The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1897-07-05
NO MIRACLE ABOUT TT.

The fortunes of men lie in intelll-
gent use of their opportunities. So
1t ever has been; so it ever will be.
In a few cases, such as discovery of
mines or lucky speculation, fortunes
are realized; but in the cases of the
great majority the element of chance
cannot be counted Oh, and they who
are found getting on in the world
will be those who work with lntelli-
gent and painstaking endeavor, nus
band their resources, use their ac-
cumulations with judgment, and
make careful and sound calculation
the basis of all their action.
Such a course will bring some
measure of success to every man who
pursues it. Fortune, pursued on
such principles, is not partial even to
color. The Atlantic Constitution
has an account of negro IN Georgia,
Barton F. Powell, who has had the
sense to pursue the old-fashioned way
to prosperity, and has reached it. He
started in with running errands for
the stores at Atlanta, and his energy
and fidelity secured him constant en-
ploy ment. Then he had the Enack
and the purpose of holding on to his
money. After a while he gol work
on a dredge- boat, where his intelli-
gent interest in the work and his
fidelity to the requirem ments of the SER
vice again stood him in good stead.
AT the age of 20 he was the owner
of $4,000, which he invested in 500
acres of pine land in Baker county.
NThe white man from whom he
bought it," says the Constitution,
''committel the usual mistake, and
most likely his $4,000 took wings
long ago, while the negro got the
500 acres, which are today worth
three times the money. The new
owner put ten men to work, got the
land in order, planted cotton, corn
and sugar cane, and cleared the first
year $25OO. He has continued to
add to his landed possessions, paying
spot cash for every farm purchased,
and is now the owner of POO acres
of land, from which he markets 400
bales of cotton annually. Besides
his success on the farm, he has de-
veloped the country supply store
idea, and thus rakes in thousands of
dollars a year. He also owns com
Portable home III Bainbrldge. His
profits last year were over $8OOO."
There is no miracle in this kind of
thing. The man who has done it IN
this case is 32 years of age, and has
been handicapped by his color and
by the prejudice felt against his
race; yet by the sheer force of an ill.,
telligent will he has accomplished
these results. This is the way the
man reasoned when a speculator
sought to buy his possessions by Cffer-
ing large cash sum:
II couldn't make as good use of
money as l can of my land. You
see, you are always getting PRINCIPAL
as well as interest back from your
land, and after you get it all back
the land still remains, more valuable
than it was at first. In money you
can only get the interest, and the
principal Is always likely to disappear.
Every other kind of property wears
away, but constant use improves
land. There is no such thing as
wearing out land. 1t must be kept
at work, but rested by different
crops. 1t is like resting from walk
ing by running little. You never
sit down, because if you do you will
get stiff and can't pick up your
speed"
His is career that illustrates what
might be called Poor Richards sense.
which is much too scarce just now in
every part of the country. 1t is well
said, indeed, that sit is persons who
ignore the doctrines of Poor Richard