New-York tribune., 1901-03-31
.NARK TWAIN ON BUSINESS.
HIS AXIOM Is. ITO SUCCEED. AVOID MY
EXAMPLE"

The Poughkeepsie Eastman Club. an organization
of alumni OF the Eastman National Business Col
lege. Poughkeepsie. held its second annual Gin
ner last night at the Y. NJ. c. A. Building in
Twenty-third-st. one hundred and fifty guests sat
down the tables.
F. L. Bailey. the president of the club. pre-
sided. The other speakers were C c. Gaines. prest
dent Of the Eastman National Business College,:
Henry D. Dickson. James g. Cannon and Samuel
L. Clemens Mark Twain.
Mark Twain was cheered when he came in. He
said in part:
Mr.. Cannon has furnished me with texts enough
the night. l took exception 10 the introducing OF
AIR Cannon as great fnancier as II he we're the
only great hnRncter present. | am "A nndncler
But my methods are not the same as Mr. Can
mons.
l cannot say that I have turned out the great
business man that thought was when began
life. But am comparatively young yet and may
learn. l rather inclined to believe that what
troubled me Was that ! got the big head early IN
the game | want explain to you few points
OF difference between the principles Of business
He says that the primary rule of business success
theory. What is the matter with loyalty to your
self? As nearly as can understand nd Mr, Ian, n
them. lie wants you To work a great deal. Dill
ach more m FS TeStfu M idea is That the employer
should be the busy man and the employe the idle
the employe the happy one. And why not? He
gets the salary. Ny plan is TO get another man TO
What l want is repose first. last and all the time
/ want to tell you OF some or my experiences IN
business and then will be in position to lay
down general rules for the guidance OF those
who to succeed in business. My first effort
about twenty y-rve years ago. l took hold OF
invention-I don't know now what II was all
about but came to and told me that
IL good thing, and that there was lots OF
money II. He persuaded me to invest $1,000, and
| lived up my beliefs by engaging man to de
veop it. To make long story short. sank
$1,000 in 1t.
Then I took up the publication OF a book
called in a publisher and said to him: Il want
you to publish this book along lines which 1 shall
lay down | the employer, and you are the
employe. | going to show them some new
kinks in the publishing business And want you
to draw for money YOU go along, which
he did He drew for $4,000. Then | asked
him 10 take the book and call ii OF But he re-
fused to do that.
My next venture with machine for doing
something other. knew less about that than
did about the invention. But sunk si1o.Oo0 In the
business and | can't for the life of me rccOllcct
what il the machine 10 do
was still undismayed. You Of the strong
points about my business life that | never
gave up. I undertook 10 publish General Grants
hook. and made $1,000 in six months. and lost
all in the six months. My axiom is succeed
i'm business. 2void my example.
Mr.. Caun'r says that there three cardinal
rules Of busineES success. They diligence. hon
esty and truthfulness. Well. diligence is all right.
Let il go theory Honesty Is the hest policy
when there Is the most money in it, But truthful
ness is Of the most dangerOus-why. this man
IS misleading you.