Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-02-28

LET me see. This thing or laying
down a set Of rules to govern ones
career, or to run back over lifetime
Of hard knocks, and say just what
rule contributed to my good fortune
Is not easy for me. In the first place,
I was born on farm-a Canadian
farm. That was in 1888.
This is a good beginning, for 1t
means sound body as a rule. In 9TH
er words, it starts chap right. That's
half Of the battle; I might say 1t is
everything, because bad start means
a big handicap in the race. But as far
as rules go, I would say those that
have helped me to succeed are: Work,
hard work, intelligent work, and then
more work
"a sound body and sound mind;
had both Of these, though left school
when 14a years old and never got time
to see inside schoolhouse again. An
however, Is indispensable.
I do not mean necessarily college
training. An education comes fire.
quently with contact with the world;
studying conditions, life as you see it.
Don't mortgage your future. Prac-
tically have an eye to securing the
benefits Of what you earn. Look ahead
to the point where you are determined
to get into business for yourself. If
you are not worth your hire you can
not be hired, and If you can earn
money for another you can earn more
for yourself.
"Be satisfied to start in small way.
Too many young men want to begin
to pile on before the foundation is fin
ished, and what they accumulate they
cannot retain. A slow beginning
makes a permanent business.
BE economical, but not penurious.
This is not a distinction without a diff
ference between the mind built on the
broad gauge and the narrow. 1t is
the difference between great things
and small things, between boundless
success that sheds generous share Of
its prosperity on the whole community
and a meagre competency that dis
tinguishes the miser from the man Of
affairs.
Have confidence in your own future
and conditions generally. Men prefer
the optimist to the pessimist. The
bright side Of things is a view that
helps a chap forward.
Even If the worst occurs a person
has more strength to meet 1t from
having taken a complacent view Of
the situation. When fellow has put
forth his best efforts, been thoroughly
alert, done the best he could, he has
no room for worry.
1.-THE selection Of vocation Is quite
important. My experience is that
those things are largely matters of
chance. I don't think I ever expect
ed as a young man to get into the
railroad business.
Having chosen a profession, do
not think young man is warranted
in sticking to it when he feels that he
is not fitted for it, or that he sees a
better opportunity to acquire wealth
in another direction.
II was first a farmer, then a mer-
chants clerk, then a farmer, a labor
er, a clerk, builder Of steamboats,,
a constructor Of railroads as a sub
contractor. and then stockholder and
owner. So, again came the question of
confidence in ones ability to discern
that which Is best for him and to
strive for that regardless Of opposition.
In other words, it is the confidence
that enables the young man to take
risks without which great things can
never be accomplished.
Perhaps you might accept these
outlines as the rules which I have OBJ
served through life. The young man
should not make the mistake today Of
imagining that conditions are not as
favorable as at any time in the past
century for the poor boy acquiring
wealth.
1.-THE world Is in it's infancy, espe-
cially the western world. Industrial
development is just beginning. Agri-
culture, mining, contracting. shipping,
railroading land speculating, mer-
chantile life and manufacturing offer
every inducement for the ambitious
youth today to become a man Of mil
lions.
Money is so plentiful that deter
mined boy of worth can borrow all he
needs. Bankers accept the element Of
prospects in lending money as well as
ability to pay, and there Is no more
promising prospect Of a monetary
value than youth, ambition and grit,
backed by western intelligence.
Therefore,. the way Is, If anything,
more easy, that is, the way to the top.
THE real struggle is at the bottom.
There is where the ranks are crowded.
The fight is very fierce there. When
you begin to get away from the crowd
it is easier.
You pass many commercial dere-
llClSp loiulC CD anu "iCSho VI AhSt oASAS
the way, but the great trouble is in
getting started up. Everything seems
to contribute to hold man down un-
til he starts, then everything turns to
boost him up after he has secured a
start. That is the way Of the world.
my fathers farm was located four
miles south Of lockwood, Ont, Cana
da. James Dunbar Hill, my father,
was not very prosperous. The farm
was not very fertile and my early ex-
perience was that Of very little boy
on a very big farm.
II recall that my father frequently
remarked that he could trace our fam
lily tree back sixteen generations
through Scotland and Ireland. To this
T attribute NV mental and Dhysfcal