St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-06
Respect Is the One Thing
That Wealth Will Not
Purchase.
Peter Berkey Chats About
His Success in Busi-
ness Life.
Beginners Cannot Do Better
Than to Emulate His
Example.

ga man is respected and appreciated
for his merits" remarked Peter Berkey,
the st. Paul capitalist; ''and this is
especially true and applicable in the
business world, which is not slow in
forming an opinion at once. 1t makes
no difference who mans father was or
how illustrous his family name may be:
when he starts out in life people judge
| him by his actions and dealings without
regard to his ancestors or their record.
Hence it is incumbent upon any one
who wishes to become successful in any
undertaking to start out with the idea
that he must prove himself in every re-
spect man, and true man at that, ere
he can expect to become a factor in the
busy throng of commercial toll
ers. To be sure, he may not
be able to accumulate vast wealth
as some of his associates may do, but
wealth cannot purchase the respect of
men if the possessor of it is known to
be unprincipled and unscrupulous in ac-
complishing his desires. Many of the
men who have piled up vast fortunes do
not command tithe of the esteem that
some patient, plodding straightforward
competitor in the battle of life does, and
one great mistake that young men are
prone to is the impression that the pos
session of unlimited capital brings true
enjoyment and cOntentment in this
world. Concentration upon one object
in life and doing that with ones whole
soul cannot be too strongly urged upon
the young man who is essaying to make
n 70 hipoca1f
potency for his household, and that
brings to mind very important factor
in the creation of mans character and
stability that he should as soon as pos
Sible
TAKE UNTO HIMSELF A WIFE,
since it gives him ambition and stimu-
lates his energies in proper direction
when he knows that others are de-
pendent upon his eXertionS.
''Some people may say that as regards
sticking to one object, am not fitted to
give advice, since have in the course of
the siXty-five years of my life engaged
in numerous enterprises, but | have en-
deavored to make a success of every
thing that | have undertaken. When [
left my native place in Pennsylvania
thirty-fve years ago and came to ST.
Paul, my first venture was in the hard
ware and heavy iron trade, and l con-
tinued in that business for about
ten years. st. Paul, when
first settled in it, was place of
about two thousand inhabitants, al
though we made great pretensions and
claimed a thousand in excess of that
number. remember that census was
taken in 1858 but the enumeration did
not Justify our anticipations conse-
quently we did not make the result very
prominent but hoped for better things
and bigger count when we made an
other venture. There was an opening
here, at least so thought a friend of
mine from Pennsylvania, for a livery
stable, and stocked the establishment
for him and started the business.
first making it distinctly un-
derstood that he must look after
he soon gave up the undertaking and it
was saddled upon me and after diSpoS-
ing of my interest in the hardware bus
mess l was for some time engaged as a
liveryman. 1t was made to pay despite
the gloomy prediction of the young man
whom had started and if he had stuck
to it he would have prospered. Sub
sequently [ became associated with
Isaac Staples in the lumber business
and while engaged in this occupation,
was foremost i'll promoting the building
VI uhC plCSSHU lIllC VI DULL
water. The manner in which became
interested in that enterprise was by be-
ing made president of the company.
About five years ago l assumed nv
present position at the head of the bank
with which | am still connected and al
though l began at the foot of the ladder
l have made pretty good progress to-
wards the top where there is always
room for more.
''TheSe features in my career are
mentioned to inspire young men with a
spirit of emulation and perseverance in
whatever they set out to accomplish, al
ways keeping in sight the fundamental
principle of proving themselves to be
manly men. No matter in what line of
business a young man may start, say at
salary IN the employ OF firm, let him
make the firms interest his own and
his
REWARD WILL SURELY COME.
In every walk of life the tried and
trusted men of business are those who
have demonstrated in practical way
that they are fitted for the confidence
rep0Sed in them, and by making them
selves indispensable to their EMPLOYERS
they have shown true merit and the
capability for filling the positions to
which they have been called
Referring again to the subject of
matrimony, my advice to a young man
would be to marry some good woman.
who would prove herself veritable
helpmate and comfort to him after the
cares of business are over. There is
nothing pleasanter to the man of busi-
ness, after laborious day in his count
ing-room, to return to his home in the
afternoon or evening tired and dispir-
tied and meet a cheerful array of faces
at the family board and listen to the
music made by childish voices around
his own fireside. Business worries and
troubles of every sort vanish in their
presence, and amid such surroundings
| the business man cannot fail 10 imbibe
new energy and determination to
make his home in truth a
PLACE FOR RECREATION
and positive enjoyment. Another
| trouble with business men is tendency
! in the work of amaSSing a competency
or support for their declining years to
| deny themselves all pleasures and bow
| down before the idol avarice. Now. bv
| pleasure do not mean indulgence in
| intoxicating liquors, frequenting i'm
moral places with bad associations. or
| the thousand and one so-called tempta
| tions which, like SO many pitfalls, are
| constantly dug to entice man from the
| straight path that he should pursue.
| There are many rational ways in which
man can truly enjoy himself without
| plunging into eXceSSeS or wasting his
time and talents in frivolous gayeties.
for he can make everything pleasant
! not only Tor himself but for his family