The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-12-16

Outside of the enormous business of

Outside of the enormous business O
Inman, Swami & Co., Mr.. Inman has s
number of private enterprises. Among
others he is engaged in the guano ane
fertilizer trade, the manufacture of which
is now great standard industry, some
idea of the magnitude of which may be
gathered from The fact that he had 1925
600 of his individual cash capital invest.
ed in it last season. From one factory
he took 10000 tons-from another 5000
and so Oh through. The business being
so satisfactory, he will the coming
season have 100000 in the same trade
controlling over $4,000 tons, chiefly on
commission. With all this he has every.
thing 60 systematized and moves with
such promptness and decision that he
spends from four to six months of each
year with his family at the seaside or
some resort. 1t is a cardinal part of his
creed never to speculate or to take any
speculative risk. In the papers Of his
firm there are the strongest articles
against speculation either as 6. firm, or
by either of the members as individuals,
The profits, therefore, though immense,
are perfectly legitimate, and come GER
tain and steadily. Mr.. Tnman lives easily
and comfortably, and having culture and
Taste finds that his wealth, instead of
palling, only opens ever.fresh vistas of
enjoyment. lie devotes large sum an.
nually to charity and philanthropy. The
handsome donation of his firm to the
Hood children, the largest made by any
single firm, will be remembered. In q
quiet way he has done much more-as,
for instance, lie has given over $4,000
individually to the First Presbyterian
Church of this city. In short, he pre-
sen,s the interesting spectacle of man
Of fine instincts, excellent health and
felicitous relations, who has made for.
tune while he isyoungi enough to enjoy
it to the fullest-and has so ordered
his habits that lie has not dulled his
impulses, chilled the genial currents Of
his soul or hardened his heart in the
struggle with the world. For the next
ten years his income should average
$3.50 900 year, and from that time for
ward will BE- fully half a million year,
if he remains in business. What life
of usefulness and happiness is ahead of
this man. With happy Christian
home, loving wife, affectionate children,
heart still fresh and nature yet un-
warpcd-with clear head. and cur
rent of strong old Presbyterian blood
coursing through his veins-truly his
lines are cast in pleasant places.
What al exemplar is here for our
young men. What brilliant promise
to draw them away from the arid woys of
politics and the hardly less arid ways of
professional life. Just look at the chap
ters in this one mans history. At twen-
ty out of the dust and heat of battle,
penniless and alone; at twenty-five
worth $4,000, happily married, and at
the head of q prosperous house; at
thirty-six worth million and half, in
good health and heart, and with 8 net
income of over 100000 year Follow
the probabilities. At forty-six worth
five million dollars and possessed of an
income of over half a million year, and
just in tho prime of a we'll ordered life.
How this example should draw its fol-
lowers! How completely it should teach
that in the wrangling of public life and
the pretentious ways of the professions
there is not all the honor or usefulness.
Ah !! but is it impossible to attain such
dizzy heights az this? To be sure,. there
will be few who can hope for such success
ut nothing is surer than that q young man
who starts with clean habits, clear
head, faithful soul, and works earnestly
aud devotedly can get far enough along
to come into the sunshine, while yet the
flowers on the wayside are wet with dew
and the air of the morning embalms the
earth.
AS for me, should be charged with
irreverence if wrote down how many
politicians, in my opinion, this one
young merchant is worth. The mere
computation gives me some hint of the
severe contempt with which solid men of
business look out from their world upon
the babbling orators who de- that
paralysis or prosperity waits alternately
upon the victory or defeat of II faction of
salary. mongers. l should like to strike
a balance between the lives of John
Inman, merchant, and some one of our
eminent latter day statesmen, when both
are dead, and see which had done the
most and the better work. Then we
should see how much speeches counted
against deeds-prophecy against perfor'
mance-boasting against fulflment. TO
drop into metaphor, we may say that the
farmer and mechanic create the blood
which euriches the body corporate-the
merchant, stationed in the heart supplies
the vital force that sends it coursing
through the veins-the professional man
iempers the flow, gauges its current and
defines limitations-while the politicians,
camped along its channels, fatten on its
exhalations and put the whole body in a
fever by swearing that the yeinous is
superior to the arterial blood, or vice
versa-not hesitating to spill either to
disproyc the excellence ofthe other.
II. w. G.