Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-03-27

The Right kina OF Capital.

The late johns Hopkins, of Balti-
more, who died possessed of great
wealth, and who, while living. became
famous as philanthropist, it is said,
began life in Baltimore friendless and
penniless boy. Not so. Penniless he
may have been but friendless he was
not. A writer in the Baltimore -dmeri-
can tells the story of Mr.. Hopkins
early life in that city as related by the
philanthropist short time before his
death, as follows:
When | was boy" said Mr.. Hop
kins, my uncle, Gerard L. Hopkins,
often came to South River to visit my
parents, and noticing l was an active
boy on the farm, asked my mother to
let me come to Baltimore to live with
him, and said he would bring me up a
merchant. At the age of seventeen [
came, stayed in my uncles store, who
was wholesale grocer and commission
merchant, and lived in his family. He
was an eminent minister in the Society
Of Friends, and when l was but nine
teen he was appointed to go ont to
Ohio to the first yearly meeting, to be
held at Mt. Pleasant. My aunt accom-
panied him, with three others. They
all travelled on horseback. great part
of the way through wilderness with
no other road but Indian paths. But
they returned after an absence of sew
eral months i'll safety. Previous to
leaving, my uncle arranged his business
affairs and calling me to him, said: AS
thee has been faithful to my interests
since thee has been with me, | am
going to leave everything in thy
hands. Here are the checks which
L have signed my name to; there
are upwards of five hundred of them.
Thee will deposit the money as it is re-
eeived, and as thee wants money thee
will fill up the checks which l leave
with thee Buy the goods and do the
best thee can | felt my responsibility
to be very great. But ON his return,
on looking over his affairs, he was sur
prised to find | had done much better
than he had expected. / had increased
his business considerably, and it is with
pride and pleasure / look back TO that
time, and to the great confidence Uncle
Gerard reposed in me- | lived with my
uncle until | was "a years of age, and
one day he took me aside and asked me
if | would like to go into business for
myself. answered 'Yes-but, uncle,
| have no capital. l have only $500
which / have saved up" He said:
That will make no difference. l will
indorse for thee, and this will give
thee good credit, and in a short time
thee will make capital; thee has
been faithful to my interests, and / will
start thee in business SO l took a
warehouse near his, and with his in
dorsements and assistance, the first
year / sold 5000, 900 worth of goods,
and soon made the capital which my
uncle said | would make succeeded
in business and realized largely, and
often think of my early days and like to
talk of them and Uncle Gerard's kind
ness to me-.
The story of Mr.. Hopkins career
contains lesson for young men of the
greatest value. He earned the conf
dence of his uncle and employer. He
was faithful to every trust, equal TO
every responsibility, and though at "a
years of age he had but $500 in money,
he had at that time unlimited capital
in the confidence of the man whose
business interests he had guarded with
unwavering fidelity. That was his
capitalize foundation of his fortune.