The progress., 1904-12-24
! rule FOR SUCCESS
Stick to Your specialty-First Amer
lean to Win q Rhodes Scholar
ship an Example Of Con.


Pushing to the Front" stc.l
SIT PUFFED like a locomotive,
! said boy Of donkey engine, q
whistled like the steam cars, but
didn't go anywhere"
The world is full Of donkey engine
people who pun and whistle and pull
but do not get anywhere. They hav,
no definite aim, no controlling pur
pose to guide them. Instead of con
centrating their energies in single di
rection, they scatter them in half ,
dozen, and in the end accomplish moth
ing.
We al know men who seem to hav'
great resources, and who have decided
ability, yet never amount to anything
| They are alert, active, ambitious, ant
at the outset all who knew them ex
pected great things of them. But they
disappoint all expectations. They arr
constantly forming plans and project
ing schemes, but the plans never ma
ture, the schemes are never elaborated
to working point They do not re-
main long enough at any one thing tt
bring 1t to successful issue. They
have no deep, steady purpose running
through their lives. and so this scat
tered rays Of their ability are never
brought to a focus.
Concentration on One Thing.
Concentration" says Emerson, "is
the secret of strength In politics. in
war. In trade; In short, in all manage
ment Of human affairs"
Not even genius can hope to de.
velop all his possibilities to the same
extent. and in this competitive age the
man who attempts to do many things
either fails In all or attains only O
dead-leyel smediocrity. Instead of be-
cominga master in one line, he be.
comes q botch in many.
How oftendo we see man who is
something Of q musician, something ot
a mechanic, who knows a little about
law, about real estate, about farming,
who can do little of this or that, but
who is not absolute master Of any
trade or profession.
A man may starve on a dozen half
learned trades or occupations; he may
grow rich on one trade thoroughly
mastered, even though it be the hum
blest.
An amateur sportsman answered an
advertisement which guaranteed to
anyone who would send the advertiser
25 cents sure remedy to prevent q
shotgun from scattering. He received
the following reply: Dear Sir: To
keep gun from scattering put in but
single shot"
Many man squanders all his possi-
bilities by putting too much shot in
his gun.
The only hope Of signal success lies in
concentration, in sending all the sap Of
ones life. all the energy one can mus
ter, into one specially. The average
man or woman has not time or
strength to develop to any marked de-
gree several possibilities.
English Millionaire's Advice.
In this connection Alfred Harms
worth, liking Of the penny press" is
worth quoting. II think" he says,
specialization is already, and, as the
years pass, will become more and more
the keynote of success. The worlds
effective workers are constantly in
creasing in number. Competition is
steadily growing keener. The man
who wins recognition in this twentieth
century will have to do some one
thing extremely well. If I were giving
Just one word Of advice to a young
man l should say concentrate
'As for myself, feel that whatever
position I have attained is due to TO-
cusing my energies and time. When
went into journalism l made up my
mind that would master the business
Of editing and publishing. This is q
vast specially, but then was very
young and had a good deal Of self-con-
idence."
At the age Of 21 Mr.. Harmsworth
published his first periodical, Answers,
With a very small capital. Before he
was 80 he was a millionaire. He is
low chief proprietor Of several daily
papers and 81 periodicals, and head of
he largest publishing business in the
world.
The power to bring all ones scat
cred forces into one point makes all
he difference between success and
allure. The sun might blaze out upon
he earth forever without burning a
lole in it or setting anything on fire,
whereas its rays concentrated in a |
,urning glass will melt solid granite. |
Masters Of Concentration.
The secret of Napoleon's power lay
n his ability to concentrate all his |
trength upon a single point. After |
hiding the weak place in the enemy's |
anks he would mass his men and hurl |
hem upon 1t like an avalanche until
10 made a breach. He used to say
hat when his resolution was fixed |
else was forgotten, and
lothing could turn him from his aim.
Bismarck made it the supreme OBJ
ect of his life to snatch Germany
rom Austrian oppression and to
ather round Prussia, in north Ger
nan confederation, all the states whose
one of thought, religion and interests
7ere IN harmony with those of Prus.
la. ITO attain this end" he once said
q conversation, Il would brave all
even the scaffold itself.
What matters it If they hang me, pro-
ided the rope with which l am hung
inds this new Germany firmly to the
throne?"
These men were like great burning
lasses, concentrating the rays Of all
heir forces on single purpose, thus
laking success a certainty.
It is the man who sticks to his spe-
Ialty, who does not dissipate his en-
rgy In q dozen different directions
n Edison, a Morse, Bell, a Howe,
tephenson or q Watt-who becomes
enefactor of mankind.
The young man or woman who
ould reach the highest plane Of
must learn 10 concentrate i,
ON the start. The important work
the world can only be done by those
no have learned how to utilize their ,
owers to the best advantage.
Lincoln possessed such a power Of ,
that he could repeat ac- 4,