The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-10
LIKE PoETs-BoRN, NOT MADE.
There the Similarity EIds-Men of e

There the Similarity E1.ds-Men of Ex-
pedients In Business.
81 have been reading with considerable
interest,"" said New Yorker yesterday,
1.-The discussion that has been presented in
the columns of The Tribune on the advan-
tages or disadvantages which college edu-
cation confers upon young man who has
his own way to make in the world. Leav-
ing aside for the time being the fact that
far too many people think that success in
life means either great wealth or distinction
Second rate results, both, and not to be
compared to culture of the mind and to
health), let me say that Of all the traits
with which man can be endowed, none
will be SO helpful to him in any walk Of
life as that of being ready with eXpedients,
of being prepared for the emergency. You
hear plenty of men who have the average
amount of intellect and education grum-
bling that they never get chance to sue
cesd and envying those who do. The truth
is that they have not that instinct which
sees opportunities to enter where others see
only an insurmountable wall Of difficulty.
Take the case of 3. I. Babbitt, who died
the other day millionaire several times
over. He began life as blacksmith's ap-
prentice, and devoted the best of his days
and the best product of his brain 10 max
ing soap-not an exceedingly lofty calling,
but he made colossal success at it where
a great many others failed, and just be-
cause he was man Of almost inexhauSti-
BILE eXpedient. Whenever rival came too
near him in the race Mr.. Babbitt used TO
sit right down and think out some new bit
Of machinery which would turn out the
work a little cheaper than the old one, and
then he would 20 to work and build it.
"'Ah,' you say, he was an inventor
few men have the gift of invention
Invention, my friend, is only another
word for expedient. It's the same faculty,
whether expressed IN new machine, or
new way to bear stocks, or new way to
advertise patent medicine It's often amus-
ing to hear men who have not got this fac
ulty, men who could not be pushed into
making money in any but the Old beaten
paths speak with anger and suspicion of
the success OF others. There is something
positively dishonest TO these men in the
extraordinary adaptabihty CT those others,
and the power of turning into gold oppor-
tunities which are absolutely invisible TO
most men seems wizarGike and unholy.
1T always has been SO, no doubt, and
probably always will be- Countless men
have striven for wealth IN this city since
the days Of the first John Jacob Astor IN
til now. They were ready to take any and
every chance, honest or dishonest TO arnass
fortune, and have been unable 70 do so;
50 they have Solaced themselves somewhat
by cSTping at others who, with the same
advantages, or less. thesane opportunities,
honest and dishonest, have steadily reaped
their thousands and tens of thousands in
the same fields where. others could find only
the stubble OF bare livelihood.
TO be able Co see anything from ali
sides at once, IN fact TO be fertile and ex-
pedient. Is the master secret % fortune and
10 distinction, Il that Il what a man sets
out TO win It Is Lot impaired BY an edu-
cation, either at the college or IN the shop.
but IS born in certain Individuals and not
in others OF course few People arr born
without any Of il, and 1 think the proper
kind Of education might be evolved to de-
velop the embryo that turks in moss-cf US;
but after all. this idea Is good deal Ike
the discussion over the best kind OF food
for brain workers. As some clever fellow
has said, the very best thing for a brain
worker Is brains, and plenty CT them -
New York Tribune.