The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-17
Talks on Everyday Topics.
Thomas Kane, in The Interior.

A business man recently said to me,
"I never knew young man to get
ahead who commenced by going in
debt.n I replied that never knew a
young man to get ahead who did not
make his start by getting into debt.
We were both right. He was speaking
of one kind of Indebtedness l, of anoth-
er. He had in mind personal wants
such as clothing, board, etc. l, the
nucleus for home or business. Moth
ing indicate character in young man,
or an older one for that matter, more,
quickly and surely than his debts, II
be has any. If for something to live
on or wear, the chances are at least ten
to one that he will scratch poor head
all his days. If, however. for Il peice
of land, Il lot, stock in a building and
loan association, or anything which
has home or the foundation of his
livelihood for its object, each payment
made means q granite stone in the
foundation of his character: If Paul
were writing again, "Owe no man any.
thing" I think he would add, past
due" ITO love one another" is al
ways due. Other debts are not prop
erly debts at all, in the sense he meant
until date of payment. Financial
manhood is built up, not by keeping
out of debt, but by promptness of pay
ment.
Another fact in the same line is saw.
ing money is vastly more matter OF
principle and habit than of amount OF
salary. Personally, have never
known young man who, If he did
not save money on salary of forty
dollars a month, would do it on seven
ty-fve. If he did not Oh fifty he
would not on a hundred. The man
who saves nothing OH $1,000 a year
will not do it on $1,000 nor on $4,000,
nor even on $1,000. If you think
these are wild statements and not
borne out by the facts, ask any bust.
ness man of wide acquaintance, or il
you do not know one ask your pastor
if he has had experience among sal
aried workers. Money in savings
bank is not the best financial test of
manly character. A partly or wholly
paid for home, or peice of land Oh
which to build one, is far better test
On the other hand, it is the best test
know of, unless building and loan asso'
citation stock be expected, for wage.
working women, whether they work
in homes, offices or factories. Natur.
ally a man looks forward to buying
ground and building home; woman
to the furnishing, which takes ready
money.
There is another form of investment
which paws, not only in character and
happiness, but also in ultimate tempo.
raj prosperity, better than anything
know of. 1 refer to the support of par
ents; one or both, if they need it.
"John," said one friend to another,
after many years Of separation:
"How are you getting on financially"'
~ am doing very well indeed" was
the reply. "How is your mother, and
who takes care of her?" "Oh! take
care of mother, and have for many
years." "If I had known that |
would not have asked the question. ]
would have known you were prosper
ing" And he was right. "Honor
thy father and thy mother" r"means i'm
mensely more in temporal affairs than
appears on the surface. Of two broth.
ers, alike in all else, one caring for his
mother, and the other::neglecting her,
one has mortgage on temporal sue
cess the others success is mortgaged.
Foreclosure in either case may appear
to he delayed, but sooner or later it is
sure to come and another fact sure
to be realized is that the results follow,
in both cases, into the second genera
ton.