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diff --git a/22418.txt b/22418.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1baaf6b --- /dev/null +++ b/22418.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5958 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dollars and Sense, by Col. Wm. C. Hunter + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Dollars and Sense + +Author: Col. Wm. C. Hunter + +Release Date: August 27, 2007 [EBook #22418] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOLLARS AND SENSE *** + + + + +Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +[Illustration: The Author] + + +Dollars and Sense + +[Revised and Enlarged Edition] + +Being Memoranda made in the School of Practical Experience + + +HEREIN ARE + +Golden Helps for Employer and Employee + +Cheer, Courage, Help for the Weak, Weary, +Discouraged Ones who Live in +Shadowland + +Cures for Worry and Fear +Backbone Instead of Wishbone + +AND + +Guides and Experience which will Bring Success in +Business, Happiness in Your Home, Respect of +Your Neighbors, Love of Friends, and altogether +Many Helps which will show +you how to make this life well +worth the living + + +By Col. Wm. C. Hunter + + + +Price +Paper Cover, 25 cents a Copy +Cloth Bound, 50 cents a Copy +Pro rata for any quantity + + +Published by Hunter &. Company +Oak Park, Illinois. U.S.A. + + +Each Chapter Separately Copyrighted in 1906 + +Copyrighted in Book Form, 1907 + +Revised and Enlarged Edition, Copyright, 1908 +by +Wm. C. Hunter + +All Rights Reserved + + + + +Contents + + +Aches and Pains 100 +Advertising 32 +Advice 39 +Ambition 18 +Anger 94 +Argument 42 +Associates 61 +Backbone and Wishbone 108 +Brains, Birth, Boodle 105 +Bribes 120 +Buying 34 +Catching Up 93 +Cigarets 64 +Compensation 25 +Competition 30 +Credit 11 +Debt 103 +Discontent 98 +Do Good 108 +Double Equipment 109 +Dressing 100 +Elimination 46 +Employees 89 +Enthusiasm 92 +Expenses 35 +Financing 96 +Fixed Charges 63 +Friends 88 +Frozen Dog Tales 129 +Generalists 99 +Get Away 109 +Good Fellowship 67 +Good for Evil 65 +Gossip 120 +Groundwork 7 +Grumbling 60 +Hard Times 59 +Hard Work 68 +Health 56 +Home Life 77 +Honesty 73 +Horse Sense 50 +Hypochondriacs 122 +Independence 85 +Initiative 110 +Kindness 69 +Lawyers 19 +Laxity 92 +Learn to Play 66 +Learn to Say No 9 +Managers 51 +Memory 79 +Monthly Dividends 102 +My Symphony 126 +Never Quit Work 13 +Night Work 111 +Obedience 113 +Optimism 78 +Our Sons 117 +Patience 57 +Pay Day 114 +Perspiration 87 +Politics 123 +Precedent 95 +Producers 21 +Profanity 123 +Promises 84 +Pull 119 +Reading 40 +Rule of Gold 125 +Salesmen 71 +Saving 115 +Selling 52 +Short Letters 87 +Sizing Up Things 27 +Sleep 60 +Specialists 47 +Speculation 43 +Stand When Selling 15 +Stenographers 121 +Success 74 +System 124 +The Boss 26 +The Man, Not the Plan 23 +The String 49 +Thinking 75 +Vacations 55 +Vantage Ground 16 +Waiting for Success 116 +Worry 81 + + + + +Dedication + + +The Author respectfully dedicates this book + +to the Officers and Proprietors + +to the Managers and Superintendents + +to the Buyers and Sellers + +to the Clerks and Office Men + +to the Youth seeking promotion + +to the Boy with his first job + +and to all who wish to get Happiness Health and Dollars. + + + + +Dollars and Sense + + + + +Groundwork + + +When you cut a melon, your friends will come with eager mouths and sit +under your shade tree and help you eat it. Few of these friends would +respond to your call for help when you were working in the hot sun +raising that melon. + +Many people accept the dividends and benefits of friendship but give +you a cold shoulder when called upon for assessments of friendship. + +The world is full of young men whose objective is snaps. They are +looking all the time for what they can get and not what they can give. + +To forge ahead, you must give value received. You can't draw out all +the time. + +The employe must do what he is paid to do and "then some," for it is +this "then some" or plus that gets your salary raised. + +The employer and employe must realize that each must make profit. It is +because there are so many ingrates and so many four flushers that so +few succeed. + +This book will be welcomed by those who are square, ambitious and +patient. It is not theory. It is not preaching. These chapters will be +old friends to you, and you may read a few minutes or a few hours. You +may read and re-read as often as you wish, for you will always find +some new truth impressed on you every time you read. + +Keep this book, carry it with you, and you will be benefitted. + +Worry and fear will fade and peace and courage will grow within you the +more you study these pages. + +The writer has "been at it" for 32 years. He has had successes, +failures, joys, sorrows, and experienced the passions, the problems, +the difficulties you have experienced. + +Since the age of ten years he has been upon his own resources and the +32 years since then have been years of study, working and playing, all +blended into a happy life. + +The jolts, set backs, sorrows, worries, fears and discouragements are +the things which made him strong. They were experiences. + +Smooth sailing doesn't bring out the stuff one is made of. It takes +shadows to make sunlight appreciated. + +It takes reverses to make success. It takes hard knocks to polish you. +This is a book of experiences, not one of theories. + +There is no attempt to make this a literary effort. All the writer +hopes for or cares to do is to truthfully state facts and experiences +in plain language. Study the thought rather than the expression. + +It is Sense the writer wants to express rather than nonsense. + +The writer is happy to say that the previous editions sold rapidly and +his friends not only read, but pass the word along. + +The way to get happiness is to make others happy and the present of one +of these books to a friend or employe is a quick way to get happiness. + +Let us go along together and consider some of the problems which we all +have to face in our business as well as our social life. A volume could +be written on each chapter. But volumes are tiresome and herein you +will find net values which are the result of boiling down. + +So now we have the groundwork of this book. We understand each other. +Simply take these truths for their evident worth. You won't agree with +the writer in all things, of course not. If, however, you get one truth +that will help you, then you have been repaid for reading this book and +the writer has been repaid for writing it. + + + + +Learn to Say No. + + +Look over the history of the thousands who have failed in business, and +you will find in nearly every instance the failure was due to an +inability to say No. + +People come to us under various guises and ask us to do things which in +our better judgment we had rather not do, and too many have not the +backbone to say No. + +We are led to invest in mining stocks and to embark in precarious +enterprises because we cannot say No. + +We endorse notes and go security for our friends, not because we want +to but because we cannot say No. + +There is a class of "good fellows" who are after us to join them in +physical pleasures, the foregoing of which would be better for us +physically, financially and mentally. Too many join them because they +cannot say No. + +It is rarely a man goes off deliberately and gets drunk. The lone drunk +is usually the result of sorrow, sudden financial blow or a hard jolt +of some sort. + +The man who gets drunk generally does so because he cannot say No when +bibulous friends press him to take a drink. + +The ability to say No, to refrain from going with the crowd, to decline +to go down stream is, more than any other one thing in this life, the +mark of a strong character. + +The one who can say No is going to succeed. Temporarily he may feel +ashamed; he may find it hard to withstand the jibes and jeers and +criticism of his friends for refusing to join them in things he should +not do. + +Our old friend--the law of compensation--comes in here, for in +proportion as a man has the ability to say No, who has the courage of +his convictions, whose duty is to his body and his family before the +temptations that surround him, so in proportion as there are few such +individuals these individuals stand out as marked successes. + +The manager of one of the biggest breweries in the United States has +not tasted liquor of any kind in the last twenty years. Surely this man +shows his courage, for his action in face of his occupation is a +supreme test of backbone and ability to say No. + +The embezzler does not start out to do wrong. Some friends want to +borrow money or someone needs financial aid temporarily, and, either at +the request of friends or because the individual has something he +wishes to purchase and has not the patience to wait, he borrows from +the firm by means of "the ticket in the drawer" plan. He repeats the +operation frequently until his conscience is dulled, and he gets the +habit. Some day he wakes up to find he has several tickets in the +drawer, and resorts to extreme measures, trying to beat the races, or +to win money by gambling on stocks or grain. + +One day he finds he is in a dickens of a fix. He sees no way out of it. +He takes more money and skips out, only to be caught later on and made +to suffer, and all this because he could not say No to temptation. + +Learn to say No. Set your jaws firmly and say No. The friends who go +back on you and criticize you for saying No to the things that are +hurtful to you are unworthy of the name of friends, and you can very +well get along without them. + +Friends who ask you to do the things you should not do are the very +ones who are of no service to you in time of need. + +The individual who says No regardless of the flings and taunts that are +cast at him is the one who eventually makes a success. + +Character counts above all things in the business world. The banker +extends credit on character oftener than we imagine. The banker knows +how to say No. + +A man's credit and character are most important factors in business, +and many a man without security has attained magnificent success +through untiring energy, ability, character and courage enough to say +No. + +In proportion as you grow strong and unhesitating in saying No, the +temptations and opportunities to say Yes will lessen in number. + +Exercise your back bone and your jaw bone, so you can say No and stick +to it. + + + + +Credit + + +No factor is so necessary in building up business as credit, and no +factor is so necessary in building up credit as truth. + +It is comparatively easy to start credit, but the art is to keep +credit. + +The young business man who says "I want no credit, I buy and sell for +cash" makes a mistake. It is all right to pay promptly, but do not +establish a spot cash payment basis, for later on, when you ask credit, +your creditors will think something is wrong. + +Establish a credit whether you need it or not. It is a good +advertisement and a frequent help. + +Be reasonably slow in paying your bills, but positively sure that you +do pay them. + +When you get a sharp or blunt letter asking for a settlement, go to +your creditor face to face, set a date when you will make a payment and +keep your agreement. + +Don't be specific as to amount unless you are decidedly sure you can do +it. Be specific as to date, however, and be there or have your check +there on the date. + +Suppose a man owes you $100 and you ask him for it and he says "Here +are ten dollars on account, and on next Thursday I will make another +payment, and as often as I can I will pay something until you are fully +paid up." You don't get angry at that man when you see his intentions +are good and he is doing his best. + +So long as your creditor gets something every time he writes it keeps +him good natured. + +It is the man who breaks promises who gets hard usage from the +creditors. + +If you owe more than your present cash balance can liquidate, make a +pro rata payment all around among your creditors. Write a good square +letter saying nothing would please you more than to send a check in +full, and that this payment is made as evidence of your willingness and +intention to keep good faith. + +Keep in touch personally with your creditors as far as possible. Talk +to them of your plans and prospects. Always tell the truth. Have your +account as a moral risk rather than as a Dun or Bradstreet risk. + +There is sentiment in business. Creditors have hearts and they have +good impulses. They appreciate friendship and especially gratitude. +Don't believe a word of that great untruth "There is no sentiment in +business." + +Don't get angry when asked for money. Admit your slowness and tell your +creditor that as an offset for your present slowness you have a good +memory and a heart that appreciates, and some day your purchases will +be much larger, and those who are your friends now will certainly get +the benefit when the time comes that you do not require favors. + +An honest, frank, heart to heart talk is most valuable. The credit man +keeps the truthful man in mind and his account under his protecting +wing. The credit man glories with you, and has a distinct interest in +your success when it comes. + +It often happens that the small bank or small manufacturer is the best +place for the beginner to go for credit. You can get closer to the +small growing creditor than you can to the big fellow who is +independent. + +The big bank is cold blooded. It insists upon security and collateral. +Your account in a big bank is only an incidental detail, and the +cashier is cold and distant and blunt. + +The small bank, however, gives you more time and attention, is more +interested in you and can remember you much better than the big bank. + +Avoid bad associates. You can't play the races and give wine dinners +and maintain strong confidence with your creditors. + +You must be worthy of the confidence reposed in you. It is your duty +and part of the contract to be reliable and truthful. + +Every time a creditor gets out of sorts go to him and pay him +something, and he will quiet down. + +Be grateful. Don't be afraid to express yourself freely and frequently +on this point. + +When you are caught up and financially strong stick to those who stuck +by you. + +Remember, credit is based on confidence in the individual rather than +in his bank account. + +Don't