The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-02-06
CROAKERS AND CROAKERS.
a Good Way to Ruin TOwn-Grum-
bic at Every body, ana Find Fault
With Everything-LOOk Wise as an
Owl and AcL like an IDIOT.

No matter how prosperous a town. or how
bright the outlook, there are always croakers
who are expecting evil 10 TALL upon them and
the whole community. They act and tal * as
if they had had IL special dispensatiou where
by they are enabled to discern impending ca
lamitieS or threatening dangers at great dis
tauceS. From mistaken patriotic motives. as
well as from love Of their fellowman. they
take great pleasure in painting these lions in
the path which are as yet too fur away TO be
seen by the unaded eye.
From the days when Adam and Eve were In
the garden. all tho way down To the present
time, the country has been afflicted with peo-
pie who see nothing but evil and whose pre-
dictions have been for evil, and who consist
emily fall or refuse TO see or acknowledge pos
tive beueiactions and distinctive blessings.
Being birds OF evil omen, they distort the
good in to evil, and magnify the slightest dis
appointment into the greatest and most ca
lamitous of dispensations.
There are, on the other hand, people who
would be cheerful and hopeful, prosperous
and happy, if it we're not for these birds OF
evil omen who throw a dainper Oh every pro-
posed enterprise and who belttle the success
eS that come TO our door.
Although ADbeville has never had a more
prosperous period in her history than has
been furnished by the history Of the last two
years yet there are people VINO think we nave
They seem to think that Abbeville ought in
two years to outstlip Atlanta in trade and,
manufacturing enterprise, and they clle eV-
erything short Of that AS evidence that We are
long faces and woful chat.
The fact is, that every man at Abbevile
WHO is working energelically' and applying
business methods In the conduct OF his busi-
ness, is prosperous and has been prosperous.
There is no use to deny this proposition. 1t
is true that many debtors have not paid in
ull, but the unpaid portion still stands, and
will In many cases he good at some future
time. There iS no use TO say that we have
lost thousands OF dollars, when we have only
failed to collect-and failed possibly to collect
which we never had. On the same principal
a man might say be had a million dollars
that is TO say, he might say he had 1t get.
Now, if we lose what we never had, and
have what we never possessed, where are we?
One proposition Is just as reasonable as the
other.
Take for instance: Mr. George w. LomaX,
a small grocer in town, turned over his stock
last year thirteen times, made a sood profit,
and lost only 5000 In bad debts Then. again.
Dale B. Barksdale, with larger capital than
Mr.. LomaX had, turned over his capital STOCK
six Times in the year with good profit, and
lost about S30D.
If Mr.. Barksdale and Mr.. Lomax can DO
that well with their capit+l, why can = every
body else make money, If they apply bus1-
ness methods, and conduct their business on
an economical scale? Mr.. LomaX, with his
smaller capital, made a hundred per cent.
Mr.. Barksdale, with his larger capital, made
forty.eIghJ per cent. on the capital invested.
If you made bad trades and lost money,
don't inJure your credit by telling everybody;
There is no use laying the blame on the hard
times You just apply good Judgment and
business methods, and then you will have no
call tor croaking, fault. finding, or crying out
against the town or country. The unprosPer-
GUS man makes mistake in supposlng that
the world has combined against him, and Is
devoting its whole energy 10 his destruction.
Laugh aud the world will laugh with you but
60 around with your troubles told TO every.
body, and the world will not weep with you.
The disposition is to do as the soldiers did In
the army-leave the lame ducks on the road
side while the great mass of the soldiers
marched on.