The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1884-11-07
Why Men Fail Ina business.


A correspondent vt the United
States Economist has made q great
effort to fnd out Why men fail TO
establish themselves in business.
With this object in view be put
the following questions to many OF
the leading men OF our country:
"What, in your observation, have
been the chief causes of the numer.
Gus failures in life OF business and
professional men r And the an
swers which are as follows, are OF
great value to the rising generation
ii they will but study them and
trim their sails accordingly.
Gov. st. John answers: "Idle-
ness, iutemperanee.r Alexand. T
ii. Stephens answers: "Want OF
punctuality, honesty and truth"
Darwin X. james answers: "ln-
correct views OF the great eud aud
aim oflife. Men are not contentesl
TO live plain lives OF integrity and
uprightness. They want to get
ahead too fast, aud are led into
temptation President Bartlett,
ot Dartmouth college, uames as
causes ot failure: "Laek of priuci.
pie, OF fixed purpose, OF persever.
ance.' President Eliot of Harvard,
replies: Stupidity, laziness,
rsshness and dishonesty DIR. IL.
NJ. Dexter, OF the congregationalist,
answers al. Want of thorough
ness Of preparation. 2. Want Of
6xcdness OF purpose. 8. Want OF
faith In the inevitable triumph OF
right aud TRUTH ANTHONY CON.
stocks answers are: "Unholy
living and dishonest practices, just
aud intemperance, living beyond
ones means" ii. Il. Summons, OF
, the American Tract society, replies:
"Fsst living, m,ntaI, spiritual aud
bodily; lack OF attention TO the de-
tails OF business.' General U. u.
Howard answers in substance |:
"Breaking the divine laws of the
body by wee, those of the mind by
overwork aud idleness, and those
Of the heart by making an idol OF
self" Professor Homer B. Spralue,
oil Boston, answers: IL. In health.
2. Mistake In the choice OF em.
ployment. 3. Lack OF persistent
aud protracted effort. 4. A low
ideal, making SUCCESS to consist In
personal aggrardizemeut rather
than IN the trainin. aud develop.
ment ofa true aud noble character
Dr. LYMAN Abbott answers: "The
combiued spirit OF laziness and
self.c0nceit that makes Il man un.
willing to do anything unless be
can choose just what he will do.'
A. w. Tenney, If Brooklyn, re-
plies: Outside of intemperance,
failure to grasp aud hold, scatter.
ing tcO much, want OF Integrity
and promptness, unwillingDess to
achieve success by earning it In
the old.tashioued way The At.
IOrney.General of a neishbOring
State replies: "Living beyond in.
come, speculat:ng with borrowed
funds; unwilling to begin at the
foot of the ladder and work up.
Young meu want to be masters at
the start, and assume to know be.
fore they have learne l." And au.
other reason in the same line.
Desiring the success that another
has, without being willing to work
as that man does. Giving money
making first place aud right-do-
ing u second place"
Judge Tourgee, author of "a
Fools ErIand," considers the fire..
quent cause Of business collapse to
be: ''Trying to carry too big a
lOad.' As to others, he says:
al don't know about u professional
mars failing 1t he works, keeps
sober aud sleeps at home. Lawyers,
ministers aud doctors live on the
sins OF the people, aud, OF course,
grow tat under reasonable exer-
ton, unless the competition il too
great. 1t requires real genius to
tail IN either OF these walks of life.n
Joseph Medill, ex.Mayor of Chi.
cago, answers: 'Liquor drinking,
gambling, reckless speculation, dis.
honesty, tricky conduct, cheating,
idleness, sLirking hard work, frivo-
lous reading, lack of manhood in
the battle OF life, failure to improve
opportunities.
Among the causes of failure
given by my correspondents, many
may be classified under the geD-
eral fault of wavering, such as
"waveriug purpose "non stick.to.
it.iveness," ''tsilure to grasp and
hold" scattering TOO much,D "try.
ing to do too many things, rather
than stick to the one thing one
knows the most about.n A yonDg
man spends seven yearsin a gro.
Gerry store, and when he has just
learned the business he concludes
to go into dry goods. BY failing to
choose that first, he has thrown
away seven years experience.
Probably, after learning the dry
goods business, he will conclude to
becomes matchmaker, and at last be-