get into nasty arguments or disputes. Give and take. Be fair. Be +square. Keep your temper. Stoop to conquer. Cut out all thoughts of +revenge. + +When a house does not treat you right, curb your temper, and, as soon +as you can, get in touch with some other good house. Tell the new house +frankly why you changed. + +Credit is a subsidy, and it stands the hustling business man in good +stead. + +Many men have started in business with a capital only of ability, hard +work, honesty and good reputation. + +The use or abuse of credit determines whether a man will rise or fall. + +Keep your record clean, and if later you get on the shoals your past +will stand you in good stead. + +If you have been given to sharp practice or dishonesty, woe be unto you +when you fall. + +Remember these things carefully. Keep in personal touch with your +creditors, keep your promises, pay on account when you cannot pay in +full, hustle, be honest, keep good company, don't gamble, don't be a +sport. If you practice these virtues, offers of aid will come to you +rather than flee from you. + + + + +Never Quit Work + + +The average young man makes up his mind that at fifty or sixty years of +age he will retire and take things easy for the rest of his days. The +average young man makes a great mistake. It is far better to wear out +than to rust out. + +To the young man work is a drudge, a necessity to keep him alive. In +middle age work is an accepted thing and we are used to it, and feel +rather the better for having occupation. + +In old age work is a necessity to keep the mind and body young. + +There is scarcely a more miserable spectacle than the man of fifty or +sixty who has retired with ample fortune. He loafs around the house. +Goes from one club to another. Gets lonely. Feels blue. + +He tries to kill time in the day looking forward to the meeting of his +cronies in the evening. The cronies are busy in the day time and they +have engagements and pleasures in the evening, so that our retired +friend seems to be in the way. + +He finds that the anticipation of retirement was a pleasure, and that +the realization is a keen disappointment. + +"There is nothing," says Carnegie, "absolutely nothing in money beyond +a competence." + +When one has enough money to buy things for the home, for his family +comfort and enjoyment, when he has sufficient income to take care of +himself and his family, surplus dollars do not mean much. + +The business man should prepare for his future so that if ill health +overtakes him he may have the where-with to surround himself with +comforts, travel and the best of care. + +The man who enjoys pleasures of the home and friends, who trains up +young blood to take hold of the business, who travels and enjoys +himself as he goes along has the right idea. + +We must learn to enjoy life now instead of waiting for tomorrow, for +tomorrow may never come. + +The man who cashes in, puts his money in bonds and retires from all +work goes down hill quickly, and feels he is of no use in the world. + +The farmer who moves in town to live on his income is a sorry +individual unless he has a garden and chickens, or buys and sells +farms, or occupies his time with work of some kind. + +The retired, non-working farmer who has moved to town gets up in the +morning, goes to see the train come in, whittles a stick, loafs at the +hotel or store, goes to the next train, talks of his rheumatism, goes +to bed at eight o'clock, and the next day goes through the same +rigmarole. + +We have all seen these old codgers who have retired. They are not happy +because they have quit their life's habit of work, and are rusting out. + +Occupation is the plan of nature to keep man happy, so when you have +all the money you need, have some occupation or hobby to occupy your +time. + +The man who retires from any active work is merely counting the days +until he dies. + +When old age comes and your body or brain won't let you do or care for +as much as you could in your younger days, then get lighter work or +lighter cares. + +Keep busy if it is only raising chickens or gardening, or studying +astronomy or botany. + +Keep at it as long as you can. Die in the harness instead of fading +slowly away. + +Cultivate the reading habit in your younger days that it may be a +pleasant occupation when your legs and hands grow feeble with age. + +When you quit work or occupation of some sort then life has no beauty +for you. + + + + +Stand When Selling + + +You can make your point clearer, you can talk with more force, you can +impress and convince your customer better if you stand while he is +seated. + +Have you ever noticed that when you are seated and the other fellow is +standing it puts you at a disadvantage? Try it some time. + +Have you not noticed that if you are seated and your adversary is +standing, when you get enthusiastic and wish to combat his argument, it +is impossible for you to get in your best licks while you are seated? +You involuntarily rise when you make your strong points and are full of +your subject. + +How far would a life insurance man or an advertising man get if he sat +down and leaned back and relaxed while talking to you? + +You will observe that the good solicitor declines with thanks your +proffered chair. He stands up, he knows the value of standing. + +By the relation between his standing and you sitting it makes him a +positive and you a negative force. He forces--you receive. + +How much would an orator impress his audience if he delivered his +lecture in a sitting posture? + +You cannot combat argument very well if you are sitting, nor can you +convince others as well sitting as standing. + +When you call on a customer carry a busy air with you. Stand up. Talk +straight from the shoulder. Make your point and claims clear. Place +your position or proposition definitely, forcefully and quickly before +your customer. Make a good get-away when you have accomplished your +purpose. + +If you don't land him the first time, get away anyway. Let him see that +your time is money, and that you appreciate that his time is money, +too. + +Don't visit. Gracefully and politely decline the chair that is offered; +say that your limit of time and disinclination to trespass require your +stay to be brief. + +Stand. Keep busy and active. Get away quickly, and you will be welcome +next time. + +The short stayer is a welcome guest. He may not land his customers as +quickly, but in the end he will land more customers, and hold them +closer and retain them longer than the tedious, visiting, social bore +who sits and sits and sits. + + + + +The Best Vantage Ground + + +In closing a contract or settling a dispute it makes considerable +difference whether you are in the other fellow's office or in your own. + +The man in whose office the transaction takes place has the decided +advantage. + +If you have a disputed bill, or if you wish to make a contract for +material or merchandise use every effort to get the other man in your +office. When you go to another office you are on the aggressive, when +another man comes to your office you are on the defensive. + +It is great diplomacy to get the man you deal with to come to you +instead of going to him. In proportion as you are diplomatic you will +be able to benefit. + +If you meet the other man in a club, hotel or a place outside of your +office or the other man's office, then the vantage ground is even and +neither has the best of it so far as location is concerned. + +Starting from an even vantage ground the advantage shifts greatly one +way or the other according to whether you go or the other man comes. + +Railroad officials, bankers and great merchants realize the importance +of having the vantage ground in their favor. + +The merchant, for instance, has private rooms and regular office hours +for his buyers, and he lets the manufacturers come to him. + +Stop a moment and look over your own experience, and you will recall +numerous instances where it has been to your advantage to close a deal +in your own office. + +There is nothing in what we have written in this series of talks that +has less theory in it than this particular chapter. + +There is no point we have made more surely proven by experience. + +The army that attacks the enemy in the enemy's country has the odds +against it, as all wars have proven. Men fight best at home on their +own vantage ground. + +Whether you are buying or selling try to close the deal in your own +place of business. + +If you have travelers on the road let it be part of their business and +duty to invite and persuade customers to call at your place of business +when they are in town. + + + + +Ambition + + +A man without ambition had better content himself with learning a +trade. A good mechanic is fairly sure of three dollars a day, and +fifty-two weeks' employment in the year. + +The mechanic does not have many worries. He does not have notes to meet +at the bank. He does not have to face the ingratitude of employes and +petty jealousies, for he has no employes working for him. + +He lays down his tools when the bell rings and goes home to his family. +His ambition is to have a good place to sleep, plenty to eat, money +enough to buy clothing for his family and to send his children to +school, and extra spending money enough over his fixed charges to allow +him to take his family to the circus when it comes to town. + +Ambition makes men strive to get ahead. Ambition cultivates taking +chances. + +Nearly every man is a gambler. Some of you will be shocked at this +statement, yet upon careful analysis nearly every move a successful +business man makes is a gamble. He is betting that he will take in more +money than he lays out on a new plan. The man with ambition is a +gambler. The man who learns a trade and does not strive to increase his +earnings is not a gambler. + +We pride ourselves on our ability to buy cheaply, because the cheaper +we can buy the greater our earnings will be and the less our gamble. + +Any man with two hands and ordinary health can earn a livelihood, but +the ambitious man wants to make a name for himself and to make a +success in business, so he works harder than he would do if his problem +were only the obtaining of money enough to buy the things necessary for +his existence. + +The moment a man loses ambition, his progress, so far as business +advancement is concerned, ceases. + +Nearly every successful business today is successful because the +proprietors, in the infancy of the business, were filled with ambition +which made them work hard. + +We are all familiar with the successful business man who loses his +ambition. It is an absolute certainty that as soon as a man loses +ambition his business falls off, unless he makes it an object to take +care of the ambitious young men in his employ, so that they may keep up +the pace of progress he established. + + + + +Lawyers + + +Keep in touch with a lawyer, but don't take his advice on business +matters. + +A lawyer should be like a dictionary--a place of reference. + +Lawyers by the very nature of their vocation have much to do with +concerns who are in trouble, and with firms who are poorly managed. + +Lawyers know law first and business second; the business man knows +business first and law second. + +The advice of one successful business man is worth the advice of +twenty-three lawyers on a matter of business. + +Use the lawyer to keep you out of trouble. Let him see your contracts +and the papers and agreements pertaining to leases, sales, purchases, +royalties, and all documents which may from their nature be brought +into court as evidence. These things are the ones on which to take the +lawyer's advice. + +When you are pushed into a corner and must fight, then get the best +lawyer, for in a fight in court, like a fight in the prize ring, the +best trained and equipped man usually wins. + +It's more often the best lawyer wins than the best side of the case. + +Legal struggles seldom pay. Law suits take up time and money, and the +result, even if in your favor, seldom offsets the time, money and worry +you have expended. + +The good lawyer keeps you from fighting. Many lawyers, however, are +grafters, and they advise fight, for they win whether you do or not. + +Settle disputes even if you are imposed on. There is little +satisfaction in getting a judgment for one hundred dollars, when your +lawyers fees are fifty dollars and you have expended two hundred +dollars' worth of time and worry over the case. + +Ask your lawyer's advice on the legal status of your operations, and +not on business propositions. + +If you are a success in business that is an evidence, generally +speaking, that your judgment is good. + +You can get all the advice you want for nothing. If you state a case +and lay out a proposed plan, and then ask your friends' advice on the +subject, you can safely count that nine out of ten will say that your +proposition is all right as outlined by you. + +These friends figure that you have given the plan much thought and +study, and it is much simpler for them to coincide with your opinion +than to take an opposite view. + +Honestly between ourselves we must admit that when we seek advice we +generally do it only for the purpose of having our own opinions +confirmed, and, if our friends do not agree with us, we say they are +prejudiced. + +Lawyers don't see the smooth, systematic, well balanced side of +business, and their knowledge is all negative instead of positive on +business matters. + +If you have an important move in mind, map out the plan carefully, lay +the plan out in detail, be conservative in your estimate of prospective +profits, and always make a liberal allowance for cost over the figures +you have prepared, and deduct a liberal percentage from the receipts +you anticipate. Be very conservative in matters of figures, and then +some. + +The building you propose to put up will cost far more than your +architect tells you. You know this in advance, and you make an +allowance for extras, but when the bills all come in you will find that +in addition to the estimated cost and the extras which you have figured +on, there will be something else to pay. + +The sales of a business you propose to embark in will be less than you +or your manager figure they will be. + +Always allow for enthusiasm and imagination in the matter of +prospective receipts. + +When your plans are all in shape show the documents, contracts and +agreements to your lawyer, and