Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-05
ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS TO THOSE
STAR TING IN BUSINESS LIFE.
Don't Aim too High, Study Your Bush
ness, Save Money and Lay it up for
Rainy Day.

prefer both If they are within reach.
Will you kindly tell me how can carve out
for myself a successful career
The results of our experience and
observation are entirely at your service,
young man.
Suppose we begin our conversation
by defining terms. What do you mean
by "a successful career?"
IF, as you say, you are ambitious to
become millionaire two or three
times over your chance is one in a
thousand.
Possibly you may be that one. 1t
depends on your natural gifts and your
opportunities. But how about the
other nine hundred and ninety-nine?
Are their lives to be failure because
they can't acquire an immense bulk Of
capital?
In other words, is surplus of cash
the prime factor in the problem of
happiness, and is citizens usefulness
to be measured by his bank account
solely?
You may also get the fame you wish.
1t depends on your education. on the
quantity and quality of your brains
and on your native genius With these
you will everlastingly hunger for the
unattainable. and in the end draw the
coverlid of a wasted life over your head
and die disappointed man.
The number of those who achieve
such greatness that the public build
monuments to their memory is very
few, but if your name happens to be in
that list the Herald will gladly subscribe
for the purpose.
Don't make any mistakes in this mat
ter. If You wish to get out of life all
there is in it-for you-there is a way
to do it.
Real happiness consists of health,
self-respect the good will of the COM
munity and a sufficient income to
crafty your reasonable wants. Every
thing else is trivial and not worth both
erlng about. The man who has steady
work, fair wages, a cosey home. enough
to eat, thick overcoat. and the con-
seriousness of personal integrity, is d
nightly favored fellow, in possession
of more than three-quarters of the best
things which this world affords.
Now, You can have all this if Won
make certain rules the basis of your
conduct.
First-Don't aim too high. bu. aim
straight. Emerson's advice to .'hitch
your wagon to Il STAR is the merest
buncombe of rhetoric. You will pro-
duce larger practical results if YOU
hitch your wagon to IA well fed mule.
'Iongfellow's poem, Excelsior, :s
another bit of exquisite trash. OF
course it is beautiful land all like that,
you know" but it is not adapted to y
rough and tumble fight with circum-
stances.
The young man in that poem
shoulders a flag and starts for-well,
for nowhere, so far as we can discover.
He is one of the climbers-an explorer
of the celestial Alps. When he gets to
the top of hill he turns back and
screams out "Excelsior!' What for
we can't say. This is a free country,
however, and he can do as he pIeases.
Up he trudges until he gets to the
snow-capped summit of the next ascent.
Unreasonable boy! he seems to be just
rs dissatisfied rs ever. Evidently he
wants the earth. In spite of Il chronic
bronchitis aud in constant danger OF
pneumonia. he waves his bunting. wells
"EXcelsiorr once more and strikes out
for an altitude where the mercury
freezes in the bulb.
He may DE going yet. for aught we
know. He has undertaken tough job,
though, and his flag by this time must
be in tatterS.
You want to get rid of good deal
of this "excelsior" folderol. 1t is
mighty Door investment of talent.
Stay down below, aud let the glac ers
and the mountain peaks take care of
themselves.
Second-Do your work well. no mat
ter what it is. Study your business
Make Yourself master of it by putting
your head and heart into it. If it
is bookkeeping, then keep books in
such fashion that the Angel Gabriel
will want to lend YOU his crown as
token of approval. If You are a
mechanic, or artisan. or farmer, be
proud of yourself. and the rest of the
world will soon come to he proud of
you. Nothing is needed so much in
this generation as "A man with skilled
fingers. You may have a long pull.
but the CLOCK will strike an unexpected
hour and the opportunity-which comes
to everybody in turn. but which most
people miss-will present itself. Study
the bulldog, and when YOU get your
teeth into big thing, let them stay
there.
Ihrd-Save money. The coward
runs in debt, the brave man has a five
dollar surplus in his pocket. The
world may laugh at you because You
can't have Il four-in-hand necktie. All
right, let it laugh. You are your own
world, and the people who sheer are
simply outside barbarians. When they
see that five dollar bill growing bigger
they all want to shake hands with YOU
and send you to Congress. Keep well
within your income and YOU will save
yourself from skulking round the
corner like kicked dog when the dun
is on yonr track. The handest thing
on the planet is the penny laid up for
Il rainy day.
Now. young sir, get rid of the nom
sense that you are genius, settle
down to the conclusion that you are
just an average North American boy
and start in. Keep yourself alert. look
after Your digestive apparatus. don't
smoke cigarettes, get to bed early, he
square toed in all your dealings, and
we will wager IA cookie that at sixty
yOu will have to look back ward for
those who began the race w>en you did.
Are you ready? Then. Go!
Causes Of Death