Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
THE BOY WHO IS WILLING

All experience proves that there are
two factors in the success of every
boy and every man. These are capacity
and opportunity.
There are thousands of capable men
today filling lower positions than those
for which they are we'll qualified, be-
cause the opportunity to go higher has
never come within their reach. 1t has
been so since the world began; it will
continue to be. the case until the end
of time. But it is also true that op-
portunity has knocked at many a
mans door and the man who was
called for was not ready. 1t is rare, in
deed, that fortune makes the second
visit.
The power that keeps the world
moving is the hopefulness of youth.
Almost every boy is determined to bet
ter his condition, and starts out in
life with the ambition to belong to the
successful few rather than stay in the
ranks Of the common workers. But
not more than one in a hundred of
these says to himself: Il will not per-
nit pride, or laZiness, or carelessness,
or work, or demands of any kind, no
matter how unpleasant they may be,
to stand between me and success"
With this spirit the hundredth boy
goes into a shop to learn his trade or
into a store as clerk, and, although
ne may never reach the summit of his
desires, he will as surely ascend as
t,;, ,ls
morrow
The very first quality that he must
make the foundation stone of his char
acter is a cheerful willingness to do
any and every thing that he is called
upon to do. The boy who is willing
to drop one task upon which he is en-
gagged and pleasantly turn to some
thing else, when requested by some
one who is over him, is so different
from the vast majority of his COM
paniOns that this will quickly be
noted. and then one rung upon the lad
der of success will have been mounted.
| have observed that the boy who is
willing to do anything he is called upon
to do soon learns to do things without
waiting to be asked, and often steps
forward 10 assist before his employer
or associates have realized that help
would be necessary. This gives him
the reputation Of being thoughtful and
ready, and that is a second step on the
ladder of promotion.
But the boy who is willing to work
must work intelligently, and along the
lines that lead to increased knowledge
OF his trade or his business. The man
who trained the dog worked faithfully
and made success of the task, but
it did not help him in his trade or
make him one whit more valuable to
his employers. Had he devoted that
noon hour to study of the metals in
which he worked, or of the machines
he used or made, he would have been
a better workman, and his employers
would have learned that in due time.
The masses do not know, and will
not believe it when they are told. that
every employer and every foreman is
searching for boys and men who have
their hearts in their work and their
minds ON the alert to forward their
employers interests. When they are
found they are advanced in pay and
responsibility, and when opportunity
comes to go up still higher they are
fitted for the place. From their ranks
are drawn our most successful mer-
cahnts and manufacturers.
There is always a demand for just
such boys as these.