The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-09-23
LUCK Is NOT A FACTOR.

In Frederick P. Olcott, who has
Just retired as president of the Cen
trail Trust Company, of New York,
the financial world loses one of its
most remarkable figures, for though
he will visit his Office about twice a
week and will continue to be direc-
tor in many institutions he seeks a
rest. He has not been well FOR some
time and he desires now to cease his
activity.
Mr.. Olcott possessed in an almost
unique degree the faculty for turning
into gold almost everything he touch
ed.
"The reason so many bright young
men remain clerks all their lives, )"
said Mr.. Olcott, ''is that they are
content to do just their duty and let
it go at that. The man who is de-
termined to get on must be always
ready to take the place of the man
next above him. He must watch the
work of his immediate superiors in
order that when vacancy arises he
may be able to step in and do the
work at once. Too many fellows
close their desks as soon as 3 O'Clock
comes ali scoot away to play billiards
uptown. The honestly ambitious
young man will he in no hurry to get
away, but will find out if some other
fellow needs a bit of help and will stay
awhile to give it. By SO doing he is
not only earning the friendship of the
other man, but is learning for him
self. That illustrates the chief trou-
Bile with the management of labor
unions today; they stipulate that
each man shall do certain amount
of work and will not let him do any
more; the consequence is that they
make tbs poorest labor the standard,
and prevent individuals who have
ability from rising.
"They say Roosevelt has been a
lucky man. don't see it that way
at all. Roosevelt hammered away at
what he thought was right, and he
has deserved all that has come to him.
He began in the State Legislature
the lowest place-well not quite the
lowest, for he was never Sheriff of
Erie county. He advocated many
measures which his party leaders
didn't like, and he was not always on
the popular side, either. But he
worked for what he believed was
right, and he earned his success by
honest determination. And Grover
Cleveland is another similar case.
Here are two men, neither of whom
had the backing of the leaders of his
party to boom him before the public,
each of whom did many things that
pleased his political enemies, but
each of them did each days work
conscientiously, as we'll as he knew
how, and each reaped high reward.
Not from luck in either case was the
reward, but from the honest endeavor.
"There is another word of advice |
should like to give to young men
Don't look backward. There is no
yesterday. There is today; there
may be tomorrow, but yesterday is
gone, vanished, dead, and it is no use
to regret what happened yesterday.
Men come to me and say, oh, If we
had only done this or that yesterday.
That is where I stop them by saying
What's the use of talking about that ?
We didn't do it and it is too late to do
it now. Let us rather think what
we shall do today or tomorrow. If
man gets sick about the money he
has lost he will never make any more.
Don't worry about it. Let it go.
Turn to something else and use the
mistake of yesterday only as STEP
ping-stones to the success of tomor-
row.