The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-01

To the young man entering upon a
business career the question of start
ing for himself or working for a salary
invariably presents itself. In these days
of trusts, monopolies and combinations
it is generally recognized that the man
who may desire to start a business Gin
a small way" has very little chance Of
getting a large fortune in the end. In
fact, many small business ventures
have hopelessly failed, and are daily
failing, because there no chance TO
broaden out. The tented field of bust
ness is already filled by the larger
tents. A book or all sorts of advice
to young men entering on q career has
been written by Orison SWEET Marden,
whose Pushing to the Front attract
ed attention, and the subject of bust
ness or a salary here receives serious
consideration.
1t is shown that not every youth
has the executive ability, the strength
of mind, the moral stamina, the push.
to conduct business successfully for
himself and stand his ground. Much
may be said in favor of working for
salary, especially at a time when
everything is pusher or pushed, when
the great majority of those who go
into business for themselves ultimately
go to the wall.
The salaried man is not harassed by
the fear of failure, the embarrass-
ments, the perplexities and the wear
and tear of life to which the proprie-
tors are subjected. It is estimated
that 1000 men in New York city alone
get salaries of $4,000 or more each.
John A. Mccall, president of the New
York Life Insurance company, has
never been engaged in single bust
ness enterprise on his own account,
and yet is earning $4,000 year. John
E. Parsons, attorney for the sugar
trust, who received $250,000 as a fee
when he merged the different refner-
les, is another salary man, as is Sen
ator DepeW. Positions with large cor
porations also make it possible for the
man who works on a salary to make
money outside which he never would
have had independently. There are,
therefore, many enticements to work
for others rather than oneself and
yet the desire of the average citizen
to be independent is always evident.
The Young Business Man.
The discoura gements of business
career for oneself are treated at some
length by Mr.. Marden, but they may
be summarized in the one peril of Cen
traliZation,' against which it is so hard
to contend. If, however, the young man
really wishes to be independent. he is
ADVISED TO IlISI carefully COUNT the Cost
and weigh the possibilities of eompe-
tition. Let him study the great de-
partment stores" says the writer, eff
he thinks of becoming merchant, let
him talk with the men in charge of de-
partments who, perhaps, have been
financially ruined themselves by this
very firm. 1t is well known that large
concerns employ thousands of men who
have failed themselves and who are I'M
able to cope with the intense competi-
tion of the day." 1t is only by thus
looking over the field" that the pros
pective independent merchant may
take advantage of the lessons offered
by the failure of others and note If
these is not still place that is uncov-
ered-a long-felt want to be filed. For
there are such places. even if fewer
than they were.
The chief obstacle of the young man