get his legal, but not his personal, +advice. + +You must be the doctor of your own business. + +Remember, a lawyer knows law, and a business man knows business. + + + + +Be a Producer + + +Employes are divided into two classes--the kind that makes profits and +the kind that is on the expense side of the ledger. + +The young man who has the foresight and ability to get on the selling +side, the side that brings profit to the house, has the decided +advantage over the young man who is on the expense side. + +Book-keepers, stock-keepers, clerks and all other expense employes are +paid far lower salaries than the salesmen and buyers, those who produce +results. + +In the newspaper business the editor with his college education has +practically attained his limit of progress when he is 40 years old. He +may get from $20.00 to $80.00 or even $100.00 a week as editor. + +The young man in the advertising department may get from $50.00 to +$200.00 a week. He is a producer of tangible results; the editor +produces theoretical results. + +In every business the man who sells things, who brings in the profits, +is the man who gets the best pay. + +The boss will grudgingly give a dollar a week increase to the +book-keeper. He only thinks what it would cost him to replace the +book-keeper. + +The producer gets his increases in $5.00 and $10.00 a week jumps. + +The expense employe is in competition with the great army of the +unemployed, and there are multitudes who will work for less money than +the man who is holding his job on the expense side. + +The producer, on the other hand, knows how much profit he is bringing +into his house, and if those profits are steadily increasing he may be +sure his salary will increase proportionately. If it does not he can +always get another position by laying the facts and figures before some +more enterprising house. + +The producer is seldom out of a situation. If for any reason he is out +of employment temporarily he can go to a good house and work on +commission, or get a small drawing account, and at three or six months +talk salary on actual showing made. + +The shrewd business man won't let profits slip away if he can help it, +so the real producer sits in a pretty good seat. He has only to show +what he can do and he will be paid accordingly. + +The expense man's only stock in trade is faithfulness, neatness and +amount of detail he can handle. He has little lee-way in the matter of +salary, for thousands are faithful, thousands are neat and thousands +can perform great amounts of detail. + +The young man just out of school should have for his ideal that he +shall be a producer first and a proprietor later on. To this end he +should equip himself by spending four or five years acquainting himself +thoroughly with all the phases and departments of the business and +learning the facts about the manufacture of the goods he expects to +sell eventually. All this understanding and preparation will be of +great service when he is a salesman, and greater service when he is a +proprietor. + +The writer started wholly dependent upon his own exertions for a +livelihood at fourteen years of age. At fifteen he learned shorthand by +evening study. At sixteen he attended to the correspondence and mail +order department for his employer. At eighteen he was getting $8.00 a +week in cash for his services, and many times that amount in valued +experience. + +"One day he got a blank application for a $75.00 clerkship in the Post +Office. At that time appointments were made by political pull and not +through the civil service. The writer took the blank to a relative, who +was the leading politician of the State. He asked for the endorsement +of this senator and received this advice: "Young man, my signature to +this sheet would get you the job, but if you were my son I would not +let you take the place. I will give you some advice, which is +this--never take a political, railroad or bank job. In all these +callings you are in competition with thousands of others. The +compensation is small, the chance to better your position is remote, +and you are a machine. If you want to make a success of life be a +producer, learn to sell things." + +This advice was acted on, and the writer remembers it as the turning +point in his career. + +It is a sad thing to see the old man working for $40.00 or $50.00 a +month who in the past drew $3,000 or $4,000 a year. Such men were +expense men and not producers. + +Moves on the checker board of business are made quickly. The man with +silver hair may be an accountant or confidential man drawing a good +salary. Something happens, his firm goes out of business or sells out, +and our old friend is left without a position. He has been used to the +comforts and associations a good salary allows, and now he finds +himself out of a place and faces the necessity of starting over again, +and his competitors are young and active men ready for the battle of +life. + +The old man out of a job goes around amongst his friends. The friend +can do nothing but gives him a letter of recommendation. He is passed +along from one to another until he is foot-sore and heart sick and +weary of it all. + +He winds up as a sleeping car conductor, or gets a position as floor +walker or clerk at the inquiry desk. + +The producer, be he ever so old or ever so often out of a job, can +catch on again. He gets his job on results and not sympathy. + +Business men are on the lookout for producers. + +Young man, learn to be a producer. + + + + +The Man--Not the Plan + + +We are prone to give credit to the plan as being the thing that makes a +successful business. It is not the plan, it is the man behind the plan +that is responsible for the success. + +The man who has a well-defined ideal, who hews to the line, who +eliminates all deterrent influences, who concentrates his energy on his +ideal, who bends his efforts towards the one thing is pretty sure to +accomplish his purpose. + +We often see a man make a marked success in a field that others have +considered barren. + +Take a small town, for instance, where there are many retail stores. +The people of the town will tell the prospective merchant that the town +is already overcrowded with stores, that none of the stores seem to be +making more than a bare living, and that it would be impossible for +another store to make a success, on account of the already overcrowded +conditions, yet the right man comes along and starts a store in that +town and makes a marked success. + +If the plan were the making of success, all an enterprising business +man would have to do would be to pick out some plan which was +successful and then imitate it. + +The great ocean of business has many derelicts on it as a result of +copying plans. It is a part of the law of compensation that the man who +originates a plan and carries it to successful conclusion has a patent +on his business. This patent is his individuality and good business +equipment. The man who steals his plan physically is unable to steal +the mental end. + +Since men have recorded facts in the shape of history, we find that men +have made successes of plans and businesses that have been discarded by +their predecessors as played-out plans. + +When a plan is presented to you do not calculate the outcome by the +plan, but by the man. + +Two banks may start side by side with exactly the same office furniture +and exactly the same business operations. They use the same kind of +money; they make loans on lands or on securities. The operations of +these two banks may be as closely identical as possible, yet within ten +years one bank will have considerable surplus and the other may be out +of business. + +If the plan were the measure of success these two banks should fare +equally well, but the fact that they differed so materially is in +itself evidence that the success is determined by the individuals and +not the plan. + +The illustration of a bank may be carried into other lines, +merchandising, manufacturing or railroading. + + + + +Compensation + + +The law of Compensation is--you pay for what you get, or you get what +you pay for. + +This law says if a horse can run fast it can't pull a good load and +vice versa. + +This law says a horse cannot go fast far. + +It says that for every sorrow there is a joy, for every positive there +is a negative. + +Where evil exists there is some good to offset it, says compensation. + +The law of compensation is the measure optimists use, and in nearly +every chapter we have written in this series, compensation will be +found as a ground-work. + +You can't get away from nor violate this rule of compensation. + +It is not new, it is as old as creation itself. + +Centuries ago it was expressed this way: "Whatsoever a man soweth that +shall he also reap." + +Too many try to ignore this great rule, they try to get something for +nothing. + +You may eat first and pay afterwards, or you may pay first and eat +afterwards. + +You may play the butterfly; sip life's sweets and sow your wild oats +now, but pay day will come and may be you will be unable to pay. + +You may spend your income now and suffer want later on. + +You may work hard now and play as you go along. You may have happiness +each day you live; you can make life worth living if you work. + +Happiness is compensation for work; no work, no happiness. + +You may have what you want, but, you must pay for it. + +Millions cost happiness and often cost health too. + +The dinner is properly balanced when it has sweets as well as +substantials. The sensible person finds the dinner is better if the +sweets come after the substantials. + +To violate the law of compensation is to eat the sweets first and then +the substantials, and by this law the substantials do not taste good +when they are eaten after the sweets. + +The man who procrastinates is violating the law of compensation. When +you see your duty attend to it at once. + + + + +The Boss + + +By the boss we mean the active proprietor, the executive head, the +owner of the business. He is sometimes called the "old man." + +The success of an institution depends largely upon the example set by +the boss. + +If the boss is careless in little things, if he is sharp in his +practice, if he does mean acts, he may rely upon it his employes will +copy him, and later on, when some blow strikes the business, he will +find it has happened through the practices of the employes who got +their cues from the boss. + +Kindness wins kindness; love wins love. If the boss is generous and +charitable, if he sets a good example, he will have an esprit de corps +among his employes that is of incalculable value. + +There is not one chance in a thousand for the boss to make a success +unless he has risen to the position of boss, and climbed and earned his +position through steady progress. + +The boss must know how to do the things he hires others to do. + +The boss who can show an employe his error in a kindly manner and point +out a better method, leaves a good feeling in the heart of that +employe. + +The boss who shows his heart to the employe and is concerned in the +things not necessarily business will be repaid a thousand-fold in +loyalty and willingness on the part of the employe. + +Employes deeply appreciate consideration, and especially the little +kindnesses which are not what might be called business practice. + +The boss should not be too far aloof; he should be just head and +shoulders above those working under him; he should be just far enough +above that he stands out as a commander. + +He should be willing to grant an audience to an employe and should work +with him. + +The boss should say we rather than I. He should talk with the employes +and not down to them. He should make each individual under him feel +that he is part of the institution and an element in its success. + +Remember this--employes watch the boss and they copy him. Where you +find hard working employes you will find a hard working boss. + +The boss cannot run the whole business himself; he is dependent upon +willing hands, and, in order to get willing hands, he must have willing +hands himself. + +If the boss is alert and discovers wastes and leaks in his business, +the employes will discover them too, and the business will receive +double benefit. + + + + +Sizing Up Things + + +One of the most necessary as well as beneficial practices a man can +have is to take fifteen minutes to an hour each day and devote the time +to sizing up things, to planning the day's work for the morrow, to +threshing the wheat from the chaff, to reviewing the accomplishments of +the day. + +Sizing up things can only be well done in solitude. + +The benefits of sizing up things in solitude are so great it is a +wonder more has not been written on the subject. + +Plants grow in darkness, yet the common understanding is they grow in +sunshine. The sunshine is absolutely necessary for the growth of the +plant, but the real growth is done in the quiet darkness. + +A man's brain develops in solitude, yet bustle and crowds and business +activity are as necessary to the man as sunshine is to the plant. + +The real brain and moral growth takes place in solitude. + +Here again we must remember the law of compensation, for if a plant had +all sunshine and no shadow, and if a man had all hustle and bustle and +no solitude, it would be like a machine without a governor; the man and +the plant would run so fast something would have to give way. + +On the other hand compensation says that if a man is too much in +solitude, or the plant too much in darkness, they will wither and die. + +Man has always had strong admiration for the strong individual, whether +bird, beast, fish, plant or human. + +There are two kinds of birds, the kind that lives in flocks, like the +blackbird and the wild duck, and the kind that lives by itself, like +the eagle. Amongst birds the eagle is chosen as an emblem for the flag, +and never the duck or blackbird. + +Amongst beasts there are two classes, the herd kind like sheep, and the +strong individual, like the lion. The lion is the symbol of strength +and courage, the sheep the symbol of innocence and simplicity. The lion +appears on coat of arms but not the sheep. + +In the fish family there are two classes, the kind that lives in +schools, like the mackerel, and the kind that lives by itself, like the +whale. + +When first the savage drew a rude picture of a fish on his hut it was a +whale, and not a