Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-20

uoolS uOT0 OF less open before Min,
one leading to a business for himself
and the other leading to employment
by someone else.
The question whether man is
paid salary or not, would possibly
be a good dividing line.
Inc former class would include,
among others, farmers and profession
al men, except possibly ministers, as
well as those entering some mercan-
tile pursuit.
10 enter any of these fields re-
quires considerable capital This is
the, greatest difficulty. To properly
equip ones self for professional ca
reer requires long years in prepare
tory schools and colleges and then a
long technical course
Farming offers great inducements
to progressive young man, but ow-
ing to the high price of land consider
able capital is required, and presents
a large amount of hard and disagree
able work.
10 the young man about to embark
in mercantile pursuit he will find
conditions very different from what
they were twenty-five to fifty years
ago. The capital required will be
much larger and the margin of profit
much smaller. In conversation year
or two ago with a gentleman known to
us all, he remarked, that one of OF
tumwa's oldest and strongest whole.
sale houses was started on capital
of $500 and today the business could
| not be started as well on 100000
which was perhaps slight eXaggera
| ton, but the principle is true never
theless.
This necessity of increased capital
in all lines is partially met by great
err volume of money seeking invest
ment, which makes it easier for q
young man to obtain assistance, and
the lower interest rates make it pro
fitable to borrow.
"The reduced profits in business are
much more than counterbalanced in
my Judgment, by the enlarged terri
tory into which almost any business
may be extended, thereby greatly in
creasing the volume of business anG
consequently the total although moi
the percentage of profits.
1 Where fifty years ago the country
grocery and general merchandise store
numbered its customers by scores anc
its sales by hundreds of dollars the
great mail order houses and depart
ment stores OF today number theil
customers by the thousand and theil
sales by millions of dollars.
The manufacturer or jobber of TWEEN
ty-five or fifty years ago could not o.
did not sell beyond the adjoining
state, today Iowa Pride is sold arount
the globe and Ottumwa mining tool!
are sold from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific, wherever there is coal to b.
mined.
If on the whole young mans OPP
portunities are not of the best to EN-
; bark in business for himself at tn,
present time. what are his chances j
he decides to enter the employ of 9th
ers.
I'VE younger men seeking salariet
positions today find most of them il
large corporations, instead of startin,
, with the local bank at the munificen
, salary of So per month as did on
: fathers.
'The days Of S25 per year and tn
, privilege of sleeping over the grocer
store are passed to large extent.
"A few years ago an eastern polit
clan said that the trusts did not Civ
the young man chance. / disagree
, with him at the time, but it SCENE
, to make no difference to him, and a
though the more have thought on tn
+ question the more firmly l have be
/ come settled in the belief that | wa
) right, | have not yet heard that | ha
succeeded in changing the gentle
mans expressed opinion.
THE one thing that great corpora
tiOnS mead ic vnupO mon with com
particular ability, if it be to only ca
ry message to Garcia, and not ia
!. by the wayside doing it, not youn
men to plan the battle, the olde
heads will do that Great business ell
terprises need men that can be d,
pended upon, young men with ente
, prise, but who will be at their post
!, when needed
! In competitive business the stric
;. ly honest man seems to be at disat
vantage compared with his tricky con
petitor, but the man corporatio
;, wants for responsible post is ma
= who will not deceive them, and ii h
:, will not deceive them he will not d.
= ceive others.
"The man of ability in the emplo
: of large company will get ahead jus
do ldoL DIS HIS dUlllliSS peIH4lt, DIS
general rule, while the man who
E trustworthy though slow of though
u and action will lose nothing on a
S count of his honesty. If you have tn
u brains the company will be glad
S get them and pay you well for then
I and if you have no other qualific
e ton to recommend you than vol
t trustworthiness the company will pa
you well for that and furnish tt
e brains.
# by opportunity we cannot mea
l. more than the chance for man
d make the most of his particular abb
= ity. We cannot expect a Ounce
have the opportunity to become pres
s dent, or a lazy man to become Pie
y pont Morgan.
, SIT therefore seems to me that tt
II opportunities for young man al
s greater than ever if he is willing
n enter the employ of soulless corp
s ration. He may not get a rapid sta
# but his advance will be surer and h
h ultimate success possibly greater.
!. This questioning of young man
q opportunities to rise is not new on
r. 1t is related that the great Webst
!, told complaining youth that there
= plenty of room up here"
IT T. D. Foster.