Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-06-20
woRKINe ZOE A sALARY.
often Requires as Much Ability as Con
Quoting Ones Own Business.

"A few years ago young man 81 eX-
ceilent ability gave up a position
where he was receiving high salary
in order to go into business TOR him-
self His statement oi his cNptriehees
I is quite emphatic
Il called it ambition, he says,
"and l wanted to be free to work out
my own careers but from the moment
1 assumed the business l carried a
great burden of care, and was bound
in the chains Of esponsibiliy dayand
night. wanted to be the masterand
run things my own way. but found
/ that, instead Of one employer, | had
al many as there were customers that
came to my store. wanted to make
money for myself instead Of giving
the profits Of the business to some
body else; but found that the profits
which came in the cash carrier went
back in the pay envelope, which had
never thought Of before. discovered
that, for me, at least, running big
department for somebody else was
child's play compared with running a
small business for myself, and / was
glad to sell out and get back to my
old place again"
This young mans history, says
John Mervin Hull, in the Youths !
Companion, is typical of thousands,
except that many do not get back |
their old places again. 1t is worth |
while to consider a few facts about
the matter.
1t is true that the ability required |
in many salaried positions is equal to
that which the owner himself must
have in order to make the business a
success. 1t may be a different kind Of
ability, but it is not less in degree.
Even a general manager may conduct
a business better for another than h6
is able TO for himself. as has often
been proved The final responsibility
Of a great business is to some men +
only q stimulus. an interesting prob /
lem to be solved, while to other men
of equal ability it is a burden which /
brushes them Many bright young
men rush into business for them
selves without thinking Of this funda-
mental difference Of temperament. 1t
is as if an athlete who has taken the
prize in a running race should enter
for a swimming match without know
ing how to swim a stroke.
1t is also true that there are many +
salaried positions where the rewards .
for ability are excellent-equal, in
fact, to what would be considered a
good net profit on a large capital in
vested in business. If young mani
takes the trouble to know All there j.
to know about some special thing,
that knowledge viii become exceed
ingly profitable to him.
s. In wholesale house there raman I
who Las cultivated what is clleI the .
wool touch" That is. when he is
piece Of cloth he knows at
luce whether it Is al wool u what
percentage Of wool there Is in It. His
salary is almost fabulous. IN a de-
Dartuent store there IS a man who
Knows all about haHdkerchiefs A
lew years ago the firm thought they
could do without him, and took a
nan at less salary. He also knew les
about handkerchiefs. and in a. few
months the bottom fell out Of the .
trade. So the expert is back in bis old I
place al an increased salary There !
are many special positions where a
genuine expert may practically fix
his own salary.
Of course there must be some to
take command in the great business
enterprises Of the future, and they
must come from among the young
men Of to-day. But the question is
not to be decided on the supposition I
that the salaried position requires less
ability, or is less honorable, profitable
or enjoyable.
THE STANnARn or Io1Anr