mackerel. + +We do not find the mackerel's picture excepting at the fish dealers and +on the menu, and then only because the mackerel is good to eat. + +Among trees the one that attains great proportions and beautiful +symmetry is yonder giant oak or elm that grows in the open. It needs +room to breathe and grow. It grows better if it is segregated from the +crowded forest. The giant tree is not the one that grows in the dense +forest. + +There are two kinds of men, the kind that lives in the herd and the +kind that has strong individuality that needs room to grow. The herd +man exists in infinitely greater numbers than the individual man. + +We cannot imagine Lincoln, Bismarck, Webster, Clay, Edison or Burbank +living in the herd, or spending their time in the boulevard cafes. + +The man who lives in a herd, who is ever present where the lights are +bright, where gaiety abounds, where excitement reigns, where feasting +is present, soon gets himself into the habit of cultivating this +excitement. He is never happy when alone. + +The brain never sleeps and something must occupy it. The herd man fills +his brain with frivolous things, he seeks constant excitement. He is +like the plant always in the sun, he burns himself out. + +The great man with the individuality is great because he has always +spent plenty of tune by himself, sizing up things in solitude. Sizing +up things makes the brain grow and makes it stronger. + +The universities of this country tend in a great measure to produce the +herd man. The students dress alike. All have the same mannerisms, all +have the same tilt to their hats, and all the same turned up trousers. +They feed at certain restaurants and crowd in flocks. Very few college +men learn the benefits of sizing up things in solitude until in after +years. + +On the other hand the student in the school of practical experience +does not copy his fellow students. That is why in this great practical +experience school we find Lincolns, Edisons, Jim Hills and Carnegies. +Those men have to wrestle with the problems for themselves. They had to +size up things in solitude instead of reading the sizing up from text +books, as is done in the regular university. + +Every man before retiring at night, or even during the day, should take +a few minutes to himself and carefully analyze the doings of the day. + +He should weigh the positive and negative acts, the good and the bad, +the wise and the foolish, the right and the wrong impulses, the gain +and loss in achievement. He should strike a balance, and if he sees +that the bad, deterrent and backward things in the lead he should +resolve to get a move on himself. + +The man who goes along without this sizing up things in solitude is +like the merchant who keeps no record, who pays his bills from the cash +drawer and takes what is left for profit. He will still be running a +little shop in twenty years, while his competitor who sized things up +each day will be in the wholesale business or will have retired with a +competency. + +Try this sizing up things for two weeks, and the benefits you will +receive will be so manifest it will need no further suggestion to make +you keep up the practice. + + + + +Competition + + +The saying is "competition is the life of trade," and this saying is +true, or it would not have endured so long. + +If it were not for competition we should be living in the woods in a +state of savagery. + +Ages ago all men and women led the simple life. Their chief vocation +was idleness. When the weather was hot the man sat in the shade; as the +sunshine crept to him he moved into the shade again. In winter he +reversed the process. + +When our savage ancestor felt a pain in his stomach, his simple +instinct showed him that if he put things in his mouth and swallowed +them the pain in the stomach would leave. + +This low browed man's whole object in life was to keep from having +those hunger pains, and the only energy he expended was in hustling for +food and in protecting his food from the other savages. + +One day a man observed that the beasts lived on each other, so he +conceived the idea that it would be good for him to live on other +animals. That it would be easier than digging roots and gathering +herbs, so this man caught and ate slow-moving animals. He used a club +to do the killing. + +Along about here competition began, for another man learned to throw a +club and kill his game. Then another competitor discovered that a round +stone was a more effective weapon than a club. + +These hairy forbears of ours lived in caves until competition led up to +the building of huts. + +One day a savage discovered that while the skins of animals were hard +to eat, they nevertheless made a good body covering. Another discovered +that if the skins were tied about him it left his arms free to act. +This man was the first tailor. He punched holes in the skin and tied +the rude garment together with strips of skin. This first tailor was +quite an important man among his fellows on account of his great +discovery. + +Some of these wild men were fleet of foot and had well developed +cunning. They became expert hunters. On the other hand some of the less +active, by the law of compensation, became more expert tailors, so +trade was formed. The hunter killed enough for himself and the tailor, +while the tailor made clothes for both of them. + +In these days the woodsman lived on animals and the plainsman on +vegetables mostly. So the woodsman traded skin clothing with the +plainsman for grains and herbs, and this marked the birth of commerce. + +Then dugouts and canoes were built, and thus our ancestors crossed +lakes and seas and developed maritime commerce. + +From away back in those dark ages up to the present time competition +has stimulated mankind and spurred him on towards better conditions. +The whole human race has benefited by each improvement which +competition has brought about. + +We have in mind a certain mail order house that up to 1894 had things +its own way. Then it sold two to three million dollars worth of +merchandise annually. A competitor came into the field, stirred things +up, and now the old mail order house is doing eight to ten times as +much business per annum as they did before they had the competition. + +In the matter of competition we must early learn not to worry over +competition, but to derive as much good from it as possible. + +If a competitor does something better than you do, do not kick or +protest, but jump into the band wagon and do the thing as well or +better than he does it. + +Price cutting is the simplest and most common phase of competition, but +a better way to get advantage over your competitor is to improve your +business by cutting off wastes and leaks, and reducing fixed and fancy +charges so you can give your customers more quality and more quantity +for the money. + +In proportion as you increase the value you give for a dollar, just so +you will find it easier to get the dollar. + +Do not regard competition as hurtful to your business, but rather look +upon it as a pace-maker for you. + +If you had ten experts working for you studying how to improve your +business you would certainly get benefit from it, but probably not +enough benefit to offset the great cost of hiring these ten experts. + +On the other hand, if you have ten competitors who are sitting up +nights studying how to improve their businesses, you can get the +benefit of their experience without it costing you anything. + +The world is big and there is room for all, but old compensation says +the prizes are given to the fittest. + +If you are a laggard, if you are on the defensive instead of on the +aggressive, get busy, wake up, do it now. + + + + +Advertising + + +Good advertising is good publicity. Advertising is the thing that makes +your trade increase. + +Everything you do in connection with your business and every act of +yours outside of your business is an advertisement. + +Reputation is an advertisement, so is honesty, politeness, +correspondence, methods, catalogues, circulars and salesmen. Neatness +is an advertisement, and so is promptness, thoroughness. And then there +is another kind of advertising which is your statement in the +newspaper. This is the printed kind of advertising, and this kind of +advertising is the most common, in fact, when we suggest that you +should advertise, it immediately comes to your mind that advertising is +space in the newspaper. + +Keep in mind, however, when we speak of advertising we refer to +everything in connection with your business that makes an impression +upon the public or the prospective buyer. + +Some of the old timers refrain from printed advertising in newspapers, +saying that the best advertisement is merit. Merit is a good +advertisement, but it is mighty slow in its action. + +If the inventor of the typewriter planned and built the machine in his +barn without letting anyone know about it, if he kept absolutely quiet +about his doings, relying on the fact that the typewriter had merit, it +would never be known to the public unless he told about it. If the +inventor of the typewriter waited for merit alone as the vehicle for +acquainting the world with the merits of the typewriter, the world +would never know of it, unless, perhaps, a fire inspector or an health +officer accidently stumbled across the machine while inspecting the +premises. + +If the inventor waited for intrinsic merit to sell his goods, he would +find that months and years would elapse before he could develop his +business into profitable proportions. + +If you have a good thing you must tell about it. Telling makes selling. +Telling is advertising. + +Professional men hold up their hands in horror when you suggest +advertising to them. They tell you they don't believe in advertising, +that it is not ethical, that it is not dignified. Doctors and lawyers +are most notable in this respect. One of the first things of their code +of ethics is "Thou shalt not advertise." They mean paid newspaper +advertising. The man who originated this idea evidently did not have +the money to pay for any, and it was a case of sour grapes. + +Let us look into this matter of ethics and see whether the doctor and +the lawyer really believe what they say about this matter of +advertising. + +It is a rare spectacle to find a lawyer who will not gladly give an +interview to a newspaper reporter during some important trial. + +The doctor gladly avails himself of the opportunity to read a paper +before a medical society, and he sees to it that this paper is +published in a medical journal later on. + +Professional men belong to clubs, take part in public affairs, speak +before people, work on committees, and actively take part in anything +that will bring them in the limelight of publicity. They do this +advertising themselves, yet they say they do not believe in +advertising. + +Uncle Sam builds war ships, equips his soldiers splendidly, conducts +his business affairs with high grade talent, all this that the United +States may be well advertised among our sister nations. + +Advertising is absolutely essential to successful business. Not printed +advertising alone but all kinds of advertising. The quality, the price, +your aggressiveness, everything in your business is an advertisement, +either a good advertisement or a bad one. It behooves you to see the +advertising you do, whatever kind it may be, is of the good kind. + +If you expect to remain in business a long time your advertisements +must be good. Keep in mind that methods are advertisements. + +One bad move, which is a bad advertisement for you, calls for two or +more good moves or good advertisements. + +Have everything, every detail of your business carry a good +advertisement, that is, have it help your business. + +Have every employe pulling on the same center tugs and have them all +face forward, and your vehicle will move forward. + + + + +Buying + + +The buyer derives much information and much shrewdness by carefully +watching the seller's methods. + +Some buyers seem to think that bull-dozing tactics, cute lies and +irritable manners make the seller humble, weak-kneed and non-combative. +This is a great mistake. + +The best buyer is first a gentleman. He keeps his word, he is patient +and he knows his business thoroughly. + +The buyer gains much by being open and above board with the seller. Let +the seller know that your success consists in getting as much value as +you can for the money, and that your continuous trade will result only +through fair treatment. + +Let the seller understand that the better he treats you in the matter +of price and quality the better you will be able to treat your +customers, and the longer you will be able to deal with the seller. + +The moment a buyer shows bull-dozing methods, the seller is +antagonized, and his object then is to soak the buyer. + +The buyer who keeps his temper and goes at the matter philosophically +is the one who wins out. + +The buyer should explain to the seller that the seller can get the best +of him once and may be twice, but not more than that. + +The main thing for the buyer to possess is a most thorough knowledge of +the goods he buys. Learn who makes the goods and where they are made, +and get at the factory cost. + +Then learn whose factories have the best reputation, and whose are the +best fitted and established to make the goods you buy. + +Remember you can afford to investigate. When you find a factory +over-sold you will find that factory more independent. When you find a +factory short of orders you will find them eager for your trade, and +the chances are you can do much better with this factory than with the +one that is behind on its orders. + +Don't get excited, don't hurry. Speak gently. Know your ground. +Cultivate a reputation for fairness rather than smoothness. Laxity and +indifference in buying means that you are allowing wastes and leaks to +creep in your business, and that you are placing a handicap on your +traveling salesman, for goods well bought are half sold. + + + + +Expenses + + +If you get confidential with Mr. Bradstreet or Mr. Dun so that they +will give you access to the inside history of the commercial concerns +which have failed in business, you will quickly discover that in the +majority of cases the cause of the failure was "too much expense." + +It has become quite a common saying in speaking of failures that "the +expenses ate up the profits." + +Our