Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-23
All About Dollars to Young r1en of
Sense.

Young men, if you are possessed of a
laudable and truly honest ambition to
make your mark in this world, give the
dollar mark (S) your attention. Look
at its true proportion and honest value,
in health and in sickness, in prosperity
and adversity. Not that we would have
you cultivate any mercenary motives,
nor to lay the foundation of a hard,
sordid nature, but rather to make you
familiar with your duty towards your
self, mankind and the great power that
moves the world.
All the great enterprises that absorb
the energies Of mankind depend upon
ability, ambition, determination and
the mighty dollar for success. No one
truly sincere, will attempt to deny this,
if he does, then he is dishonest with
himself and the truth is not in him.
The dollar is useful IN our homes, in
church, in school, and in the promotion
of every good cause.
The sense may be abundant and of
the finest quality, but the wheels will
not move until the force Of the practical
dollar is placed behind them. Hence
we would have you carefully study the
practical dollar, the gold dollar, the
silver dollar and the paper dollar.
The dollar that will buy for us the
necessities Of life, and wi2an you have
solved this practical life problem, it will
matter little which Of the dollars accom-
plishes the object. If the silver dollar
viii give you a comfortable home, if it
viii feed and clothe your family, if
it will keep you from starving, and the
want of the gold dollar will deprive
you Of these essentials Of life, because
it is not to be had, you will be foolish to
continue to cry for that which is not in
existence, and so vice versa. Thus we
would have YOU carefully study the
essential, practical dollar of your own
home and country, in which you live,
breathe and have your being, and how
to earn it honestly. How to take care
Of it for future needs, when out of work
or in old age, and how at all times to
make the best possible good use Of 1t,
and how to make it deYelop its best
powers and to accomplish the greatest
amount of good.
It is n study that is worthy Of your
highest efforts, because it bears directly
upon the conditions that make life a
success or a failure. Many man of
the highest qualifications has gone
under the stigma Of ''failure." and the
cause was described as lack of executive
ability, but he had not been educated
to make q proper use of the dollar;
perhaps he was guilty of whaG many
young men are guilty Of now, spending
money as fast as they earn it. Yes,
spending it before they earn it, or
spending that which they haye never
earned at all, simply to keep up style
IN dress and other foolish notions, if
not absolutely dangerous practices Of
their vicious associates.
On the other hand, many a man of
inferior mental attainments has risen to
high place because che was a good
manager" careful in his habits, :"
which means that he understood the
handling of a dollar While the
functions of a dollar may be abused
and devoted to improper purposes, it is
just as strong and quite as effective
when it is used to promote the growth
and development of an enterprise that
will cherish and bless the world. Re-
member, Young men, that your progress
through life, from the cradle to the
grave, is accompanied by the cl1nk of
the dollar, let it be an honest dollar.
Do you wish to know the value of a
dollar, then earn it, and study how
much hard labor of your own it repre-
sents, and how to use it to the best
advantage. There is no sin in honest
labor, which is the earning power; the
sin lies in the lnjudicious spending of
your earnings. Study the dollar in all
its varied uses, how to make it honor
ably and honestly, how to make it
accomplish the most good, how to save
it from the dishonest intriguer, and
how to increase its productive power.
You should learn how to make accurate
calculations, based upon the true
American dollar. You should study
mankind, as well as books, and know
how to transact your business in such
manner as will prevent your earnings
going into the hands of the dishonest.
You should learn how to keepa system
attic record of your earnings and general
transactions, in order to keep trace OF,
and how to better save your earnings.
You should make yourselves familiar
with the principles of business, which
will be a safeguard against dishonest
practices Of the cunning, tending to rob
and cheat YOU out of your hard earn
ings. Study the sound principles of
business, of honesty and integrity. 1t
is not necessary to sink the man in
order to make the successful merchant.
Build for yourself reputation based
upon sound business principles, such as
will stand hy Won aD1 will he 2 mart Of