The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-28
SUCCESS IN LIFE.
Opportunities For the Young Mon
Of To-Day.
Tho Proper Course Co Pursue If They
Would Succeed In Business Tho
Growth of Largo Concerns from
Small beginnings.

some of tho largest stores had their be-
ginning in small way, whom thor
owners had scarcely any capital other
than skill, industry and probity. Little
by little money was gathered for an
extension of tho works, tho gains be-
came larger. moro money could DO in
vested to cheaper processes or extend
trade, rela atoms OF business value were
established, and so tho business kept
on expanding until acres of buildings
took the place OF ono small shop, and
the income began to DO counted by
millions instead of hundreds. There
are many great establishments Of which
this Is q general outline history, somo-
times varied by an opportunc invention
or circumstance helping to moro rapid
growth. But when young man is
shown one of these big workshops, with
thousands of employees and every labor
saving device, he is very likely to say
that there arc no such opportunities now
as onco existed TO thus build up great
business from almost nothing; that tho
age Of machinery has come, and that
one can not hopo to compete with es-
tablished factories except by tho use of
largo capital at tho very beginning.
There is n lttlo truth in this, because
ono could hardly expect to succeed in
building locomotives, for example, by
hand-work in competition with cstab-
lished works using machine tools; but
it is altogether overshadowcd by tho
larger truth that now, rs heretofore,
thcre Is room at the top for tho young
man of probity, industry, zeal and intel
ligcnce. Capital can be obtained when
tho proper time comes by tho man who
has these qualities, and great enter
prises be established by those who start
in life at the bottom round of the lad
dor.
Thirty years ago, says the Baltimore
Sun, the same objection was madc with
apparently the Same force, yet within
these thirty years instances can be
found of poor boy $ rising to become tho
great merchants and manufacturers of
the country. If they had considered
that the opportunities to rise had passed
.nway with the first half of tho century.
they might have remained behind tho
counter or at the work-bench; but they
woro industrious, faithful, skillful, and
above all self-confldcnt and determined
to succeed, and opportunities camo to
them as they may como to any boy of
tho present generation who prepares
himself to take advantage of q change
in the tide OF fortune. Ono of the IA
nous assayers of tho country started in
q very small way, extracting tho gold
and silver from the swccpings of jewclry
manufactures. IG required some years
of honest dealing before he could firmly
establish u reputation for probity and
skill that brought him largo consign-
ments. Then his littlo laboratory be-
gan TO grow, he invented now processes
to help him in his work, his good namo
became known in distant States, and to-
ward tho close of his life moro gold and
silver passed through his assay Office
in O year than through tho United
States mint at Philadelphia. His great
business success was duo in part to his
knowledge and skill, in part to his in
dustry, but also in largo part to his high
character. Strangers consigned to his
assay Office thousands OF dollars worth
of ore. No ono save tho assayer could
say how much silver and gold he ex-
tracted therefrom, but men learned to
trust him and on the strength of his rcp-
utation millions of dollars worth of ma
frnment mint. Can the young man Of
to-day repeat that history? Possibly not
in that particular line of work. But tho
Same qualities may be depended upon
to bear similar fruit in any business I'M
dertaling. The impaticncc of young
men is often bar to their success.
They want to make money rapidly and
establish great house of some kind in
a fcw years. There are exceptional cir
cumstances under which this may be
done, but the general rulo is that sever
al years arc required to fully establish
business reputation that can command
large trade.
Quite recently in ono Of tho largo
cities an old mercantile firm that had
been established for over half a cent
ury, and was at one time at tho head of
all tho Wholesale establishments, was
bought out-stock, good will and fixt-
ures-by young man who had started
small store when this firm was at the
height of its power and business infu-
once. He did not dream at that time of
competing with his great ncighbor. IIo
was content to do tho small trado that
fell to his lot, no attended strictly to
business and cXertcd himself to please
his customers. Slowly but steadily his
business expanded. Before many years
he became rival of tho older firm, and
then the unexpected though natural
thing happened. Tho younger man was
moro cntcrprising and energetic than
his ncighbor who, firing of tho struggle
nfter accommodating largo fortune, re-
tired from tho field. In tho business
world as in nature there is tho period of
growth and decay. Great business
houses may have fresh blood infused