friends Mr. Dun and Mr. Bradstreet tell us that there is about one +concern in fifty which succeeds in business. If you will look at the +successes you will find out that the proprietors were good buyers as +well as good sellers but that the particular point that made them +successful was their ability to make careful analysis in the matter of +expenses. + +The business man should have his expenses divided into as many +classifications as possible. His payroll should be separated into +various departments, office, salesmen, workmen, accounting, and so on; +through all the items of expense the division should be made as finely +as possible. + +The proprietor should have a statement each week on his desk showing +how every cent was expended. These items should be summarized monthly, +and constant reference made to the items of expense in comparison with +items of expense for the previous month, as well as items of expense +for the same month of the previous year. + +One of the pit-falls in nearly every business is "general expense" or +"sundry expense." This department is a catchall for a lot of items, and +it hides a lot of leaks and wastes in business. + +You can't divide your expense items too minutely. The finer the +divisions, the easier you can detect a waste of money. + +The business man who has a statement of both receipts and expenses is +in the position of the first engineer of an ocean steamer; he does not +seem to be doing much and does not worry unless something goes wrong, +then he shows his training and ability to mend breaks and repair weak +places. + +If the business man analyzes his sources of income into several +divisions the same as he does his items of expense, he will find it an +easy matter to correct errors that creep in the business. He does not +have to worry about those items of expense which show minus, nor about +those items of receipts which show plus. + +With a finely divided sheet of both expenses and receipts you can +quickly determine where the profit is coming from and where the leaks +appear. + +If an expense item shows plus, you can run down that item and see +reasons for it and endeavor to bring down that expense. If a receipt +item shows minus, you can run down that item and endeavor to increase +the receipts. + +The writer has a little printed card on his check book and it reads +"Drive the axe into expenses." It is a constant reminder to stop the +wastes. + +The only real success that comes to the business man is the profits at +the end of the year, that is, the amount of money he makes net. + +It is easier to increase profits by cutting the expenses in many cases +than it is to increase profits by increasing sales. And here let us +remark that on this subject, as well as all the other subjects we are +writing about in this series of articles, we have in mind the matter of +common sense, temperate action. Extremes carry things too far. You must +not cut the expenses beyond the point where it seriously interferes +with the sales. + +If you are interested in this matter of expense, and you certainly +should be, take up your items of expense for last month or last year, +go over the cost of help, the cost of raw material and the cost of +manufacturing; go over each branch of your expenses, analyze the items +carefully, look into every point thoroughly, and we will guarantee that +at the end of your analysis you will see where you can save a +respectable sum in the operation of your business. In going into this +matter of expense, do not take all the items at once, but take each +item up separately and go through it thoroughly. + +Do not assume that you are paying too much for everything, but use good +sense and good judgment and see that you get your money's worth. Take +the item of wages. Look over the individuals in your employ, and you +will see a place, for instance, where two persons can do the work three +are now doing. Remember, it is generally true that where two persons +are engaged in handling a certain department and they are overworked, +the tendency is to give them additional help. When this is done you +will find thenceforth all three are busy. In other words, each of the +two persons who were formerly overworked ease up and do less work the +moment the third person is given as assistant. You have noticed that +where you put three employes to do the work formerly done by two, it is +almost impossible--if you take the employe's word--to get two employes +to do the work after three have been doing it. + +The work should push the employe. The employer should get full capacity +of his employes. + +Look over your pay roll and make up your mind that here and there you +are going to employes and ask them to help you save money, and at the +same time you will let them earn more money for themselves. You will +find that this plan works admirably. + +For instance, if you have three employes getting $10.00 a week each; go +to the two who do the most work and say to them: "If you can do the +work of this department with one less employe I will give you each +$3.00 a week more." In this way you will pay two employes $13.00 a week +instead of three employes $10.00 a week each. This will save you $4.00 +on that particular part of your payroll. If you save proportionately +all through your payroll it will make a decided profit in itself. + +Saving can also be made in the payroll by taking one of the heads of +the department into your confidence and letting out the work to him by +contract, offering to give him one-half, or one-third or one-quarter of +the amount he can save in his department. + +It is surprising to see how different his argument will be when his +pocket is affected. For instance, in the past he explained to you that +his department is behind in its work because he has not enough help. + +He has been asking for more help right along, but never asked that some +of the help be laid off. + +If, on the other hand, you say to him you will give him one-third of +what he can save in the matter of wages in his department, you will +instantly notice that his whole argument and attitude change. He +discovers that he has ability to pick out employes who do the most +work, and lets out the four-flushers and idlers. + +Remember, that as a rule the best paid employes are the cheapest. You +can well afford to pay the heads of your departments more wages if they +can save you more money. + +A manufacturer should divide the number of completed articles done per +day or per week by the amount of wages paid, and find out what the wage +item is in each department per article. + +Suppose that under your present system it costs you eighty cents in +wages per article in Department A, sixty cents per article in +Department B, etc. Explain to the foreman of Department A that it is +now costing you eighty cents per article for wages in his department, +and to the foreman of Department B that wages are costing you sixty +cents per article in his department. Tell these employes you will give +them one-third or one-half of whatever they can save in their +departments. You will find Department A will cost you from seventy to +seventy-five cents per article thereafter, and Department B from fifty +to fifty-five cents per article, and in the meantime the foreman of the +department is making more money for you, and likewise making more money +for himself, than under the old system. + +This matter of expense is most important, and should have the most +serious attention of the proprietor. + + + + +Advice + + +One of the things most frequently asked for and yet one seldom made use +of, is advice. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred the man who comes to +you for advice as a matter of fact really wants to have his own opinion +confirmed. + +Do not go around with a pocket full of advice offering it to everyone. +If you advise a man to change his habits or manner of life he will +resent your proffered aid. The best way to give advice is to take +another fellow for example and hit your friend through the illustration +of the other fellow. Let him discover the point himself rather than let +it appear that you are telling him the thing. + +The matter of advice is a very hard thing to properly understand. You +advise another to do a certain thing, forgetting in the meanwhile, that +if you were in his position your view-point would be his and not your +own. You play your strong qualities against his weak ones. + +It is easy enough for you to advise a drunkard not to drink, but +difficult for you to understand his view point on the subject if you +are not a drinking man yourself. + +Giving advice usually comes about because we see a weakness in others. +The opposite of this weakness is a feature in our own make-up. + +The business man who is constantly asking advice is advertising the +fact of his uncertainty of his own actions. Your great problems must be +decided by yourself. + +The one thing that separates the sheep from the goats, and success from +failure, is the ability to analyze, study and weigh problems for +yourself, and to make decisions for yourself. + +The law of compensation comes in here again, for in proportion as you +have self-reliance and good judgment your success will be measured. + +You may rely upon it that if you go about seeking advice, you will get +two kinds of advice--First: the advice that concurs with your own +preference or decision; and, second, the kind that is in opposition to +your views. You accept the first kind because it tickles your vanity, +and you throw aside the second, saying the advice is prejudiced. + +Don't ask advice. Size up and weigh the problem yourself and use your +own best judgment. + + + + +Reading + + +The business man who goes along day by day without taking on any +responsibilities or without tackling more difficult problems, finds he +does not progress. + +The man who gets into a rut and reads light, frothy literature all the +time--the kind that is pleasing to the imagination, the kind that +leaves no permanent impression--does not progress mentally. + +Reading should be like eating, we should have the dessert as well as +the substantials. It would be a great mistake to eat dessert alone, and +it is certainly a mistake to read light, frothy reading matter alone. + +One of the prime requisites to a successful career is concentration of +thought. Few things will dissipate thought as much as over-reading of +newspapers. + +The newspaper starts in with the first page, and by the time you have +finished the last column oh the last page you may have read a hundred +articles, each one of these articles touching on a different line of +thought. The daily newspaper contains climaxes of all kinds. Each +article is a distinct change of thought. The daily newspaper gives us +statistics, sorrow, laughter, crime, passion, death, lies, humor, and +so on all through the gamut of the scale of human experience. + +The man who craves the newspaper soon finds his line of thought +frequently interrupted, side-stepped, drawn, cut off and dispersed. + +Abundant evidences are at hand where the book reader acquired the daily +newspaper habit and reads the daily to such an extent that it is +impossible for him to read books thereafter. He has broken his +continuity of thought, and when this happens book reading is +impossible. + +Everyone should read two or three or more books at a time. One should +be an interesting book, whether history, story or comedy, so long as it +is well written and along lines that will hold one's interest. One +should read one book after another of this sort as a dessert for his +dinner, as it were, but along with it he should eat substantial food in +the nature of substantial reading. + +Do not read yourself to sleep at night over a light novel. Read your +novel for an hour or so; then take up your old philosopher or scientist +and read a page, or as much as necessary to find some thought clearly +expressed so that it will be burned into your mind. That thought will +remain and will be of service to you in years to come. + +Read daily newspapers scantily. Read items concerning the business you +are engaged in. Read the doings of Congress and the important events of +the day. Go over the head-lines, if need be, and eliminate all those +shocking stories of crime and sordid influence. Do not let yourself get +into the habit of reading the details of horrible crimes and bad +impulses and criminal acts. Skip over all the details of hangings and +murders. They are weeds in the mind that choke up the beautiful flowers +of thought. + +Remember, everything you read depresses or elevates, and in proportion +as you accustom yourself to read substantial matter so in proportion +you will progress in this world, and have a flood of thoughts at your +command when requirements come upon you calling for clean-cut +expressions. + +You will write better letters, you will converse better, you will enjoy +social intercourse better if you read helpful reading matter from books +and read newspapers very sparingly. + + + + +Argument + + +Not once in a thousand times will one man convince another in an +argument, and the benefits you get if you do convince the other fellow +will not compensate you for the waste of energy expended on the other +nine hundred and ninety-nine times when your efforts failed. + +You convince a man against his will and he is of the same opinion +still. + +There is a mighty lot of difference between argument and reason. You +may accomplish more by dividing your case into one or two good reasons +and telling your adversary that you will not argue the case, but you +will let him look at these reasons, and when he takes it up logically +you will have no fear of his conclusion, for truth must triumph. + +While argument itself is a footless proposition, it is infinitely more +so if your argument is with those of less mental calibre than your own, +for by the law of compensation, in proportion as a man is ignorant, he +makes up in perversity and lack of analytical ability. + +Do not stoop to contend with those who have no standing, mentally, +morally or physically. It is a waste of time. + +If it is your purpose to change a man's opinion, do not try to do it by +argument. Study the ground carefully. State your points with +preciseness, make careful analysis of every phase of the situation, +take up the matter point by point. Start with your adversary by getting +on ground on which you both will agree. Take up the points