The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-05-08

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with (men of position in professions
and business) had little hesitation in
answering. They answered in way
hardly complimentary to the young
men concerned. One after another of
them accounted for the majority of
present failures by single word
laziness. Though the importance Of
intelligence aud education as essential
factors in a successful career was not
overlooked, the general opinion ap-
peared to be that the one indispens-
able quality was industry, willingness
and ability to work. And this, accord,
ing to the statement of several Of the
leading business men of New York, is
the quality that is most lacking in
young men to-day.
The first person interviewed was u
successful lawyer in large practice.
"Young men complain that there isn't
any chance to get ahead in law nova
days." suggested the reporter. and
the reply came quickly:
"That all depends upon the young
men. T used to be young man my
self, and have been watching young
men ever since that time. I have
made up my mind to one thing; that
is, that the chief trouble with great
many young men is that they are
afraid OF work. This is true of every
occupation, and I have seen illustra-
tons of it many times in my own pro-
fession. Here is q case in point: You
noticed that I was interrupted just
now by a young man, who came in
and asked me a question, and you
perhaps observed that I said NO
rather impatiently. The reason WAS
that the question was too silly for any
man to.ask who had ever got place
in law Office. In point CT fact, that
young man has had the best advan-
tages. He went for three or four
years to one of the finest fitting
schools in the country, then he had
four years in one of the largest col
leges, aud afterwards three years in
what I consider the best law school.
Yet I sometimes think that he does
mot know any more law now, after he
has been some time in this Office, than
he did when he left home for the pre-
paratory school.
"And the chief reason is because he
never was willing to work hard, and
there is not the slightest reason to
suppose he will begin at this late day.
OF course,- there are other reasons
why young men do not succeed as
lawyers than laziness. For example,
know of man whose legal learning
is extraordinary, and who obtained
good place in leading law firm, but
after he had been tb ere dozen years
his employers said that he was not
worth S2500 year. The trouble in
t6rs>case was because he could not
utilize Brs-Eeat learning, and he
could never get on with cfleaatSss- But,
after making due allowance for all exs
ceptional cases, I am convinced that
laziness is the chief obstacle to sue
cess in the legal profession, as in every
other walk Of life"
'sWhat do I think is the reason why
young men don't get ahead faster in
the railroad business?" 1t is the
President OF an important railroad,
which has its Offices in this city, who
speaks now. "My opinion is that the
great trouble with most of I'll ese young
fellows is that they are not willing to
work as hard as they must if they are
ever going to amount to anything.
Let me tell you my own experience
and observations. It is, let me see,
fifteen years since I left college, and
decided to 60 into railroading. The
first chance T got was job at $40 q
month in the Office Of railroad out in
the Rocky Mountain region. There
were number of other young men in
the Office. soon observed that the
rest of them seemed to be chiefly in
ferested in seeing how little work
they could do in return for their pay,
and how early they could get away
from the Office, in order to have more
time for cards, billiards, the theatre
and other amusements. I was inter-
ested in my work, and after had
done my days duty in the office I
would go to my room and devote the
evening to reading railroad publica
tions and studying all the books bear
ing on railroads that I could find. Of
course, my superiors soon noticed the
difference between me and the rest OF
the fellows. It was not long before
hard job of work was to be done, not
at all in my regular line. was given
a chance to try my hand, and I did
the work so we'll that 1 was soon
promoted. 1t was not long after that
when found better chance in an
other railroad Office, and each change
/ made afterwards was in advance,
until I was offered my present posi-
tior. All this time have been work
ing as hard as I could, and it is be-
cause have worked hard that I have
got on. The lazy fellows whom first
struck in that Office out West have