The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-11
GOVERNOR DOUGLAS TELLS
BOYS HOW TO WIN SUCCESS

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From a place at the cobbler's bench
at mere pittance, William 2. Douglas :
has risen to the highest executive posi-
ton in&the State, that OF tsovarrcr. and
has made himself a millionaire. He ~
to-day the ideal Successful man in busi-
ness and politics, and has just had the
honor of declining second nomination
for Governor, Which was practically as
sured to him.
His rules and precepts Of success are
given to-day by him through the Boston
Sunday American. They are rules that
he has tried and tested; the rules which
have elevated him to the highest position
In the gift of the state; the rules which
have won for him an enormous fortune.
The Governor Is interested in boys he
declares that these rules are given for
the benefit Of boys. Here they are:
BY William J.. Douglas, Cover err
nor Of Massachusetts,.
What are the secrets OF success? VIII
il tell the boys of Massachusetts what
I think they are?
Recently, in talking to1.a delegation
of bright-faced boys, told them that
they should, in order to make the most
Of life, obey the old maxim. Stick to
your last"
III you NQOIl l. yUu ~ lluf lick Wv fD6 -
called trouble bobbing IN i'm your, path
way every now and then. and you'll never
get to be on speaking terms with sue
cess. q
Fortune, you know, favors the brave.
Well, in the battle of life, the really
brave man is the one with courage
enough to stick to his last" In the face
Of early rebuffs and temporary 5reverses.t
He's the fellow who Will eventually be
able to laugh at trouble and to get
chummy with success.
What would you think Of a shoemaker,
who, after making part of a shoe on one
last, became dissatisfied and started an
other shoe on different last, keeping
up this method until he had finally spent
all his money for stock and had nothing
but lot Of half-nnlshed shoes to show
for It. Foolish way to do, isn't 1t? But
it's no more foolish than for young
man to tackle now line of business
every little while. until he grows too
old to learn any business thoroughly.
Keep Ambition at Top Notch.
Everything in nature is fitted to do
ono thing well and spends its whole
life doing 1t. You never hear OF the
ant going into the honey-m aking busi-
ness; nor OF the bee building ant-hills
for a change. Each one knows its place
in the world and sticks to 1t. and that
is what boys must do II they would
accomplish great things.
OF course. boys are somewhat llandl-
capped as compared with the bees and
ants. You see, boys are not of!en born
with knowledge Of Just what kind
of last they're best fitted to peg away
on. But nearly every boy at nn early
age displays an aptitude for something,
and IL that aptitude Is properly developed,
the process of selecting last Is SIM
plifed.
And remember always to keep your
ambition up to the top notch. Whatever
YOU do, try to do 1t better than the
other fellow. At school make "a point
to stand at tho head OF your class; and
at MAY don't be satisfied until you can
lump the farthest or throw the straight
est. Then when you enter business lie,
this matter Of getting ahead will become
n habit.
Do What You Can Do Best.
Now / want to give you another thlng
to think about while you're growing up
and preparing to win fame and fortune
in the commercial world, It Is this:
Don't try to do what you like-do what
you can. That's a good companlon-p'eco
for "stick to your last" Don'tslet the
attraction of something you don't know
lure You away from the thing you do
know. once upon time young man
whose father made pickles. and who
had learned the pickle business from
to z, decided that he'd like to go into
the business of making molasses candy,
He didn't know anything about It, but
he liked molasses candy and thought
1t would be great fun to make It and
sell It. So he proceeded to try his hand
at the business. Tho result was dlsas'
trous. His candy wasn't good candy.
because he didn't know how to make
it properly, and, therefore,, nobody want,
ed to buy. Finally he went back to the
pickle business and made u fortune, be,
cause he certainly did know how to
make good pickles and everybody bought
them.
DO what you can and stick to it. That's
wisdom About tho most striking SEN
tence remember is this one, written
by the great philosopher Thomas Car
lyle: "The king Is the man who car"
There's a whole volume of sound sense
contained in those seven one-syllable
words. All the elements of success are
there set forth, and the whole secret
Of greatness sticks out consplcuously from