The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-03-09

OF ELEVEN years VI agoi NllllVuN Nu"N"', VIM
without any means, and with but few
friends, to commence the hard battle Of
life for himself at that early age, aud
!, make his own way through the world,
He secured position as errand boy and
clerk in the store of William Christmas,
in which position he continued for over
ten wears, and until he had attained his
majority, by which time he had so fully
secured the confidence of his employer
that he was given an interest in thebusl-
ness and taken in as partner Ihe lie
Of the youthful Harter during these
years of apprenticeship and early Dusl'
ness training is not without Its lessons
for the young. 1t was during this period
that he formed those habits of morality
anh business, which laid the foundation
for his future success. The position of
Young clerk in a store fifty years ago was
very different from what it is at present,
Then thev must be ready to turn their
hand to anything, whether it had any
direct relation to the business or not
and not unfrequently were they required
to perform the most menial service in the
family of their employers. Their hands
were hardened with toll, instead of being
softened with kid gloves, as at the pres
ent, and instead Of being the bon-tons Of
fashion in the community, they must be
content with the cast off clothing of their
employers, 1t was such training as this
that Isaac Harter received, during the
ten years of his apprenticeship to bust
ness-a training well calculated to hum
bic his pride, if he had any, and to teach
him the most rigid lessons of frugaIily
and economy. Although trying and
sometimes almost crushing to his youth
full spirits, he not unfrequently spoke OF
| this discipline as great advantage to
him in his subsequent life Here he
| learned the lessons of industry and pa
tience and perseverance and honesty
which he never forgot, but practiced
through all his subsequent career. lie
continued in this partnership for about
five wears. when the senior partner was
taken away by death and the store passed
into other hands. In the meantime, Mr..
Harter having by careful saving, accum-
uated a little means, commenced Dusl-
ness as q merchant on his own account.
He continued in this business until 1860,
when he sold out and devoted himself to
that of banking, which he pursued up to
the time of his death. So that he has
been resident Of this place ten years as
clerk-twenty eight years as mer-
chant, and sixteen years as q banker, IN
all covering period of tifty-four years OF
active business life in the same locality.
His success as a business man is seen In
the fact that commencing without any
means, he arose to position which gave
him prominent rank among the
wealthy men ofthe State.
And this position was reached not by
any peculiarly favorable freaks Of fortune,
but acCumulations secured by honest, per-
severing industry and good management
Several prominent traits OF character
which strikingly marked his whole busi
ness life, and which contributed so large
ly to his success, deserve special mention |
here. And first of all, mention the fact
so fully authenticated in this community |
that he was awhone0t man.
Shal speare says;
"To be honest, as this world goes
Is to be one picked out of ten thousand|
And Pope asserts that
"An honest mans the noblest work of Cod"
But with these utterances before us, re-
stricting and limiting as they do, the |
number belonging to this class of people,
we do not hesitate to assert that Isaac |
Harter was an honest man. Although he |
had an eye to business and embraced the |
favorable opportunities which presented
themselves for good bargain, or prof
liable investment, he would not stoop to |
the use of dishonorable means to secure |
such an end. have been told by one of
our most respected citizens who was inti-
mately associated with him in business
for fifteen years, part of the time as clerk
in his store, and part of the time as
partner, that he never knew him to |
wrong anyone out of cent, either in a |
money transaction or in misrepresentng |
the goods which he sold and that he al
ways enjoned upon his clerks the most
rigid honesty. This same upriA Ahtness
and integrity which he practiced as a
merchant, characterized him also as |
banker. All the temptations to fraud,
undue advantage which such business
might offer could not divert him from his
steady and long settled purpose to deal
honestly with all men, But few men ap'
proach nearer than he to the ideal Of the |
great dramatst in the high encomium
which lie pronounces upon one of his
characters in these words;
"His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles;
His love sincere, his thoughts Immaculate,
His tears pure messengers seat from his heart,
His heart as far from fraud as heaven from
EARTH"
But when the tongue of envy and NAL
ice which none of us may hope to escape
would venture to assail him, he could
adopt the language of another of these
characters, and say;
"There is no terror in your threats,
For am armed so strong in honesty,
That they pass by me as the idle winds
Which respectnOt"
A man ofsuch character for honesty,
prominently engaged in business in the
center of large and populous county, is
of almost incalculable value to the COM
munity, and his loss is felt to be great
public calamity. o that his mantle
might fall upon many others, especially |
upon the young men who are now form
ing the habits which will give tone to
their business character in the time to
come Another trait which distinguish
ed him and contributed largely to his
success, was his industry and close atea-
ton tObtisineSs.
This from long continued practice had |
become habit with him. His motto |
was Never defer til tomorrow what
should be attended to to-day" The en-
tries in his books must all be made at
the proper time and in the proper way,
so that neither he nor those with whom
he transacted business might suffer
through any negligence or mistake that
could have been avoided. He had the
personal oversight ofhls business himself
and by careful watchfulness, kept him
self familiar with it in all its various
phases. So thoroughly had he schooled |
himself to this that it had come to be