on which +there can be little chance for differences of opinion. You will find +the other man will get in the habit of agreeing with your propositions +and that his antagonism weakens. State facts that are right and +truthful, and are so plain that the truth will be self-evident. + +After you have made several propositions on which the other man agrees +with you wholly, then make a proposition that is ninety per cent. his +way and ten per cent. your way. Gradually increase that ten per cent. +until you swing him around so that he sees the truth. He then imagines +that he has made the deduction himself. + +Remember, you can swing the biggest ship around by a steady, slow, +gentle pull. On the other hand a sudden strain on the hawser would +produce no effect whatever on the ship. + +The man who wishes to convert another to his way of thinking must be a +diplomat if he is successful. Do not get excited, keep cool and +collected, be sure of your ground, be positive in your assertions, make +the whole matter clear, and use good judgment, sound reason and clear +logic. + + + + +Speculation + + +You are playing against odds when you speculate. + +The only man who has a sure thing on the Board of Trade or Stock +Exchange or the race track is the man with the "Wienerwurst" privilege. + +The successful business man some day wakes up to the fact that his +bills are paid, and that he has surplus money. This surplus money +should be used for investment purposes and not for speculation. Of +course, it is hard to draw the line where investment leaves off and +speculation begins. + +When you speculate on margins you are like the fellow holding on a +bear's tail as it runs around a tree--if you lose your hold the bear +will get you. + +The man who makes an investment, buying stocks or real estate and +paying cash for them does not have to worry about the market. Prices +may be up or down, but the man who has paid for what he has bought will +sleep well. + +You can't beat the speculation game. The only ones who make a success, +and their success is ephemeral, are those who make speculation their +whole occupation. The professional speculator is merely a high grade +gambler, and he always winds up a loser. + +Go to the Stock Exchange or the Board of Trade and you will see at +either place a half a dozen old fellows hanging around. They are all +men who have seen better days. A little inquiry and diplomacy on your +part will bring forth the fact that these men were once prominent +figures on 'Change. + +When you have more money than you need in your business buy good farm +lands out west, or good timber lands. No man ever bought good farm land +or good timber land at the prevailing market price and lost money +eventually. Of course, at different seasons of the year the price of +land may go down a little temporarily, but the moment a good crop comes +in, the price goes up again. + +With good clear farm land you can always go to the nearest bank and +borrow from sixty to seventy-five per cent. of its value. + +Real estate is the true basis of wealth, and if you want to play a sure +game, buy land that produces things. + +When you buy vacant property in a large city, it is mere speculation. +The land does not bring in any remuneration, and you are simply betting +that the prices will increase. + +Every large city has abundant instances of vacant property that is not +worth as much now as it was ten or twenty years ago. Real estate booms +come in cycles. Prices go up and men get the fever and buy vacant +property. The boom explodes, property goes down and you can't get your +money back. The chances are you have bought the property on two or +three years' time, and it certainly is paying for a white elephant when +you are paying for land that is worth less than what it cost you. You +cannot get out, however, because the original payment has already been +made, and your only hope is to save something on your investment. + +Notwithstanding the fact that certain business sections and certain +residence sections in any city steadily increase in price, yet the +average real estate in the city increases by very slow percentage. The +same amount of money, put out in mortgages, with the interest added and +compounded, will develop wealth greater than the average vacant +property investment, for where one lot soars up to a high price there +are a hundred that don't increase at all, and the picking out of the +lot that is going to increase in value is as hard as picking out the +horse that is going to win the race. It is because the vacant city +property has only speculative value that the business man should not +touch it. + +Buy farm property that you can rent. It will bring you interest on your +money right along, and the tendency of farm land is and always has been +steadily forward. + +Mr. Yerkes, of Chicago, was a speculator who made millions in the +street-car system. He was thoroughly familiar with Hydraulics, and he +soaked the stocks as full of water as possible and then unloaded on the +investors who speculated in street-car stocks. These speculators are +now holding the bag. When Mr. Yerkes closed out his holdings in Chicago +he granted an interview, and one truth he uttered in that interview has +ever been remembered by the writer. It is so valuable an expression +coming from such a successful speculator that we are going to give it +to you. It is as follows: "I have never known a business man to +successfully speculate in grains or stocks for two years." + +The business man who is watching the ticker or calling up the Stock +Exchange every day, who takes little flyers, is skating on mighty thin +ice. + +When you buy farms you are exchanging your money for the most certain +thing in the world, for the basis of all wealth is land, and money +simply represents the things which come out of the land. The things +that grow on the land are exchanged for gold, and the gold is exchanged +for things that come out of the land. The Government exchanges the gold +for pieces of paper called money, which in reality means that you can +exchange these pieces of paper for gold, and you can exchange the gold +for the things that come out of and grow upon the land. + +The stock broker may not like this chapter because the more speculation +the more he benefits. He gets a rake-off every time a man buys and +every time a man sells. He plays a sure thing. He is like the man with +the Wienerwurst privilege. + +Don't Speculate. Invest. + + + + +Elimination + + +One of the greatest brain savers is elimination. Every man should try +to operate along lines of the least resistance, eliminate the deterrent +influences and all things that fret him. + +Do not look for trouble. Do not concern yourself too much over +disagreeable things over which you have no control. + +Do not build up an intricate system in your business. Have simplicity +your ideal. Eliminate all useless moves. If you have disturbing +influences in your institution, such as an employe who is continually +causing friction, eliminate that employe. The man who causes friction +is pulling back on the forward impulses of your business, and he is +holding back one or more men who are trying to help you forward. + +Get rid of useless things that take your time or cause you worry. + +Remember that as you grow successful people will come to you under +various excuses to get your aid financially or morally. They want you +to go into new companies. The officers of the Club to which you belong +will ask you to be a director. You will be invited to dinners, asked to +speak, asked to do a thousand and one things, and in proportion as you +accede to these demands you will find the demands increasing until +finally you have little time to attend to your own affairs or to attend +to your family. + +Have as your center idea--elimination. Everything that takes your time +from your business or your family is an extra tax on your strength. + +Eliminate every habit that holds you back, every practice that unfits +you for progress, every person who depresses you, every move that is +not necessary, every footless idea that crowds your brain. + + + + +The Specialist + + +When this nation of ours was born nearly every one was a generalist. + +The merchant sold a general line of merchandise. The doctor was also a +farmer and a horse trader. In those days there were very few +specialists. + +As time passed some of the wiser individuals turned specialist and +succeeded. + +The doctor who is a generalist cannot excel in any one branch of +medicine, or compete with the specialist who devotes all his time and +study and practice towards one point and towards the treatment of a +specific ailment. The merchant who sells everything cannot compete with +the man who makes it his business to sell one class of goods. This is +an age of specialists, and what we considered a specialist twenty-five +years ago is only a generalist from the present standpoint. The +specialist of twenty-five years ago has been divided again and again. +The best doctor today is one who doctors the eye alone, the stomach +alone, or the nerves alone. He can do more for you and knows more of +your case in five minutes' observation than the generalist would in +three months. + +With the keen competition of these days it is necessary for the +individual to be a specialist in business. + +Pleasure and recreation are the only things in which an individual +should be a generalist. + +Were it not for specialists we should know little about the sun, little +of electricity, little of steam, little of railroads, little of +advertising, little of anything else. It is because individuals have +made a speciality of one thing, because they have concentrated their +energies and their brain power on one thing that the world has +progressed. + +Recreation is for relaxation, and the business man should see to it +that he gets the full benefit of recreation. If he carries specialism +into recreation, recreation is spoiled, for the moment a man is a +specialist in recreation he strives to excel, and this striving to +excel is hard work, and that is the same thing he is doing in business. + +The business man who plays billiards and no other game doubtless will +play a better game than the generalist who indulges in all sorts of +games and recreations, but the man who makes a specialty of billiards +finds his powers centered on this game of billiards. He puts his +thought on it and wishes to excel, he wishes to make a record, and +billiards then become business. + +This striving to excel in a game brings forth the same gambling +instinct manifested in business. It is his "I will." The business man +who plays a good game of billiards some day meets his superior, and the +superior is the individual who does nothing but play billiards. + +If a man tries to be a specialist in billiards and a specialist in +business, even though both callings commence with "B," he will find +that a division of effort is a division of results, and he will not be +a success in either business or billiards. In proportion as he excels +in billiards he will be lacking in business, and vice versa. + +We remember the story of a young friend of Herbert Spencer who joined +the great philosopher in a game of billiards. The young man played a +most excellent game. When they had finished Spencer remarked: "Young +man, your education has been greatly neglected, you play billiards too +well." + +Be a specialist in business and a generalist in pleasure. Play +billiards, swim, ride, play golf and indulge in all athletic sports and +so long as you get uniform pleasure and recreation from these things +you are doing right, you are helping your mind and developing your body +and letting your brain rest, so that it may be keen and a greater help +in your specialty, which is business. + +The world needs specialists, and it needs specialists in recreation as +well as business, but the man who tries to be a specialist in business +as well as a specialist in recreation will fail in both, or, at least, +his success will be only moderate. + +It is necessary for life's scheme that we have individuals who have +steady incomes so that they do not require to enter the strenuous +business life. It is necessary to have such individuals, so that they +may devote themselves to being specialists in recreation, otherwise the +sports would die out. + +If you go in for sport do not expect you can compete with anybody who +goes in for sport exclusively. You can't win in two callings or +occupations. + + + + +The String + + +There is a string to every proposition, and it behooves you to look out +for the string before acceding to the requests that are made of you. + +When a stranger comes and offers to do things for you, to let you in on +the ground floor, or assures you that he is working for your interest, +you may be sure there is a string to his proposition, and the string is +that, as a matter of fact, it is himself instead of you he is looking +out for. + +Don't bite at the chance that is offered you to get something for +nothing. The biggest kind of a string is always in such a proposition. + +Remember this, that people are selfish. Each man looks out for his own +interest, and even if he is protecting your interest, it is because his +own interest will be better conserved by looking out for yours. + +Don't decide on important matters too quickly. Don't get tied up in big +contracts with strangers until you have found every strand of the +string. + +Don't be too suspicious but hunt for the string. It pays to be very +conservative on all matters in which others are interested. + +Sometimes the string in the proposition is legitimate and the other +fellow may be more interested than you are, but it certainly behooves +you to see what this string is and to understand exactly where the end +of the string is tied. + +Don't draw up in your shell and look upon every man with a proposition +as trying to take advantage of you, but put down this as a truth--There +is a string to every proposition, and you must find that string before +you close the deal. + + + + +Horse Sense + + +Just how the expression "horse sense" came into use is not known, but +the meaning of the combination means good reason, old fashioned logic, +simple analysis and actual truth, and the basing of your actions upon +simple things rather than complex things. + +The man who uses horse sense in his transactions gets along further and +faster than the man who uses