Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-07-24
SUCCESSFUL WORK.
The President of the University OF Mich
gan Discusses the subject.

The President of the University OF Mich
gan Discusses the subject.
One Of the most common mistakes oil
young students is to overrate the value
OF mere brilliancy of intellect in COM
parison with that Of industry. In al
most every institution of learning, from
the grammar school to the university,
you will find many pupils pointing with
sort of admiration to some of their
comrades, who has never accomplished
much and saying: "He could easily
outstrip the men whom the teachers
rank as the leading scholars il he
chose" They say this with tone
which implies that they esteem more
highly his gifts than those of the hard.
working, but less brilliant students,
who are far in advance Of him in in.
tellectual attachments. Yet long OBJ
servation shows that the plodding
men of good, but not brilliant talent,
will through life hold the lead, which
they have already gained over tho
brilliant comrade who lacks the habit
of persistent and continuous work. And
If our young friends will study the
biographies of even the most brilliant
men they will find that the greatest
achievements of these men we're gem
orally the fruits of serious and severe
toll. Let us take two or three illustra-
tions.
When | was student in college,
Rufus Choate was at the zenith of his
power. He was the idol of young men,
who admired brilliancy. The general
belief among them was that if Mr..
Choate were awakened in the middle OF
the night, he would need no further
preparation for the delivery of a splen-
did Grafton than to run his fingers
through his curling locks. But when
his biography was published, it APP
peared that he was one of the most dill
gent and laborious OF students, and that
his great speeches were prepared with
infinite care.
When Daniel Webster made his cele-
brated reply in the Senate to Hayne OF
South Carolina on Notification, with
only a single day for special prepara-
1t has often been referred to as strik-
ing evidence of Webster's readiness for
great emergency. Years ago, the late
John Whipple, an eminent lawyer Of
Providence, and warm personal friend
of Webster, told me this story concern.
ing that speech.
81 asked Mr. Webster" said Mr.. Whip.
pie, ''as we were taking a walk at an
early hour, before breakfast, on tho
beach at Newport how it was possible
for him to present so elaborate and COM
plete an argument on so short notice in
reply to Haync."
"On SO short noticer exclaimed Mr.,
Webster. ''Why | had been many
years preparing the substance of that
speech. When | was young lawyer
with plenty of leisure, busted myself
with raising every question which l
thought could be raised, concerning the
Interpretation of the Constitution, and
with attempts to settle those questions.
Among these was the point now made
Ivy South Carolina and by Mr.. Hayne.
That subject has always been kept in
mind by me. When the occasion arose
for discussing it, was ready with the
preparation of years."
Read the life of Louis Agassiz, who
seemed to be one of the readiest of men
in scientific discourse. His utterance
was so full and fluent that it seemed tc
come without effort But the student
of his biography will see that he
worked with such untiring devotion
that his great master, Cuvier, had tt
warn him that ''work kills" if no time
is taken for rest.
The popular idea of General Sheridan
is that he won his victories by mere
dash. But read what Grant says of him
and what the officers on his staff say o
him, and it will be seen that his dasf
succeeded because he had spared NJ
pains in preparing for his attacks.
DIR. Wayland used to quote saying
which he had picked up somewhere
Nothing will stand up against days
work" Toll, persistent, continuous
unflckering toll is the price that mus
generally be paid for marked intel
lectual success. The taste and capacity
for hard work, with fair talent is bet
ter guarantee of ultimate success thai
great brilliancy of mind without in
dustry. These considerations ex
plain in part why many
man who in college has higl
reputation among his fellows for sigma
ability, fails to justify it by his subse
auent achievements, while others, VIII,
were not much praised in their colleg,
days go to the front These last ha,
the habit of continuous work. OF course
the combination of brilliant gifts an,
persistent industry wins the very high
est success The purpose of this pape
is to train the young men of brillian
gift against the grand mistake of trust
ing to those alone for their achieve
ments Work, hard, constant work
must be accepted as the condition of &C
complishing much in the fierce com
petitions of modern life.-James p. An
CELL, in St Louis Republic.
pIIINC I'M MEXINO