The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-24

man AbSalOm, To use his
figure of speech might have no oppOr-
tunitirs for advancement in q state of
society largely dominated by money
making enterprise, was generally
recognized at the time as Il bit of
acting not meant seriously. Vet If
thcr" he those who really feel TIA" APP
prch"nsion that hn then affected to
feel they may read with profit a bit
of biography reprinted from the Ro-
chester Post Exprrs something that
had it's start very clos" to Mr.. Rryan's
home:
"tharlrs g, Dawes. who recently re-
signed his position as comptroller of
the national currency to try for a scat
in the United States senate. has had
a remarkable car"cr--onr notable even
in this country. only fourteen years
ago he was a bOOkkecper getting sal
AIRY of so a month. He had then just
come to Lincoln. Nrb. a poor young
lawyer Lawyers We're numerous, and.
clients proving hard To get. Dawes was
glad--in lSS1--of job as boukkoopcr in
a paper mill. for salary of only so
IA month. The job took SO little Of his
time, however. that he still called him
self lawyer and secured as his first
client an old negro, who collected paper
in the street to sell at the mill. The
negro did not pay Dawes. but. having
various legal difficulties, always asked
Dawes to defend him. So that the lat
ter came finally to have a standing in
the profession. About 1890 the tide of
fortune turned. Dawes married. and
his wifc's father was we'll to do. and
presented a $1,000 house to the couple
Then Dawes Interested an ohio capital
ist in Lincoln property, and this in
vestmcnt turned out so we'll that he
was soon managing a good deal of
money. He had also, through the
recommendation of friend, been ap-
pointed local attorney for a prominent
Chicago lumbrrman. After that pro-
gross was easy. He became well off
and in 1896 turned to politics. entering
into the national campaign with great
spirit" His subsequent activities and
achievements are we'll known.
Our Rochester contemporary calls
Mr.. Dawes career a notable one, in
which adjective it is quito accurate.
Nevertheless it is by no means an un-
common career, Every community has
numerous countcrparts of Mr.. Dawes:
men who have risen from small begin
ninGS ana with no special diSpensa-
tiuns of good luck To positions of large
influence in their chosen fields of ac-
ttvity. Th" men of substance every
whrr" ar" s"lf-mad"; exceptions, like
j, Pi"rpont Morgan, for example. who
had wealth to begin with, are exceed
inRly rare. In this lies American Soci-
ety's greatest safeguard, for it insures
against Il tyranny of accumulated
wealth, passed along from generation
to generation. We have wealthy fam
lilies OF two and three generations. but
they are families whose quality has
not deteriorated in it's descent. The
living representatives are men who
would make their way from "A begin
ming OF poverty if they had to. Where
the quality deterorates the wealth that
Is transmitted speedily passes into the
ownership of some shrewd outsider,
who eXemplifies the superiority of mind
over matter
Never was the outlook for young mon
brighter than today. Never was merit
surer of job and of a pay envelope
growing fatter year by year. There
isn't another thing that capital finds as
scarce or needs as badly as good brains.