men to perse-
we're inthe faithful performance oi
their duty. 1000