The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-03-17
A sELE-MApE MAN.


self made men, and when you find one who
has been eminently successful you will find
q man who has carved out his own fame
from small beginnings. From the humble
Corsican who changed the dynasty of q
kingdom, and who hum5led the pride of
Russia and planted his bayonets around the
imperial walls of Rome, to the bravest men
OF our own war, ell bear out the assertion
that those who have written their names
with the pen OF destiny upon military annals
commenced at the lowest round of the lad
der and by their superior tact and pluck
outstripped the more favored sons OF tor
tune in the race of war. Trusty swords
have been more potent in achieving dis
tinetion, than landed estates and titled
nobility to purchase commissions France
has proven that she had but one Napoleon
England produced but one Cromwell; Ger
many has demonstrated that she possesses
but one "organizer of victory" and Amer
| lea will never develope second Washing
| ton. As it has been in war, so 1T is in
science and in the more peaceful pursuits Of
trade and commerce. Wherever you find
man whose name is household word whose
wares are in the hands OF the people, whose
word is q bond and whose credit is as
good as the bank of England, you will
| find one who has known what it is
to be poor aud can count his
steps to popular favor and to wealth and
| position by close attention to business and
| the demands of caprecious public. Of
such au one we propose tospeak even at the
risk Of being considered personal. In 1858,
a young man stood on the spot where now
stands the wideawake, enterprising city of
Chicago, then mere village. A stranger, with
| out dollar and with nothing but his hands
and well balanced head on his shoulders
and position. One less sanguine or possess
ing lest manly pluck would have been dis
| coursged, but not so he. In the uncertain fu-
ture be saw arousd him large and fsshiona
BILE city with It's thousands Of people and its
| millions of wealth where he determined to go
| to work, and wait. With hundred and fifty
dollars of borrowed money and an Unlimited
amount of energy and pluck he opened a
small tailoring shop and with himself as the
sole individual to take charge of the buying
selling cutting &C., he went manfuliy
to work By rigid economy, preserv.
ing energy, aad strict integrity he made
bis way slowly but surely to prosperity ant
eminence. Years passed and this little
trading port became q city. The world
looked on in surprise at the wonderful Growt
of the western city. Had some magician
waved his magical wand over the favore,
! spot it could not have been more wonderful
but there was no need of surprise for Their
we're thorough, earnest workers there, an
] | the subject of our short sketch was not las
a amsng them. To-day the city is know
the world over The humble littl
shop too, that started on borrowed money
J. Is among the things Of the past, and in il
d stead is the largest and most popular estat
b lishnent IN the West, situated on Washing
+ ton street, at numbers and /. Now he be
;, Eve cutters. two two clerks, q be
K and porter with about one hundre
journeymen. lis proprietor is the san
E earnest worker and polished gentleman thi
0 he was eighteen years ago, and is pursl
t ing the largest and most successful businei
t in his particular line ie making extensiveI
to measure of the finest imported good
in America; and is to-day worth "a
that he puts his name to- Young men wi
are just starting in life, here is an examp
of wha. true, manly energy and perseve
ance will accomplish, go you and do like
!. | wise, success is sure to follow honest endeA
ors Instead of IdIing away your tin
= strike out for yourself, make bold push
the front, don't wait for something to tuI
ap, but go 10 work and carve success o
j. of the most disoouraging circumstance
Edward Ely did it and SO can you. Fo
:, tune, position and popularity are earne
and they who push into the front rank a
the ones who stand first when the roll
/ selfmade men is called.