The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-05
Grasp Idea and Successls Yours

a footing In the gymnasium Of Bowdoin coll
lege. He began work at So cents day,
John Jacob Astor, Peter Cooper. Cornelius
] Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie. p. d. Armour,
Coils P. Huntington, these, with an endless
list OF others. Erasped opportunity by the
forelock.
William Phipps, o colonial governor OF
Massachusetts. found his financial oppor-
tunlty In the careless conversation of some
sailors regarding Spanish ship sunk off
the Bahama Islands, and supposed to have
much money on board. Phlpps, but q boy,
accomplished what the sailors only talked
about The money afterward became his.
John knight OF Guatemala City was an Ala
bama slave in 1860 Later, a wharf aborer,
he saw the opportunity offered to fruit grow
ers in Guatemala. Now he is one Of the rich
est and most influential men I'M Central
America Many others passed similar oppor-
tunities BY.
Fortunes from Grasping Ideas.
A clever Yankee, finding the pine toy
Whitfield out for his baby boy popular with
other children, recognized the opportunity
offered by a particular kind Of toy business
that afterward proved successful. AN1assa-
chusetts soldier long ago watched bird
hulling rice and invented hullng machine
that revolutlonized the rice business OF the
country Again, the opportunity had long
awaited man with ability to see and I'm.
prove 1t. A successful washing machine was
invented by a man the illness Of whose wife
compelled him to help her each Monday.
Many women had longed for a household
assistant of this order for years. Crnkled
hairpins were invented by a woman who
recognized an opportunity In the Intrinsic
disability of the straight halrpin to staysln
place. Collar clasps, patent cufrholders. hair
fasteners, belt stays. any number OF similarly
useful contrivances have represented oppor-
tunites neglected by many, fortune brlngers
for the one who knew their worth,
A bright American woman once had a
piece Of swamp land of no apparent use. She
raised frogs for the market and made money!
A Kansas City girl started rcmunerative
bootblacking enterprise for women. as did a
clever sister in Chicago. Here was anoth
foppomunlty long passed by Mrs. A, G. Con-
don OF Penobscot, Me-, found her opportunity
In the knitting of mittens Hundreds OF wom-
en- had failed to recognize the opening so long
dormant within this idea.
See Opportunity Afar Off.
& Prof Benedict was a teacher of Latin. but
he knew how to recognize opportunity at
sight, The first click of a typewriter spelled
the magic word for him and he found the
manufacture of the useful writing machines
much more satisfactory than the schoolroom.
/, James II. Ryder, n Cleveland photographer.
read one day in a German paper Of new
process lpracticed BIS Bohemian artists in the
interests OF fine photography, He imme-
diatey sent to Bohemia for a skilled ex-
ponent of the art applied 1t to his own busi-
ness, and at once proved that he and his
opportunity had come together How many
other photographers. also seeking success.
may have read the German paper with no
further thought?
1.-The world Is all gates. all opportunities
to him who viii use them" says Or, Orson
SWEET Marden, close student OF men and their
efforts. and from whose recent book. :" The
Making of a Man." many OF the examples
herein quoted We're drawn.
TO recognize the true opportunity Of the.
life when II comes. to have the courage and
Wit TO seize II. this is tho seores 81 SUCCESS