selfishness and smartness. + +To be possessed of horse sense is a most valuable asset. It is +something you can use every day of your life. + +Horse sense is really one of the things that makes up the law of +compensation. The law of compensation itself is the quintessence of +horse sense. + +Luck is the gambling chance, and horse sense is the investment and +security chance. + +The man with horse sense may not go as far in a day as the man with +luck, but he will progress more days and go further eventually than the +lucky man. + +Horse sense is one of the most valuable things in the business world, +and it is one of the rarest things. It is so valuable because it is so +rare. + +In the business world today the men who are doing great things are the +men who have horse sense. We call these men wonderful and look upon +their accomplishments as the result of some mysterious, wonder-working +power that they possess. Wonder workers are only flashes in the pan. + +Do not hire your employes on account of your preference for a certain +color hair or certain colored eyes. Do not hire your employes on +account of their physical appearance, or on account of their ability to +dress in the height of fashion. Get down to their net worth. Find out +how much horse sense they have. Hire employes, as far as possible, who +are blessed with old fashioned horse sense. + + + + +The Manager + + +The good manager is one who commands respect, not through his authority +but because those under him appreciate that he has more ability and +experience than they have. + +The selection of a good manager is very important, for the success of +one's business depends upon its management. The proprietor cannot do +all the things himself, and he must rely upon his lieutenants. + +Give a certain class of work to ten girls. Put them in a room by +themselves with no one in authority. Come back next day and you will +find that there is one girl who is laying out the work for the others. +There is something in this girl that makes her a natural manager, and +there is a certain instinct amongst the rest of the girls that makes +them acknowledge this one girl as their superior, and the one to go to +for advice. This natural leadership is the quality the manager should +possess. + +Above all, the manager, like the boss, must know how to do things he +hires others to do, and the things we have said concerning the boss is +likewise true of the manager, for the manager is the next step below +the boss. The successful boss would not have obtained his present +position if he had not been a good manager previously. + +Let the manager read thoroughly our chapter on the boss if he has +ambition to be boss some day. + +The mistake frequently made by the manager is to take credit himself +for the work done by those under him, for such a manager may be sure +that sooner or later his position in this respect will be found out, +and to his surprise he will find that the employe who has been doing +the things for which he has taken credit will take the manager's place. +Employes are quick to detect this spirit in the manager. They see that +their own efforts are not known to the boss, and it makes them +indifferent, because they see no appreciation for what they are doing. +On the other hand, if the manager says a good word to the boss +concerning an employe who has shown marked ability, it redounds to the +manager's credit that he is liberal enough to give credit where it +properly belongs. + +Truth will out as sure as the sun will shine, and the manager cannot +conceal his subordinates' abilities and pass them off as his own for +any length of time. + +The good manager will say a kind word to the boss about the employe, if +he is the right sort. It makes an employe feel confidence in the +manager when he knows that the manager is appreciative and ready to +tell his superior of good things in the employe's favor. The manager +who is bad tempered, suspicious and tries to take credit that does not +belong to him is only holding his position temporarily, and some day he +will be let out of the institution for which he is working, and will +find himself forced to the extremity of getting a place somewhere else +back in the ranks from which he had temporarily risen. + + + + +Selling + + +Time was when the best salesman was the one who could tell the biggest +lies, drink the most whiskey and show his customers the liveliest time. + +Today the best salesman is distinguished by the following attributes: +Truth, trustworthiness, together with a fine knowledge of the goods he +is selling. + +The man who sells goods must be prepared to hear from nearly every man +that his price is too high. If the buyers would always tell the truth, +then the salesman who sold the most goods would simply be the one who +actually sold at the lowest price. + +Price does not mean anything. Price is high or low only when quality is +taken into consideration. + +The man who sells merchandise, or advertising, for instance, must be +thoroughly acquainted himself with the thing he sells. He must be +reliable, he must give good measure, he must keep his word. + +We hear a good deal about the live-wire, rapid-fire salesman, who goes +out on his initial trip and comes back with a bagful of orders. It must +be remembered that ever and always there is the law of compensation to +take into consideration. The salesman who bags a lot of orders on the +first trip does not get so many the second time. He has colored his +picture too highly on the first trip. He has made too many side +promises, too many mis-statements, and the customer finds out he cannot +be believed, and this smooth article of a salesman is not as welcome in +the buyer's office the second trip. + +On the other hand and in strict accordance with the law of +compensation, the salesman who tells the truth, who moves quickly, who +does what he agrees to and knows what he is talking about, who talks +convincingly and attends strictly to business will eventually succeed. + +The great house of Marshall Field & Co. of Chicago have operated along +the line of fairness, good treatment and willingness to right a wrong +and correct a mistake quickly. Marshall Field had horse sense when he +inaugurated his business. + +Wonder workers who start out with a burst of speed and smash records in +the matter of selling will still be salesmen at fifty years of age, for +you can't go fast far. + +Those wonder workers change frequently. They flit from house to house. +They work because they need the money to have a good time with, and as +soon as they get the money they proceed to have a good time until +their little pile runs out, and then they get another job. Business +men know this wonder worker well. Go into any wholesale house and you +will find them. They are living in the past and relating their +conquests. They never speak of the present but always of the past. +They have done things they can't do again. The good salesman is doing +things now better than he has done in the past. + +The permanently successful salesman does not cut much of a figure in +the matter of dress. He is not as handsome as the wonder worker. In +fact, he may be physically uncouth, but he has a heart under his rough +exterior. The customers he mingles with have confidence in him. They +know he will do what he promises, and finally this man is the one who +builds up a good trade and at fifty years of age he has a place of his +own, sends salesmen on the road, and his house does a good business +because his policy permeates the institution, and the customers have +confidence in the house because he is at the head of it, and they are +familiar with his methods and practice. + +Some buyers seem to think that it is necessary for them to give the +impression to the seller that they are buying at lower prices than the +seller quotes. The wonder worker tries to make each customer believe +that he is buying at the lowest price. The common sense salesman does +not resort to such tactics. + +The average buyer does not concern himself so much about being able to +buy cheaper as he does to feel sure that his competitor does not get +better treatment than he does. + +In the matter of selling there is no one thing that ultimately proves +so successful as the one price plan. By that we mean the same price to +all who purchase the same quantity or the same amount in a given time. + +The more elastic and variable your prices, the more ingenuity required +to keep these cut prices from getting into the hands of your customers. +This matter of cutting prices causes no end of worry. In proportion as +you indulge in cutting prices, so in proportion you will receive an +increased number of cut price offers. + +Let it be known that your prices are subject to reduction at the hands +of a smooth buyer, and the news will travel fast. + +Let it be known that you don't cut prices, and that news will gain +currency in the trade, and you will not have cut prices offered you. + +There is something in the matter of selling beyond dollars and cents, +and that is dollars and sense. + +Remember this, when you sell goods you are also selling reputation. If +your goods are bad your reputation will be bad too. You can't have a +good reputation and sell bad goods and make a permanent success. + +Remember, every sale you make is an advertisement. + +Remember, you can take advantage of the buyer once or twice, but if you +want to hold his trade you must be fair with him. + +Smooth tactics that bring in present money react and lose trade for you +later on. + + + + +Vacations + + +Every man owes it to himself and to his family to take a vacation each +year. + +Vacate means to get out or away from, and if you take your so called +vacation by a trip to another city and spend your time in the whirl of +industry, you are not helping yourself, you are not taking a vacation. +Neither are you resting your mind and body if you go to a swell summer +resort where white duck trousers in the day and full dress in the +evening is the rule. + +The real vacation you get is when you take yourself away from the +business marts of trade, and go to a place where you can get your feet +on good old mother earth. Go where fences are unknown, where there are +no "keep off the grass" signs, climb the hills, walk through the +forests, fill your lungs with good ozone, say to yourself "all these +beautiful things are mine." + +Nature has arranged it so that the poorest man in the world can get the +most priceless things as easily as the multi-millionaire. The four most +precious things in the world are good air, good food, good water and +good health. Money cannot buy any one of these things. The man with +millions cannot get any better air, or more nourishing food, or purer +water, or better health than can the poor man. + +The man who goes to the big woods for his vacation, who lives out of +doors, who gets near to nature, is putting by a reserve in his +constitution and brain that he will draw upon for the remainder of the +year. Such vacations will clear the cobwebs from your brain. It will +give you ability to do greater things, and make you see the beautiful +side of life. + +A man should not depend wholly on his two or three weeks in the woods, +however. He should take a little vacation every day. He should arrange +to get some benefit for his brain and body in each twenty-four hours. +He should take a few moments each day and devote it to mental and +physical relaxation. And, above all, he can get a good vacation every +twenty-four hours if he sleeps properly. + +Our good friend Grizzly Pete, of Frozen Dog, understands the real +vacation when he says. + + Mighty pleasin' sport, you bet, sittin' on a rock; + Beats a store or office an' workin' by a clock. + Clears away the cobwebs from your weary brain; + Gives you inspiration; makes you a man again. + + There ain't no medicine I know for the appetite + Like a summer mornin', waitin' fer a bite. + Lazy summer days are here--ain't you kind o' wishin' + That you had your old clothes on, an' was settin here a-fishin'? + + + + +Health + + +There is no misfortune, no real hard luck except sickness and poor +health. + +If you find your health is becoming impaired, change your methods and +vocation. Change before it is too late. A stitch in time saves nine +times nine in matters of health. + +Get plenty of exercise, good air, good water, sleep with your windows +open in winter as well as summer, walk over two miles every day. Avoid +worry. Do good deeds. Help others. Eliminate evil thoughts and +deterrent influences. + +If your health is impaired, forsake dollars if necessary and make +health your first concern. + +Dollars are worth having, but sense is infinitely better to be +possessed of. + +If your health will not permit you to get dollars and cents, then make +it your object to get health and sense. + +Rockefeller would give his millions if he could have the health of +nearly any of the thousand of employes who work for him. A good stomach +is rather to be chosen than great riches. + + + + +Patience + + + Supposin' fish don't bite at first, + What are you goin' to do? + Throw down your pole, chuck out your bait, + An' say your fishin's through? + You bet you ain't; you're goin' to fish, + An' fish, an' fish, an' wait + Until you've ketched a basketful + Or used up all your bait. + + Suppose success don't come at first, + What are you goin' to do? + Throw up the sponge and kick yourself? + An' growl, an' fret, an' stew? + You bet you ain't; you're goin' to fish, + An' bait, an' bait agin, + Until success will bite your hook, + For grit is sure to win. + +Patient effort and hard work each day, properly directed, will surely +bring success. + +Failure comes to those who grow weary in the struggle, and to those who +overwork themselves and overtax their abilities. + +Such persons hope that by large sacrifices of sleep and happiness, and +by extra application and hard work, they will build for themselves +fortune, that they may be happy at some future time. They make a great +mistake in this respect. + +Divide your energies so that each individual day is successful, no +matter how much the success may be. + +It is the men who are doing little things today who will be picked out +to do great things tomorrow. + +And while you are making a little success each day, be sure that your +heart sings while your hands work. + +Men who can do things are discovered. They need not push themselves to +the