The suburban citizen., 1900-04-07

success" he said, "chieAy to the fact
that ] have always worked as hard as
/ could without running the risk Of
iniuring my health--and that excep
tion has not always held On the
other hand, / can recall great many
cases of men who have never got
ahead for no other reason than be
cause they were lazy. 1t would as
tonish you to learn how little energy
great many young fellows show
When was managing editor, I dis
covered that the city reporters on the
newspapers did not take the trouble
TO read all Of the local matter which il
contained every day, and many OF
them were often ignorant Of the edi
torial attitude of the paper regarding
local matters. The consequence was
that, when a man was given an assign
ment, it might turn out that he knew
nothing about what the paper had
printed regarding the matter before
hand, or what the editorial policy OF
the paper about this subject was. II
is very hard work to induce reporters
to get to the Office promptly. Unless
they are hauled up sharply every lit
tie while, many Of them put the paper
to Inconvenience by being late. ]
have actually known of cases where
young men in vigorous health, who
were anxious to secure regular posi-
tions on the city staff of an evening
paper, were so lazy that they would
not get around until nearly noon to
see il there was chance for them to
do any work. Ny opinion is that
most folks are lazy, and / certainly
know that laziness is the only reason
why many young men in the newspa
per business whom ! have known did
not succeed better"
One Of the leading lifo insurance
company Presidents, whose opinion
was requested, held the view thati
"While there are pathetic exceptions,
I think it can be regarded as a rule
that men who fail in life fail princi.
pally because of Incidence. Genius
without industry, find, accomplishes
very little in this world; while in
dustry without genius accomplishes a
great deal. Some Emerson,
wasn't it?-has defined genius as the
infinite capacity for taking pains; and
it is this infinite capacity that, in the
long run, proves successful,
ct is true that there are some cor.
porations that are guilty of nepohsm
and favoritism; that promote rather
the sons and the nephews and the
cousins than the men who have dem
onstrated their fitness for advance
ment, but these corporations always
have to pay dearly for it. think
that all business men now recognize
the principle that the most expensive
habit they can acquire is to disregard
merit"
A bank president who, in his earlier
years, was anewspaper reporter, talked
in o similar strain. "The great mis-
take that young men make, " he said,
"is in keeping too close watch on the
time of day. They begin te put on
their overcoats ten or fifteen minutes
before the pointer reaches the hour
when they are tree TO leave the once.
The majority, therefore, never worry
about anything except the particular
W ork they are required to do
"They pay little attention to tho
men just all cad Of them, and make no
attempt to familiarize themselves with
their work. The result is that when
vacancy occurs have no one in my
Office who can fill it. There are many
opportunities for promising young
men during the year, but usually
have to go outside to get the proper
persons for them. 1t is not because
the average clerk is not capable. II
is because he is lazy. He is fearful
of giving more time to his employer
than the regulations require. Legally
this custom may be all right; but it is
the most fatal error the young mon
can fall into"