Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-09-10
Thrift.

lle expressions tHliity, ioIc
handed, good manager, AS applied
to individuals in every CON munlty are
too familiar to need any definition here
One man begins with rothing and step
by step accumulates land, money, pos
sessions, until he becomes rich mau.
Another, beginning VITA competence
loses, wastes, spends all LIE has, aui
sinks year by year t1to deeper and
deeper poverty. Some young men go
through college and manage not only
to pay expenses bat to lay up money,
while others get il debt continually
and for long tim" after receiving their
diplomas have to work hard to get even.
II seems 50 easy TO tie constltullon1ily
rich HAL to accumulate that ne cannot
understand new his n.lGA5or Is always
hounderiGy IN debt aud poverty. l.;
seems SO hard to get his head above
water to the constitutlOnally poor man
that lac looks upon the SUCCESS oi his
neighoor as not to he explained by any
theory consistent with honesty aud
plain, straightforward dealing. He
eau. help starving on tine very acres
that his rich neighbor would win afor.
tuae from.
Though many men get rich by act
ing the part of the shark among fishes.
the spider among insects, tue hawk
among birds, there is a large class VINO
attain wealth by creating 1T, and who
in sucn creation confer vastly larger
bel elits upon their neishbors than
they reap themselves, Some years ago
a puor farmer who WAS also II house
builder, weary with continually tight
ing "the wolf at the door, conceived
the happy thought Of converting part
of the unproductlve wood land on his
farm into charcoal, which he sold, and
thus secured money enough to put NJ
a couple OF houses. These he sold IL,
d profit, and in a few years rose to in
dependence AMI high position in the
town where ne dwelt.
Another man, the owner of rich
anu weil-situatei farm, spending u
large share OF Ais time in discussing
politics and gossip with his neig Ia bors,
making no improvements on his farm,
not even developing the resources he
had AT command, was Obliged first to
mortgage and then to sell il. The man
W ~ bot6ht pNt tAS Ia az UNIV ihlp
perfect condition. stumred it, under
drained it, made the buildings ample
and comfortable, and after realizing
from the crops raised over and over
again all ne had spent iii improving it,
sold it at treble the price he paid for it.
OF course this occupied years, as all
substantial acquisition must. Oppor-
tunities OF this character are Always
occurring aud he who can sec and im
prove them takes no unfair advantage,
lDjures no one, but on the contrary be-
comes creator of wealth and benefac-
tor To the community lii which he lives.
There are multltudes vi men who
acquire snug competeDce by mere
saving. Having u certain income, they
put away fixed sum, week by week or
year by year, ana compel themselves to
live on what is left. This they do, not
by denying themselves the substantial
comforts of life but 10y dispensing with
It's iuxuries; not by any meanness, but
rigid aud unrelaxed economy, by cut
ling OFT the superhuities Of expenditure.
They SEE clearly that the mouey so easi-
ly spent TOR ribbons and laces, for cake
aud preserves, tor cigars SID ice cream,
tor caAdy and knick knacks, if put in
the savings bank will in time amount
to handsome sum, the interest of which
will enable them to have all the nice
things they desire without drawing
upon their capital. The small streams
keep the rivers full. Wien tue ten
thousand little rivuiets that make the
Mississippi the Father of Waters" dry
up the river narroWs in its bed anu
shrlnks to comparative insigniicance,
80 the little savings make by aud. by
the laree compentence; so the little
leaks dlssipate the largest fortunes.
A great many men become entangled
In hopeless embarrassment and poverty
because they do not figure ON the
the enterprises they engage in anu
satisfy themselves thoroughly that they
Can carry through what they undertake
not only without loss but with positive
gain. They are like the man in the
Bible who began to build but was no,
able to finish" They plunge head.
long into some undertaking trusting to
good Intentions, strong determi uatIon,
Industry and luck to carry them
through. But they always come out y
little behind or very much behind and
attribute their failure to ili-fOrtune. A
lew months ago u young man il posses
sion OF a fine piece of property foI
which he had time granted to full,
purchase, and with comfortable salary
WAS Obliged to give up the property
simply because he did not figure
upon the various enterprises in which
he thought he saw money. lie Cam.
out short hundred dollars in this and
hundred dollars in that, he INDUCED
IN purchases that were unwise. AM
though possessing every other gu liti
Cation Tor snccess but the one Of count
ting the cost" he is destined to eyer-in
creasing embarrassment, and his famil,
10 u hopeless struggle with poverty.
The thrifty person does not regulat.
his expenditures according to The seal,
adopted by his nei hbor. He take.
account OF stock and decides what h,
Can and what he caunot afford and act
accordingly. lie Is not drawn Into tx
travagahces by the example or sollcita
tlen OF those around him, and he il
content to bide his time and await tn,
| certain retnrUa nF soFu