The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-17
SUCCESS IN BUSINESS
EX-JUDGE BALDWIN'S ADDRESS TO
BUSINESS UNIVERSITY GRADUATES.
Some Pertinent Observations on the
Commercial Life of To-Day
The Glass Roll.

large audience was present Mr.. John FL.
Holiday acted as presiding officer. The
opening prayer was made by Rev. Thomas
j. Villers, pastor of the First Baptist
Church, followed by an overture by or
chestra. The annual address was delivered
by ex-Judge ID. p. Baldwin, whose effort
was highly appreciated by the audience.
The address to graduates was made by
Francis NJ. Ingler, secretary of the Indian
apolis College of Law, after which the di-
plomas were presented to the graduates by
Emmett ]. Heeb.
The class of 9S numbers eighty-six, in
Guiding students from all parts of the
Union. This is the largest class in the his
tory of the university. After the meeting a
reception was given to the graduates and
their friends at the university hall in the
When building. Judge Baldwin, in his adj
dress, spoke, in part, as follows, his topic
being "A Successful Business MAN.
THE first requisite of successful bust
ness man is something TO do. The world is
full and overlooking with bright people who
cannot get work. There is an amount OF
courage implied in getting a job which is
often harder than the work itself. This
city, like all the rest of them, is overrun
with lawyers, doctors, clerks, accountants,
teachers, preachers, waiting for something
to do. For the six hundred places in your
public schools there were sixteen hundred
applicants How comes it that the six hun
dred were chosen and the ten hundred left?
Well 1t was largely a question OF personal
ity. Those chosen had good address, per-
sistence and a certain power of bringing
influence to bear to accomplish ends. How
comes it that certain few have more than
they can do while the great majority stand
around and wait? The same answer. The
art Of getting business is largely an unwrit
ten art 1t is very akin to genius, 1t con-
SistS of creating opportunities. There are
three classes of people in this world those
who see their opportunity as the boy saw
the SqurTel-Just AFTER IL had Ie1t; tnose
who see their chances and grasp them; and
those who make their opportunities. The
latter are the leaders. Let me give you an
illustration.
Hebrew is the Oldest language in the
world and drieG than tropic chips. Twenty
i've years ago young Hebrew teacher at
Morgan Park started a nonresident class of
belated clergymen in its study. He taught
by correspondence without ever seeing them.
He made his reputation out of those old
Hebrew roots and to-day William r. Har-
per is the president of the Chicago Univer
Sity. Take another illustration nearer home.
About the same time country boy came
here to Indianapolis from Hendricks county.
He had a good. clear head, a rapid judgment
and undaunted courage. He is now worth
half million dollars made out of that hum
blest of all articles-frozen water.
BOTH BRAINS AND MANNER.
"a successful business man or woman
must have one of two things, or better still
both-brains and manners. If they lack
brains like Harper or Holt, your boy girl
must cultivate the next best substitute
manners. Nine-tenths of all the business
situations are filled by address. No en-
ployer ever thinks of placing behind the
counter a cross, addressed churlish man or
woman. In seeking a situation you must
put on your best clothes as well as your best
smile and conceal your worst foot The
position once gained the next question is
how to rise. Garfield once said of the office
holder, He who is not too big for place
is too small for it. OF this enigmatical say
ing he was himself the best illustration. No
one can rise in business without making
himself Indispensable to his employer. He
or she who does just as little as possible for
the most pay IS sure TO be bounced at the
labor DOWN more than ans a TS other tbe sneIe
cause. In every gang of workmen there is
your lazy. trifiing ne er-do-well. always be-
of time in quitting and seeking every posi-
BILE opportunity to shirk. Such a man or
men bring the worthy men into disrepute,
for by the unwritten law of labor working
men help each other and hang together
though all suffer because of their friendship
for these black sheep. Make yourself inds-
pensahle to your employer. Are you a
dentist? Be so good that all the
bad teeth in the city will make a bee line
for your office. Are you lawyer? Be the
best in town so that every rogue when in
danger of being caught will run for you.
Are you preacher; make the fur fly, for If
there is anything that sinners enjoy it is to
puts it, over he'll
THE successful business man must have
courage. In business as we'll as in war
timidity is the mother of failure A faint
heart never won a big business success. A
quick eye and clear head must so hand in
hand with an iron will. OF course there is
all the difference in the world between
courage and recklessness. The really cour-
ageous man in business is seldom reckless.
successful business is educated oversight
and consists largely in knowing what the
public wants and in supplying that want in
the most acceptable manner. Business is
educated competition. If you can supply a
better article at the same price your for
tune is made. If the price is less but the
article inferior your success is only tram
silent. A good article at fair price is the
essence Of all commerce. for in such a trans
action both seller and buyer reap profit
| Often the biggest money is made out of the
simplest thing; of this the collar button is
an illustration. Some one who had exhaust
ed his piety in feeling under the bureau for
button which had rolled out of sight con-
ceived the idea of snap in it's shank and
he became a millionaire. Old John Jacob
Astor once found himself through the in
solVency OF some borrower, the proprietor
of a played-out millinery store. He fitted it
up regardless of expense; then went out in
an artist with him to make sketches and sat
down and watched Whenever beautifully
dressed lady appeared he had a sketch made
of bonnet and costume and at the end of the
day he was the proprietor of a score of such
beauties. These he handed to his head mil
liner and bid her excel them. In a few
and, as usual, Astor had all the money.
WOMEN IN BUSINESS.
lone of the pleasant surprises of the even
ing is to find that more than one-half of
this large class of ninety members are la
dies. Fifty years ago when l was a youth
there were but two things that girl could
do-teach or marry. The world do move
Now there is little that a man does. save
where brute strength is required, that his
sister or daughter may not and does not do.
Women have every right that a man has
and one more-the right to be protected
Since girls have entered all the industries
the old marriage industry has distinctly,
Girls, said Julia Ward Howe, no longer
fall In love. Marriage is now a matter of
business | plead guilty after the fashion
OF an oldlSn man TO saying that | like the
ancient fashlon the best. Anyway, whether
we old people like it or not the new order
or things, OF girls being self-supporting and
independent is here to stay, as much so as
the typewriter, the telephone or the bicycle.
"A girl has Just as good a right to be indie
pendent as her father or her brother-he of
the blooming mustaches-and it is a part of
the work or the indianapolis Business Uni
versity TO make her 50. 1t would be cyni-
cal, hard-hearted man that could look this
some girls are making mistake in entering
LIES business competitions instead of wait
ing after the old fashion for somebody to
ask them TO support them. or, failing in
that, to become school mistresses.
THE greatest drawback to business is the
who obtain credit are dead beats. not vet
found out. The remainder. One-haIf will