The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-31
A LESSON WORTH LEARNING.


Compared with the peoples of other and
older nations Americans as a rule have no
conception of economy, and it has come
to be a common saying that an American
wastes enough to keep European in COM
fort. This seeming exaggeration is too near
the truth to be funny. A well-to-do Ameri-
can undoubtedly wastes enough to provide
for an economical family in France or Ger
many. Each particular loss may be small,
but the prodigality is so general and preva-
lent that the aggregate is startling. Incomes
that admit of comfort, with occasional in
diligence in luxuries, leave no margin for the
traditional ''rainy day. people live it all
up. and the years end finds them where they
started, except that age has little firmer grip
and they are not SO strong as they were.
Very few know where to draw the line be-
tween comfort and luxury. Too many are
not content with the former, but must in
dulge perverted taste for the latter. BY
false logic people reason themselves into the
belief that they are as much entitled to en-
joy the needless dainties of life as their
neighbors. They do not stop to reason that the
neighbor may be better able to buy and to use
fine things, or if they do, are unjust enough
to ignore this fact and to use to-day that
which should be saved for tomorrow. In
truth, people are ashamed to acknowledge
that their means are limited, and in order
to vindicate false pretensions often
far exceed them. Herein lies one
of the secrets of social weakness.
Looking at the nouveau richie, it is forgotten
that nine out of ten of them started from the
very bottom and in the humblest way. The
great merchant prince of the world-Alex-
ander T. Stewart-was little better than
peddler when he began in his obscure room
to sell merchandise to the poorer classes of
New York city. People regard his marble
mansion and mammoth business houses and
forget whence they came. The Astor of two
generations ago could carry his entire stock
in trade in his arms. Commodore Wander
bilt was ferryman in the beginning, and
u
the oars. Jay Gould was peddler D. c.
Mills, worth $50, 600, O00 had to borrow $500
to make his way to California. Commodore
Garrison, another millionaire, began life as
common laborer on sailing vessels Keene
was milk peddler in California.
A majority of these men reached the fabu-
lous wealth they now possess more by shrewd
investments. than by simple economy; but
not one of them in the working time of their
life wasted a dollar needlessly, or if he did,
he never forgot the incident.
But outside ofnthese and few Others,
whose accumulations are so vast as to almost
defy conception, the well-to-do classes al
most to man, owe their success to provident
economy. 1t was and is a rule with them to
spend less than they make. The result I'M
der ordinary circumstances is inevitable:
riches will come. 1t is not what a man re-
ceives, but what he keeps, that makes him
rich; and it is rule, with but very few ex-
ceptions, that no man grows wealthy without
practicing prudent saving There are excep-
tons, but in nearly all such cases the sudden
ly-acquired wealth takes wings and flies
away. The spirit of extravaganza seems to
ramify society from center to circumference,
and the people, as a people, despise the very
name and sound of economy, There are
countries and peoples where better judgment
prevails. Take Holland. The Dutch prac-
tice economy in all things, and to this, as
much as to their commerce, they owe their
great wealth; they are the money-leuders of
the world Fortunes are handed down. aug
mented or unimpared, from generation to
generation. When the United States threw
its bonds upon the markets of the world,
very large per cent of them went to Ant
werp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam where they
were bought by Dutch shippers and shipping
masters, and the Dutch were the last to give
them up when they were called home. The
same good management prevails in Sweden,
and in Germany and France, but not to so
great degree, and the last two named are
greatly hampered by expenses of war and of
keeping up enormous standing armies
1 1t is needless to particularize in what way
Americans are extravagant. If the DISPOSE
ton to save is present, score of wasteful
avenues will be closed. A determination to
save something out of ones income is
enough to discover the leaks. 1t is not suffi-
cient to economize in this or that direction,
and let what is saved thus get away in some
other We may cut off one needless expense
only to take on another. What is needed is
to kill false pride and give common sense
chance. If our neighbors can afford better
and costlier things than we can, let them