The Penn's Grove record., 1895-05-24

" N@@
Ity as the highly paid men, WHO find
It very diflc,s'ta. 70 earn enough to sup
laStt their families In the most modest
and unassumlng way. This illustra'
ton from the legal profession extends
to all walks of business and profession.
al life. 1t demonstrates that equip
ment and training for the work and
ability to perform 1t are not the only
requisites of success. Luck has'much
to do with 1t and yet the majority OF
successful men have reached phenom-
email positions In spite Of luck. Shak.
speare wisely said, There is a tide in
the affairs of men, which, taken at the
food, leads on to fortune 1t is only
the gifted few who divine the tide and
its course.
"No man Is successful and continues
so unless he has the basis Of hard
common sense and added to that must
be a superior natural intelligence, Wig
orous health, a strong constitution,
good habits, and indomitable industry.
And then, the man who wishes to be
successful must make up his mind to
work hard. True, some of the hardest.
working men are not successful; but
they lack the other qualities; and
many failures In life of really hard.
working, conscientious men are due
to the want of foresight, which is,
especially in a business career, an in.
estimable factor.
At regard a man who, in the hot COM
petitions of our period, q support
his family comfortably, can purchase
and own a home and leave a little com.
petence which will keep the helpless
ones from the necessities Of charity,
as a successful man. OF such there
are, happily, multitudes."
you have spoken in a general way
about the qualities for phenomenal
success. Can you ~particularize the
reasons Of It's attainment by those who
DO attain iii"
Mr.. Depew said: "Their secret N
their beginnings was a willingness to
do anything, whether they were paid
for It or not As the volunteer fireman
will sacrifice his life for the machine,
so they were willing to do everybody's
work; to perform every species Of ser.
vice; to sacrifice sleep, rest and yaca-
tons for the benefit Of the arm or the
corporation IN which they were EN-.
ployed. In the course Of time they
became indispensable, and then they
were made the partners, the masters
and tho controllers Of the business,
At this point their dangers and dis
comforts begin.
"With the fitness for responsibility
which has been demonstrated comes
great compensation, because this abil'
ity Is so rare. I have seen an incom'
petent man, with q salary Of $4,000
a year, wreck a company. I have seer
a competent man, who could not be
had except under a guarantee Of $50,
600 a year and a promise Of SOME
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars be
sides, should he succeed, restore thai
company to phenomenal prosperity
That Is why those great compensa
lions are possible. The needy situa
tons where thousands, tens Of thou
sands, hundreds of thousands Of dol
lars are in peril, in investments which
can be raised from bankruptcy to In
solvency, are very largely in excess Of
the number of men who are competent
for the job, and such men command
their own prices, and are cheap at AM
price.
"But our successful man who hal
reached the top finds himself at ono,
isolated. In spite of himself he is al
Ishmaelite. His hand Is not agains
, every mans; but every mans hand Il
against him. His faults are exagger
| ated; his weaknesses become crimes
his mistakes are magnifed; his sub
| ordinates are too often Jealous; hi
rivals are venomous, and his standing
with his directors and stockholderl
Is upon the slippery ice Of success
There Is little friendship, or fidelity
or cordially beyond such as spring
from self-interest, to support him. HI
chief and most reliable assistants ar
sense, hard work, and few fast friend
In his board OF directors. and all hi
staff. His future, because he can no
do everything that must be done, n
matter how hard he works, Is depend
! emit largely upon those whom he select
as his su~bordinates, and on his rel
ance upon himself. This situation
even with all Its rewards, would b
intolerable, except that among the pec
pie whom he selects and who ultimate
ly will divide his kingdom. are som
men who are devoted to him with
loyalty and admiration and a read
mess to sacrifice themselves, such a
characterize the marshals Of Napoleon
IT am afraid that all these illustrs
nons and reflections do not revea
after all, the secret Of how to succeed
But It cannot be revealed in any othe
way than by suggestion and example
Every man must know his own limit
tons, and have his OWE aspiration
II those limitations are wide, an
those aspirations limitless, and II b
will give to his ascent of the ladder b
undivided attention, and know neith'
weakness nor despair, the aspirant
sure to get on. Whether he reach'
the top, however. depends upon whet
Or God has supplemented talent, co
,titution and industry with sense"