Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-06-27
TOM MURRAY ON SUCCESS.

The following from the Apparel Ga.
zcttc. IL the substance of an address
delivered by Mr.. Murray. the we'll
known habcr,lasher recently. before
one Of the classes of the scranton
Schools" Chicago:
II am n Canadian by birth. raised
In u little bit of u village named
Brooklin. The town IL made up prin.
cipally of one store. one tavern and u
blacksmith shop. My father ''passctl
out" when ! was about = years of age.
leaving my mother with two small
children and u legacy In the way of
poverty. About as poor AZ anyone
could he. hut that IL no disgrace.
Proof" I have II good many highly r..
spectacle friends to-day. My poverty.
however. obliged me to leave school
when was IL years of age. At that
time ! was In business for myself My
first business venture. ~ merchant ut
r." Had been In business about II
year pcddling apples Saturdays and
holidays. One day the gentleman who
owned the only store In the village Of
fcrcd mo n position. He took II notion
to me. evidently. lie was so liberal
ana klnd-hcartcd that 10 paid me the
enormous salary Of SO II y"nr, ana ]
boarded at home. often wonder II
will meet him In heaven. My doubt
there myself. My religion Is to use
every man better than ! would my pet
dog or horse. ana that II good treat.
ncnt. My age ana poverty obliged mo
to work for this man four years; not
every year for $50. At about II years
of age came To Illinois; have never
had any trouble making money, hut
find II hard to keep. For number of
years before the panic of 1893 my sal.
AIRY was S1O,OOO n year.
The panic put my firm to sleep.
financially. They retired, not for the
night, but forever, My great mistake
ut the time was, | had too many
'wooden sticks" In the fire. About
everything Went. From 1891 to 1897
sold goods on commission. can
well remember 20.day stretch. In
the first month | did not sell n dol
lars worth of gOOds--dld not make n
penny. Twenty-seven days in the
third month with the same result mind
you. working faithfully. showing my
samples n gOOdly number of times each
day. Did give up? No, no. looked
smiling ana prosperous just the same,
Take my advice. always look prosper
Gus. Have n smile on your face, not
In your face. BY looking prosperous
you will he respected. providing you
are respectable. Everybody does moi
know you. \ well-dressed man com
mandS respect, November !. 1897, less
than five years ago, ! opened the bust
ness | am now engaged In, and an
still in the same location, u location
everybody condemned. All said
would drop my money, in fact no on,
had ever succeeded In any line of bust
ness IN this same block. The store
was opened with Il capital of about
$1,000. ! lost it the first year.
''''''S Wv ''H' H''i NY
Goods store was managed 10y two COM
petent men, YET il lost money. ! con
cluded to give up my commission bust
ness, though it was at the time max,
ing mo n good living, but | did not
want to take down that name" from
over the door | was SO proud of IT, |
saved the name. In less than foul
years the business has grown 10 nearly
n quarter of million u year, and
making money, considering that the
first years business amounted to
SOS, 900, and lost money. This increase
Is not doing so badly. ! still have
the keys" There must be u reason
for this. ! am often asked what Is the
reason. My way of thinking Is this
\ man Is fool who nowadays rents
store, hires help, and does not fig.
ure on advertising. He had better
figure rent first, then advertising, and
his help expense afterward. II he does
not advertise 1t won't be long before
he will not need help. He can help
the creditors to settle up his affairs