The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-09-11
HASTE TO GET RICH.
PLtAF FOR OLD RELIABLE METH
obs OF SAVING.
Speculative Spirit Now Rife and Cen
erai Desire 10 Become Wealthy With
ont Labor Have Bad Effect Upon
Principles and Practices of Men.

the man who began building his pres
ent fortune fifty years ago likely to
be regarded by the youth OF to-day as
Of any practical benefit?
The question was propounded to the
veteran William ]. onahan, of Chicago,
BY representative of the Chicago
Tribune. Mr.. Onahan answered: In
their details and as affecting young
men at large-no. The sane, sober,
careful methods Of fifty years ago are
as applicable to-day TO the founding
OF fortunes as ever they were In his
tory. But they read too tamely for
the young men of this strenuous age
The spirit OF speculation has gone too
far. The excitements of gaming, from
the pennytosslng by the newsboys to
the margining' In the bucket shops,
has led the young men of today to
look upon the methods of founding for
tunes fifty years ago just as they
would look upon the methods used at
that time In sending merchandise from
New York to San Francisco.
You can't reach the masses of the
young men Of Chicago. for instance, by
saying to them that the only way TO
build safe, desirable and lasting for
tune Is by slow accretion and that this
accretlon should begin with the first
salary that they draw Tell young
man who may be taking up business
life that even on salary OF $40 a
week he should be laying some OF 1t
aside. and the chances are that he viii
laugh at you. Whyf Simply because
the temptation to spend never was 50
great as II Is now. Yet this habit OF
saving is easier to acquire on $40 a
week than 1t win be afterward at $50
a week, and you may be sure that 1t
is the one dominant trait that must be
ut the foundation OF fortune building.
"ln the nervous energy OF the present
there Is u general disposition abroad 10
shelye almost any philosophy Of mate
rlallsm fifty years old as being out OF
date. II has been so easy to say, Yes.
you could do SO and 50 once, but you
can't do it now
But truth Is Il truth and that per
ipA lhht must NC AhC PAOhbtt Va
sound, conservative building is truer
to-day, almost, than II ever was before.
Most Of the wealthy men of today be-
gan fortune building from the ground
up. They began when habits OF thrift
and frugallty were far more general in
both old and young than they are now
and. while they worked longer hours
for less pay. they saved more money.
Il have looked TO the Civil War. al
ways, as being the line Of demarcation
between the young man OF yesterday
and the young man OF to-day. | don't
know but what war is productive of
the spirit of extravaganza. 1t repre-
sents waste and ruin. 1t creates feel
Ing of unstableness. Certainly the
great Civil War In this country
changed the traits and characteristics
of the people. Excitement took the
place OF repose. Speculation supplant
ed steady trade and this has led TO the
spirit OF gambling, which In one or
another form has become dangerously
widespread
TOO many young men to-day have
become infected with this passion
There is haste to grow rich. Con-
sentative methods In business are too
slow. The hope Of gaining fortune
without labor has become widely allur-
ing.
This is fatal delusion Even
where wealth Is thus gained 1t IL more
often a curse than Il blessing. The
fortune quickly gained and without la
Dor generally is as speedily dispatched.
Yet just 10 the extent that we see fiat
tering opportunities held out to young
men for the making of fortunes by
some short cut, just to that extent one
may guess that these propositions are
accepted.
mo doubt there is now more restless
energy displayed by young men in all
pursuits than formerly. but there were
more steadiness. greater perseverance.
and, as consequence, more lasting
results fifty years ago. Then habits of
life were simpler, temptations were
less common and extravaganza Of lly-
Ing comparatively unknown. Now II
requires great strength OF character In
the Young man TO stand out against
the temptations OF environment. No
doubt there Is a certain fascination In
these modern activlties-in the whirl
! and excitement Of latter day trading
and speculation. Amusements, too. are
more common and costly and dissipa-
lions are more alluring.
THAT there are $1,000, 100000 in the
savings banks of the United States and
that the totals are increasing every
wear shows promise At the same time
| am not sure that 1t would not be
shown by analysis that adopted citi-
Gems from continental Europe lead as
these depositors. To some extent 1t
NAV be true of the direct descendants
of that old stock, but 1t has lost Its sig
nificance when applied to the typical
American.
I'm these observations 1t should not
be lost to mind that in general a vice
Is more apparent than a virtue And
on the surface we often see traits to
be deplored-lack Of reverence and re-
spect for parents and parental author
ity, loss of the Difference due to age
and a falling of in the chivalrous re
spect due to women.
But as for opportunity for young
men to-day, 1t Is greater than 1t was
ever before, only 1t is not to be sought
% ehA hA af