Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-02-22
Business Education of Young men len

ness men, one is impressed by the fact
that the most successful men are gener-
ally those who commenced in early life
with no other capital than their own
indomitable energy and perseverance,
backed by a strong determination to
win success. And this, fact might
prove an instructive one to the thou
sands who continue in business pur-
suits solely that they may leave. large
fortune to their sons. Some sons, it is
true left in affiuent circumstances, be-
come successful business men; but more
waste their fortunes than save them,
while those who give valuable inven-
tions to the world, build up manufac-
tories, and d'contributeiin various ways to
the support and prosperity of the coun-
try, are those compelled by stern ne
cessity to grapple with life's adversitiess
and to win each success by dint of hard
struggles. - 80 /. i.
There is something enervating in the
possession of riches; something which
robs a young man of ambition, and
tends to make him Nero idler or
Spendterift. His end in life has been
accomplished, and his work done, by
those who have preceded him; and he
lives merely to spend and enjoy. Then,
too, the rich young man is seldom
trained to business, and he knows moth
ing of it, save perhaps in theory. AT
college, supplied with spending money,
he has devoted his time not so much to
verbs and equations, as to the general
round of boyish sports; though Occa-.
sionally young man of this class will
be found who takes real interest in
his studies, and graduates with honor.
When the school days are over, a year
or two of idlenes5 is considered to be
the proper thing by both parents and
boy; and as ssthe devil always finds
work for idle hands to dc" he soon falls
into a round of amusementS which alb
sOrb his time, bat do not add to his
moral worth, and when at last it is con-
sidered best that he should be doing
something, he has formed habits OF
idleness and dissipation that unit him
for the serious duties OF life. Then, in-
stead of commencing at the bottom
round of business in his fathers estab-
lishment, and working his way up, .ac-
quiring in this way thorough knowl-
edge Of its details, he enters the count
ing room as clerk, and the heighth of
his ambition becomes simply to get
through his daily duties in the easiest
and quickest way. ,..
Such are the sons whom ambitious
fathers are every day rearing up to take
the places they shall vacate. Il seems
impossible that practical business men
can expect such sons to be successful:
yet they do cherish such hopes, and dy-,
ing. leave their workshops and work
men to them with the expectation that
the business will go on Is smoothly
and prosperously as ever. But the
time eventually comes when, through
inexperience, extravagance, and ne
glect, the business reaches such con-
dition that total collapse, ensue5, or it
is wound up at great sacrifice; and
the young man pockets the remnant of
his fortune. and walks off in search of
some new venture, in nine times out Of
ten to- lose in this also, and drift out in
to the world awreeked, hopeless and
desperate man. -
The poor boys career, on the other
hand, ifhe have equal abilities with the
rich boy, is one generally tending con-
stantly upward and onward. He has
his fortune to carve, his place and for
tune to make, and life becomes with
him warfare in which each new vic
tory but kindles his blood and adds to
his courage the more, urging him to
surmount new obstacles, until at last,
the coveted posititien is won, and sue
cess crowns his efforts.
Such teing the experience Of those
reared in luxury. and those knowing in