The morning times., 1896-07-13
THE WAY TO WEALTH.

''Put money in thy purse" is good advice,
not in the sense in which Othello's false
friend rendered it to Cassie. Insensate
grasping for riches is as productive OF
evil consequences as sloth. And yet this
eagerness to acquire wealth Is one OF the
most marked characteristics OF the young
men OF this country. They are apt to be
dazzled by the display that wealth makes
and become anxious to join the COM
paratively few to whom this is possible.
Unfortunately too many are inclined to
follow the counsel which that old farmer
on his death bed gave to his son: Get
rich, my son; honestly, If you can; but
get rich." Too many of the wrecks that
strew the pathway of the business life
OF our great cities have been caused by
forsakins the straight and narrow path
of honesty, and instead striking into
the aliuring highway OF shady and doubt
full transactions. .
There is nothing repreEensible in a young
mans desire to become rich. On the con-
trary it is the most natural thing in the
world for him to strive for thatindepcndenoe
OF the favors or wilim OF others which is
secured by q competence. There is nothing
dishoDorable in the seeking of wealth, if it
be attempted by honorable, upright and
manly methods. In fact, young man WHO
does not entertain the ambition to make
himself thus Independent, is pretty sure to
be a drope in the human beehive and to
manifest disposition to get all he can out
of life with as little excr;ion as possible.
Young America is nothing if not pushing,
active, enterprisiDg, and ambitious. 1t
is the glory OF this nation that it is SO.
We would not have it otherwise for the
world. We would stimulate the desire
for the acquisition Of wealth in every way
that is honorable, and with the purpose in
view of benefiting not only self, but ones
fellow-men. But we would warn the
young men of the day against the growing
evil OF inordinate avarice; the eagerness
to become rich whether by honest means
or otherwise. Many a young man who
has held an honorable, responsible, and
remunera tive position in the business
vancement, has allowed himself to he lured
from the path of rectitude By the wiIlo'-
the wisp of speedily acquired wealth. And
then he falls, never TO rise again.
One of the leading members Of the Boston
Chamber OF Commerce was recently asked
to indicate some Of the dangers that beset
the ways of young men, and be replied
unhesitatiDgly that the greatest evil Of
all was the craze to acquire wealth rapidly.
Among other things he said:
This desire is usually accompanied by cx-
travagant habits and Ia stes, and the COM
bination is too much for the average Young
man TO contend with successfully This
haste to be rich-to begin life where his
father left off-to win a fortune by few
bold or reckless ventures, rather than de-
pend upon the slow process OF small but
steady gam, has been tie ruin of countless
numbers of our young men, and will con-
tiDue to be wherever this spirit dominates
the life. The opportunities for speculation
in our large cities abound, and the tempta-
ton to take risks they cannot afford in the
hope of making extraordinary gains is more
than many young men can resist Success
full ventures in purely speculative transac-
tions unfit one for the slower, but safer,
methods Of doing business, but where ten
men achieve final SUCCESS in speculation,
hundreds are ruined.
These are words worth needing. Put
money in thy purse, young man; but choose
NO way other than which honesty and fair
dealing point out.