Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1899-03-10

r NtIIlSSISSS - hSll WV
{ Unaided Efforts But INis /!
a Mistake.
Baltimore Sun.
When, in all effort to incite
the ambition Of the young or tc
encourage them to effort, in
: stances are cited of poor boys
who have won fortune or dis
tlnction for themselves by their
own unaided efforts, the usual
reply is that times have chang
ed; that there is no longer oppor-
tunitY for the lad without caps
ital or influence. But the same
thing was said in the sixties,
when the rich and influential
men of to day began their bust
ness careers. Few of the million.
aires of to-day thought at the
outset that they could attain
their present position. They
aimed only at competence, but
fortune smiled upon them and
they attained more than they
sought. Money is not the only
measure of success in life, but
great fortunes SO commonly att
tend successful effort in any call
ing that one may be excused for
taking it as the best of measures.
There are occasionally great
artists or great writers who do
not become famous until after
they ceased their labors, and
consequently get no money re
ward therefor, but they are the
exception, at least in our day
and generation, aud outside of
the professions success is pro>
perly measured by the money
returns Of effort
it is true that the aggregation
of capital in corporations intend
ed to do the work of individuals,
the increased use of costly mach,
inery in the arts and more re,
Gently tue formation of gigantic
trusts seem to close the avenues
to success IN Individual effort,
but they do not do SO; they only
change the direction Of the
forces that lead to fortune. The
corporations and trusts have no
ability in themselves-even cap
ital is hopeless if not wisely
directed-and inventors and
managers who can devise new
means of serving the people
efficiently are always in demand.
Just how the poor young man
of to-day is to enter into com>
petition with gteat corporation 5
and succeed in spite of them
cannot be fore told; if it could
he would have no opportunity
to reap the benefit thereof, for
he would have tens of thousands
of individual competitors, but
that the way is open there is no
reason to doubt.
Thirty years ago no one could
have gone into the business Of
making locomotives without
large capital, for the business
was in the hands of rich firms
corporations provided with labor
saving machinery which in it
self COS. millions of dollars.
Yet one of the largest firms ems
gagged in locomotive building
to day is composed in part of
young men who thirty years ago
were without capital and with~
out any prospect of becoming
members of the firm. Their skill
as draughtsmen mechanics al d
inventors won them their places
in the firm and served as an off,
set to capital. The oil business
has been the foundation of
several great fortunes. Twenty
years ago it seemed to young
man engaged in the retail trade
to be in the hands of great
monopolists but he attended
faithfully to his little branch of
the business, learned how to i'm :
prove the product. extended his
trade until he commanded con-
siderat1on, and to-day he is an
associate of the men who con-
troll the output of the country
The instances could be multi
piled almost indefinitely.
It is true that one cannot sues
ceed in business by pursuing
the methods of one hundred
years ago; that more capital is
required to begin business than
before the days OF machinery;
but it is also true that capital to
an almost unlimited amount is
at the service of any young man
who has proved by his works
that he can make profitable use
of it. For one who succeeds
,nauv will fail. the nrizeS NAV