Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-09-13
BUSINESS SUCCESS.
THE ELEMENT OF CHANCE THAT
SETS FOR OR AGAINST MEN.

Some OF the shrewdest merchants in this
town will tell you that there is assuredly an
element Of chance which sets for or against
men in business affairs. One OF the richest
men in this country before his death told the
most fascinating OF tales regarding the play
OF chance in his experience. This was the
late Senator Miller, of California He was q
man Of superior business qualification, Of
pretty shrewd Judgment, and far sighted, yet
whom he came out Of the army everything
that be turned his land to failed, and as a
means Of support he was obliged to seek a
government Office, and he was rejoiced when
Grant gave him tho custom house at San
Francisco. In that Office Senator Miller
hoped to be able TO save enough in the course
Of a few years to put him on his feet again,
but he found that be was sliding backward.
He could not see how on why, and he was
firmly impressed with the belief that no was
born under an unlucky star
SEQ now how luck changes, and how IFS
chance mary shift about like weather cock.
Ono day there came into Mr. Miller's Office
briBy tar, with this smell of whale oil ON bis
clothes and the roll Of a sea dog in his legs.
He laid on the collectors desk a bit Of fur,
and he said that be had captured that akin
himself and knew where there were millions
mora. He had gentle proposition to make,
that the collector shopld charter and yictual
a ship and "go sEaoksn with him ia tho
profit shat no thought would be obtained
from selling these skins lie would not tell
IN what part OF the sea he found the animals,
and his proposition was about as unbusiness
like and hare Drained as any that MIR. Miller
had ever listened to- His business Instinct
told him 70 dismiss the man, but as he rubbed
his hand on the fur, which was smoother than
the best silk velvet, it occurred to him TO
make the venture He interested some OF his
friends in the scheme and they sent the cap
tain with great doubt as TO their sanity in
50 doing, Off into the mystery Of tho Polar
sea, and thus the great Alaska Seal Fur com
pany was organized, and the shuttlecock Of
Miller's fortune shifted from the keen east
wind Of disappointment to the bracing west
erly winds Of magnificent prosperity.
The curious thing about it was that from
that day Miller never made business in
vestment that was not profitable, although
TO many Of those which he did make be did
not bestow one-half the attention and eau
ton which lac had previously given to others
that were unfortunate. Senator Jones, Of
Nevada, Is another Of those whose experience
leads him to believe in the doctrine of chance
as an element of business mems success or
misfortune. Into tho great Hudson river
tunnel, into his hotel properties, into his
Washington Investments, in fact into every
thing east OF the Rocky Mountains which
the senator has put his money, fate set
against him, and no has seen millions
melt away like icicles ia the sunlight But
in chance investment which he almost
thoughtlcssly made in mining properties in
the British possessions and in Alaska, as well
rs some apparently worthless stock in Ne
vada mining property which a few years ago
he would have seen burned up without
sigh, chance has brought him new fortune.
! The man who prescribes unto himself any
set Of rules, or takes as a model the career Of
any man, will DO very likely TO meet with
slip up There was A. I. Stewart who as
! cribed his success TO the most patient atten-
ton to trivial details but If William r. Grace
undertook to run his colossal business as Stew
art did, he would be frantic in a week
Stewart not only gave orders, bat followed
them up to see IL they were executed. Mr.
Grace employs men who hs knows will carry
out in detail the plans which be conceivcs
That is also in some respects Mr. Goulds
habit During the great southwestern strike,
in which Dir. Goulds property was so
seriously imperiled, hO was asked why ho
seemed 70 rest so easily. Said he: 1--WE en-
ploy Mr.. Hoxie. Ho keeps mo informed as
10 results, and it is hia business to look after
the Details A colossal brain racldng bust
ness it was, too, and 1t undoubtedly killed
Aoxie. But Mr. Gould, had he adopted the
methods OF some successful business men,
would have thought it necessary to have
penetrated all those details himself, and that
would have brought on neuralgia like a
paralytic shock.
Just SO with Commodore Vanderbilt, and
we can illustrate it no better thnn to repeat
one Of Chauncey NJ. Dcpew's stories. Said
he; Tho commodore heard Of a young man
who was a freight agent and remarkably
bright and successful one, on the Eric rail
road, The chap had given evidence that he
comprehended that the business Of freight
transportation was something more than the
mere hauling Of goods from one town to an
other In his limited field the young char
had shown that he possessed genius for al
interstate or national traffic manager That
was Just the kind Of bud that tho commodore
wanted to blossom on the Central systom
So he got Jim Rutter away from the Fri,
and paid him $4,000 a year as traffic man
agcr Of tho Now York Central. Not long
after Rutter took charge there arcs,
a difficult problem, and ono in
volving the interest OF tho Cen
trial road very greatly. Ruttei
went to the commodore with it, The ok
man looked at him q moment and then said
! Jim, what does tho Central road pay vol
$4,000 a year forr To manage tina TRAN,
department. Jim replied. DO you expoc
lam going to earn your salary for youf sal,
/ the commodore. Jim caught tha point
turned ON his heel. went away and solved th
problem. II be hadn't solved il rightly th
, Central road h&d no use for him. Yet thar
, aroiots Of successful buainess mon who woul,
! have taken it as q compliment TO have besi
/ thua approached by Rutter had thoy bean il
! Vanderbilrs piaca
" That great merchant prince, Jekn Vans
maker, q PhilAdslphiA, might have bcen
1 tailcr barker % this day hsd he tried TO &c
( rich oa lines laid down By others. BE adopts
just ons motto: do 70 next thing and be
now reached the poins whars tho next thi=.
seems to be depositlng OF bigger sums al th
end q one days business than hs did the ia
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