The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-28
Luck. Opportunity, Knowledge.

Editor Morning News: I clip the follow
Ing from the News Of a few days ago.
and coming from a man, Col North, who
made his millions OF dollars, his ideas
may be considered worth something. I
join issue with what he said as to luck
and chance. Col. North had knowledge
ana an opportunity which came to him.
and he simply took advantage of his
knowledge knowledge Is a power for II
knows when 10 take advantage Of oppor-
effect
The story of Col. North's great wealth
is simple. He discovered nitrate beds Of
sodium in South America, in Chill, or
Peru, and bought them. He knew the
value Of the nitrates. but those from
whom he bought them did not-nor did
they have the opportunities he had. The
result was in a few years Col. North
was worth millions of dollars
There was no luck in his case, but a
chance and an opportunity. says Col.
North. There Is no such thing as luck
said Col North once. Everybody In this
world has chances. Yes, everybody, from
the working collier who strikes a seam OF
coal which was never thought of by the
mining engineer to the cOlliery proprietor
who gets Information regarding that seam
and resolves TO work IL. What people
call luck simply means that a man sees
his chance, holds on to it, and at the
right moment works Il for himself.
Luck? Nonsense! Luck is simply the
faculty Of seiZing passing opportunities"
Luck is that which comes to one with
out thought a plan, or an expectation.
II Is happening, an unlocked for acct
dent so 10 speak Let me Illustrate. A
Mr.. Smith, for speculative purposes, buys
up several thousands acres of land, and
says: TN time population will increase
and these lands will be in demand. l give
only 81 an acre for them,s but will sell
no doubt IN time, as the demand grows.
for at least 50 an acre or more" No luck
there, but cool calculation. II so hap
pens that capitalists take a notion to
build a railroad through the section of
faftfF try Of 10 IT, erFvr
permission to run the railroad through
his lands, and II so happens depot Is
built on one Of his acres. A town be.
gins to grow, like Cordele. or Triton, and
Mr. Smith begins to sell town lots, and
not acres of land. II Is sheer luck TO him.
II came to him without thought, or
plan, or expectation. He did nothing to
bring about such results.
Again, Mr.. Brown in some of the coun-
ties of Cherokee, Ca, buys farm to raise
grain or stock. In sinking well, he
strikes a gold vein, and finds that he has
bought a gold mine Pure luck, for he new
er bought for such purposes, the sinking
of the well at that point was a mere acct
dent, and an unlocked for discovery OF
gold mine.
A number of years ago, a gold miner
out west. who had tried place after place
TO strike II rich" gave up in despair as
he said luck was against him, yet there
was no luck or misluck in his case he was
unfortunate for he simply failed to find
what he was looking for. He had thought,
intention. desire and a plan in his mind.
Discouraged, he threw himself down I'M
der a tree, and having nothing to occupy
his mind he began to full up some grass
about h4m. He saw some yellow PARTICLES
and upon examining them, saw It was
gold. He began to investigate, and he
found he had discovered a gold mine
Luck, there, for he had given up the
search and was resting.
Many years ago at the north a man
thought he had a good thing of It. by
making warming pans to warm the beds
on cold winter nights. He made a great
many, but there was no demand. They
were put up at auction and Ii Is said that
old Jacob Aston with an eye to business
bought the whole lot in very cheap He
altered them little by taking off the tops
sugar pans, and made big money. No
luck there but calculation, thought and
plan.
In a word. that which comes to US with
thought, plan, an expectation or a call
culatOn, IS simply luck Ike an ample
dropping into our lap while sitting under
the tree. A fortunate man is one who is
continually successful in his undertake
ings; but he is doing a good deal of plan
ming and thinking all the time, he leaves
nothing to mere chance, or luck Chance
is absence OF assigna.ble cause, indeter-
mination, hazard, venture, or hit
To draw lottery prize is not luck for
Ii is the result of calculation or Thought
Some one viii draw it, then why moi
me"' The chance is taken, and If drawn
Them i am fortunate" Col North Is
wrong, there is such thing as luck.
but wise men do not look for such things.
r. Nj. o.