Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-12-26

The Chicago Record asked seyera
SUCCESSFUL business men to write arti.
cies upon the subject of success In life
ior young men, pointing out how, ac-
eording TO their own experience, IL ID
pest achieved. From an article written
py Harry @. Selfridge, OF the firm OF
Marshall Field Il Co., the following ia
an extract:
Statlsticians inform us thai in New
fork city. for example, Of the recog-
hized successful business men, includ-
ing bankers, railroad presidents, large
merchants and manufacturers, vessel
owners, doctors, lawyers, ministers,
ETC., nlnety-six U OF every 100 are
country-bred boys, and those who spent
the nrst twenty years OF their lives on
farms or In small villages, and that, ap-
parently, the better air. the freedom
from confinement and the usual phys
lcal b give TO country-bred boys
such splendid constitutions that / IN the
battle OF life with city-bred boys the
country lad too often has a greaC ad-
vantage.
such being easily proved facts. We
are led TO think that country life during
boyhood is h chief requirement for fu-
ture success In the city, but II must not
De forgotten that while tbs ninety-six
men are building monuments OF success
out or the stones in each days path
there are thousands or hundreds OF
thousands OF country-bred men whose
starts In city life seem desirable In ev-
cry way. who utterly fail in reaching
the goal.
Why is IL?
The young man who Is about to
start out for himself should, If possible.
thoroughly know his own strengths and
weaknesses. OF you. therefore, young
man, the asker Of the question which ]
am trying TO answer. 1 ask in return:
Can you resist temptation
Have o the moral courage TO say
Nor when. perhaps, the word will
bring upon you the ridlcule OF others?'
Are you able to pick your compan-
ions carefully, or, when experience
proves them to be not such as you
should have. have you strength suf-
hclent to allow you TO break with them
form other associations
Have you determination?'
Have you perseverance, or are you
easily discouraged?
Have you good health For the
battle OF life is rarely successfully
iought In the great cities without his
splendid gift.
Are you energetic, even when the
work In hand is not OF a pleasing kind.
or is there a thread Of lazlness in your
nature" You can't keep up with the
leaders IL o are lazy, and the city Is
no place for one who is. and the fact
that there are great numbers of lazy
men In every city makes Ii more posi-
Die Tor those who are free from this
handicap 10 success to win the goal.
Are you willing to do?'
can you control your tcmper?'
Are you absolutely honest-not rea-
sonably honest, but is your determine
tion, no matter what happens. TO do
that which will always Withstand the
strongest investigation Of any critic or
Of your own conscience
In answering these questions to
yourself, don't fool yourself, don't make
yourself think that conditions exist
which do not; that you have persever-
ance when sober thought tells you that
you lack it; that energy ls there when il
5 really wanting; that you a say mo-
when you rave tried 1t and failed.
Don't fool yourself. Ii is much wiser 10
assume that you are not right in these
points and then try to prove to yourself
the contrary. Because one lacks these
things today Is no reason for always
lacking them. Young men can, | he
lieve, make themselves largely sucn as
they choose, and that desirable trait of
character which is wanting can b huil:
up and encouraged Until 1t becomes a
part or ones self"