Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-09-24
Vol. XX. Whole No. 1925. No. 80,
The First Thousand Dollars

The following extract We take from the
New York Independent, and commend it
to the careful consideration of the boys
and young men who are among our read
ers:
The first thousand dollars that a young
man after going out into the world to act
for himself, earns and sares will generally
settle the question of business life with
him. There may be exceptions to this
statement; yet, for rule, we think that 1t
will hold true.
The first condition is that the young
man actually earns the thousand dollars
IN question. He does not inherit this sum.
1t does not come to him by streak of
good luck, as the result OF fortunate
venture in the purchase and sale of hum
dred shares of stock. 1t is the fruit of
personal industry. He gives his time and
his labor for it. While he is thus earning
and saving it, he must earn two or three.
or perhaps four times as much to pay his
current expenses. He is consequently
held sternly to the task of industry for
considerable period. The direct conse-
vuence to him is steady, continuous and
solid discipline in the habits of industry
in patient, persistent, forecasting and
self-dcnying effort, breaking up all the
tendencies to Incidence and frivolty. and
making him an earnest and watchful &C.
onomist Of time. He not only learns how
to work, but he also acquires the love Of
work; and, moreover, he learns the ralue
OF the sum which he has thus saved out
of his earnings He has toiled for il:
he has observed its slow increase from
time to time; and in his estimate it rep
resents so many months or years of
practical labor. His ideas of life are
shaped by his own experience. These
natural effects of earning the first thous-
and dollars we hold to be very large
benefits. They are just the qualities OF
mind and body which are most likely
to secure business success in after years.
They constitute the best practical edu-
cation which a man can have as work
Ell in this working world. They are
gained in season for lifc's purposes, at
the opening period, just when they are
wanted, when foolish notions are most
likely to mislead an inexperienced
brain, and when, too, there is a full op-
portunity for expansion and develop
ment in later years. Men have but one
life to live; and hence, they start from
opening manhood but once. And the
manner in which they start, the pur-
poses they have in view, and the eabits
thev form, Will ordinarily determine
the entire sequel Of their career on
earth. To succeed, men must have the
elements OF success in themselves. One
great reason why there are so many use
less, inefficient, and poverty-strlcken
men on carth-or, rather, bows SEEM
ing to be men-consists in the simple
fact that they did not start right. A
prominent reason why the children of
the ri h so frequently amount to moth
ing may be found in luxury, ease and
Incidence which marked the commence
ment OF their lives. It is the law of
God that We should he uc0rkerS on
earth; and no one 50 we'll consults the
best development of his being as when
he conforms his practice to this law.
The workers in some suitable sphere
are the only really strong men in the
world.