The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-04-07
HoIdEg and Losing the Grip.


There are some who have inner
tied so much toughness Of fiber that
they are sure to hold on until sue
cess is assured. Nothing can dis
courage them or bring dismay.
They have faith in ultimate success
which amounts to assurance. 1t they
make a hundred failures they strike
en- their feet like cat thrown out
OF window. The Mexicans said
that General Taylor didn't know
when he was whipped. Of course
not. lie had toughness of fiber.
He was not in: the field 10 be defeated,
but to win success, and he did wiz.
General Grant said he would eight
it ont on that line if it took all sum-
,ner.' That declaration was the
sure prophecy of success. Defeat
was not admitted into the pro-
gramme. He will hold on and
tighten the grip. The more despe-
rate the outlook the firmer the hold.
He will never let go. There is
beautiful allegory-or fact, as one
may interpret tin the Scriptures,
of Jacob wrestling with the angel,
and would not let go his hold until
he had obtained what he was strug
CLING for. The old patriarch had
strong grip. He was an early type
of success-a man Of faith and action.
He wrestled, held Oh and prevailed.
The men who succeed in the pro-
fessions have this strong grip. Gen
ius is not an element of positive
success. There have been no greater
failures made in this would than by
men Of genius who lacked grip and
staying power. What is needful
is the power to hold on, and if need
be, to grub at the very roofs of
things until victory comes. Lawyers
succeed in that way. The most sue
eessful members of the bar have this
tough ghness of fiber. Clients know
that these men will hold on and
wiring victory from the very jaws
of defeat, if possible. They go to
them in time of trouble not because
they are men of genius, but because
they have pluck, toughness, fiber,
the power to fight it out on that line
''if it takes all summer" When it is
said of one that if he meets with any
discouragements "he will drop the
tools and rum" it may be set down
that no great success will crown his
efforts. Somewhere he must fight
his battle for life. The men who run
away don't live to fight their battles
another day, as "Hudibras'' has it.
They may live, but they don't fight
at all. When it is said that one has
good fighting blood In him, the best
of qualities has been described, pro-
vided his pluck and courage have
teen rightly directed. The success
full men of the world have made
scores of failures. But they did not
let 60 for all that. There is a sig.
nifcant saying in California about
certain men, that they have "gone
over the grade.:' Why go oTer at
all !? In the more essential fact, the
man who has this tenacity, this
power to bold on,- never goes over
the grade. That is, he is ust as
much of a man after he has made a
series of failures as he was before.
In fact he is probably stronger.
There was a resent case Of suicide
in this city of young man who left
behind HIM note, which by any
fair Interpretation, ment that he had
lost his grip, and for that reason de-
cHned to lay hold again. 1t was a
declaration of lack of pluck, cour-
age, endurance, with an indication of
disappointment signifying neglec-
ted genius-one who had failed to
win a fair recognition. Without
knowing anything special of the Cir
cumstances Of the man, the case may
be taken as a typical one. He did
not propose to fight it out on any
line for success, but let go his hold
and dropped out of the world. No
doubt, the kind of reasoning here
disclosed shows morbid and un-
healthy mind. But this very condi-
tion comes from gloomy introspec-
tion, from brooding over a want of
success, and taking it to heart. In
the long run, every man who has
courage, pluck. and: endurance will
find his place, or at least one where
he will win fair measure of appre-
citation.
Men who achieve marked success,
bide their time. How long have
the great artists of the worlds waited