front. Good men are scarce, and the great successful business men +of today are the ones who know how to do the work that they are hiring +employes to do. Talent in this direction will surely attract the +attention of your superiors. + +Learn to master the details of your business yourself. Use +conscientious effort and painstaking effort. Make a round-up each night +of what you have done during the day. See wherein you have been in +error and wherein you could have improved the day's work and you will +be better fitted for tomorrow's duties. After closing your day's +business, devote a part of the evening to your family and friends, and +a part of it to some good book. + +It is not the clock that strikes the loudest that keeps the best time. +The expensive chronometer works steadily along doing its work well and +faithfully. It does not attract as much attention as the gilt clock +with its sweet chimes, but men who know things are aware that the +chronometer has the more real merit. Have the chronometer for your +ideal and not the fancy clock, for true merit will certainly receive +due reward. + +We should all have some ideal which we hope to attain tomorrow, but let +us remember that the way to reach the ideal tomorrow is to make today +successful. + +Patience is a virtue few of us are possessed of, but the story of every +successful business has written on every page of its history patience +and perseverance. + +Do not get discouraged if your rate of progress each day is not as much +as you hoped for, but, so long as you are going forward and are +patient, you may be sure that you are gaining. + + + + +Hard Times + + +Hard times follow good times with unerring regularity and certainty; +this is in perfect accordance with the rule of compensation. + +In good times we should prepare ourselves and erect strong guards +around our business, so that when hard times come we may find ourselves +able to go through the troublous times. + +If prosperity ran on unchecked, the ordinary, well-established business +would soon be a thing of the past, for people would speculate instead +of work. + +When the manufacturer has his bills paid and finds a surplus in the +bank, that surplus is likely to be turned into speculation. When +everyone speculates values rise, and continue to rise until prices +reach fictitious altitudes, and then comes about the cashing in. It so +happens that the cashing in is a general movement, and when this +happens hard times quickly follow. + +The successful business man should keep his money where it is +get-at-able, and when hard times come and the prices go away down to +low water mark, then he should buy. Later on prosperity will return, as +sure as the sun will rise, and the things bought during the hard times +will greatly increase in value. + +Hard times and prosperity rotate several times in a man's business +career. + +Hard times are necessary to the general scheme, for with continuous +prosperity business would increase to such a momentum that there is no +telling what the results would be. + +In times of prosperity you must make preparations for the hard times +that are sure to come. If your pumps are greater than your leaks, your +craft won't sink when the storm of adversity and hard times breaks +across your ship. + + + + +Sleep + + +No one can do his best work if his mind is wool gathering. If an +employe is thinking about the races, he is cheating his boss, for he +cannot give him his best service. If the employe is in the habit of +being up late nights, he cannot concentrate his mind nor bring out the +best there is in him. Nothing is so good for the hard worker, nothing +will stand him in such good stead, as plenty of sleep. + +Go to bed early. Get lots of sleep every night and you will be ready +and strong for the fray of the morrow. If you get plenty of sleep you +are far ahead of your fellow employe who does not get enough sleep. + +Sleep smooths out the wrinkles, builds up a storage battery in you and +gives you confidence in yourself. You hold your head higher, your step +is more elastic, your eyes are clearer, your mind works better, and +your stomach does its full duty if you have taken plenty of time for +sleep, for sleep is the plan of nature to restore the mind and the +body. + +Lack of sleep means wilful waste of your energies and a dulling of your +abilities. + +Business men pay for ability, keenness, alertness and capacity, and in +proportion as you limit these qualifications by lack of sleep, so in +proportion will your salary be kept down. + + + + +Grumbling + + +Grumbling kills friends. The business man who is ever grumbling and +growling about things makes a blue atmosphere about him. People somehow +or other seem to prefer a rosy atmosphere to a blue. + +There is no good in grumbling. It gains nothing. Grumbling is an +evidence that you have not sized things up correctly. That you are +laboring under a delusion; that you are looking at the world through +blue glasses, that you are not making proper estimates of other people. + +Grumbling is an advertisement to the world that you are not well +balanced. Grumbling won't help things a bit. The more you indulge in +the habit the more firmly it becomes fixed upon you, and later you will +find it almost impossible to shake it off. The grumbler grows to be a +pessimist; he says disagreeable things; he makes his friends feel ill +at ease. The grumbler gradually loses his acquaintances and even his +close friends. + +If you are starting on the grumbling path, pull yourself together and +cut the habit quick and short. Grumbling and indigestion go hand in +hand. If you have indigestion, square yourself against it, make up your +mind you will not indulge yourself and vent your ill feelings in +grumbling. + +If you can start out each day with a resolve not to grumble you will +find the proposition not difficult. The first two or three hours of the +day is the time when your resistance is called into play. There is no +better antidote or cure for the poisonous grumbling disposition than +the following, which has been for many years a pet sermonette of the +writer: Be pleasant in the morning until ten o'clock, the rest of the +day will take care of itself. + + + + +Associates + + +"Birds of a feather flock together." "A man is known by the company he +keeps." "Like begets like." "We are creatures of environment." + +All these truthful sayings have been preserved as proverbs simply +because they are simon pure truths. + +The matter of associates is most important for the business man or +employe to consider. The young man who spends his time in gambling, +drinking or dissipation cannot do his best work. He can no more hide +these practices than the clouds can obscure the sun permanently, for +evil, as well as truth, is sure to come out. + +One of the best attributes a man can possess is character. Character +gives him credit at the bank, it gives him a standing among men. If the +employe ever expects to be a boss he must have character, and he must +associate with men of ideas who will be helpful to him. + +A man will never improve his game of billiards if he always associates +and plays with an inferior. He may satisfy himself for the time being +that he is a big toad in a little puddle, but if he plays with a poorer +player than he is he is bound to retrograde. + +The only way we can advance is to surround ourselves and associate with +uplifting influences and healthful individuals. Our eyes should be +turned forward and not backward. + +It will make several seconds difference in the speed of a horse whether +he is running against a horse he can beat or running against a horse +that can beat him. Race horse men have reduced this truth to actual +practice. They have what is called a pace maker. When they want a horse +to trot fast they mount a boy on a running horse just ahead of the +trotter. + +If a man associates with his inferiors, the association will surely +keep him from progressing. + +If you want to make money, if you want to progress in the business +world, go where money is being made and mix with people who are making +money. + +No man is naturally bad. No man gives himself over to criminal acts or +hurtful habits solely upon his own instincts. These actions and habits +come about through associations. + +Go to the criminal court any day and you will see evidences of the man +who is pulled down on account of his associates. + +Mix with your superiors in matters of business and morals and you will +unconsciously absorb qualities and ideas that will push you to the +front. + +Hitch your wagon to a star. Aim high. Pick out ideals in business, and +eliminate from your path all deterrent influences. There is no +hold-back like harmful associations. You will be judged by the company +you keep. + +Old dog Tray was really a good dog, but he suffered because of his +propensity to associate with bad dogs. + + + + +Fixed Charges + + +Fixed charges are sums you have to pay out regularly, week after week, +or year after year. When you buy materials and supplies, when you lease +property or hire employes, or pay interest on borrowed money all such +things are fixed charges, and it calls for the best there is in a man +to keep these fixed charges down as low as possible. When you buy a +single item, such as a desk or a chair or a waste basket, do not lose a +lot of valuable time trying to save too much on those articles. + +When you go to New York once a year, do not stay at a second class +hotel for the several days you are in New York, when by the expenditure +of fifty cents a day more you could stop at a good hotel. + +It is false economy to spend five dollars' worth of time to save fifty +cents. + +When you are buying single articles that are not fixed charges you have +a little more leeway in the matter of price than when you are buying +things that come under the head of fixed charges. + +In the matter of fixed charges the penny you save on the unit assumes +vast proportions in the many multiples. + +Some men will deny themselves a respectable desk because they can buy a +cheaper one for ten dollars less, and this same person will lose a +thousand dollars through laxity in buying things that come under the +head of fixed charges. + +If you buy one lead pencil never mind whether the price is five or ten +cents, but if you buy great gross lots every few weeks you can afford +to be very circumspect and painstaking in the matter of price. + +If you are buying a shirt, fifty cents one way or the other does not +make much difference, but if you are in the furnishing goods business +and buying thousands of shirts at a time, twenty-five cents a dozen +means quite a lot. + +The matter of stationery and printing comes under the head of fixed +charges. If you are buying letter paper for your personal use and you +require but three or four hundred sheets in the course of a year, don't +bother very much about the price per quire. The stationery you use in +your business, which you buy in large quantities, you should be careful +of. Plain, respectable, good quality letter paper is the kind used by +successful concerns. The fancy-colored, freakish paper is nearly always +used by the four-flusher in business. He is trying to put on a good +front. He uses hand made paper and hand made envelopes. All the +get-rich-quick people use fancy, high-priced stationery. + +The successful house uses a good quality of linen or bond paper, and a +medium grade, regular stock size envelope. Envelopes are thrown away; +letters are saved. That is why an envelope does not require to be as +good quality as the letter. It is the letter and what you put on the +letter that cuts the ice. + +Fixed charges usually hide a lot of little leaks. Stop them. Many +little leaks make a big aggregate in the course of a year, and there is +no place where these leaks start as easily as in the matter of fixed +charges. + + + + +Cigarets + + +We cannot call to mind a single instance where the habitual cigaret +smoker got to the top of the ladder and held his position. We see heads +of large establishments smoke cigarets, but the habit was acquired +after the position was attained. + +The cigaret smoker suffers from lapses of memory, his nerves are +shattered, his judgment is not good, he forgets things and is +irritable. He cannot hope to compete with the clear-brained individual +who does not smoke cigarets. + +It is not the cigaret itself that does the harm, it is the smoke +inhaled into the delicate lung tissue. This smoke covers the lungs with +yellow nicotine, carbon and poisonous gases. + +Some men smoke pipes because they wish to escape the criticism to which +the cigaret smoker is subject. The pipe smoker who inhales does himself +more injury than the cigaret smoker who inhales, because the pipe +smoker takes in more smoke. + +Go to the medical college dissecting room and see the lungs of a man +who inhaled smoke, and you will quit the habit if you have been guilty. + +Don't burn your lungs with cigaret smoke, or pipe smoke either. + +The fight to get to the front is hard enough anyway, and if you want to +win, do not poison your blood with tobacco smoke. + + + + +Return Good For Evil + + +One of the first laws was "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," +but as time went on and man developed mentally his animal instincts +were subordinated and the law was changed, and the new law was this: +"return good for evil." + +Nearly every man who has an injury done him tries to repay the injury. +He must either repay it with good or with evil. If he repays it with +evil he does not get satisfaction. If he repays it with good he gets +happiness. It is certain that payment of evil with good can satisfy a +man who is looking for revenge, while it has always been a question +whether there is any satisfaction in paying evil with evil. + +If a man does you a mean turn he is expecting you will repay him in +like manner. He guards himself against this. He is ready for your +revenge, but if you repay him with good you attack him in a weak spot +and make him feel like thirty cents, and this is all the revenge you +can ask for. + +It is all right to get square with a man who does you a wrong, and the +best way to get square is by doing him a good turn. + +You should keep mental ledger accounts with all of your friends and all +your enemies. When a person does you an injury, debit him until you +have a chance to credit his account with some good turn; when you +credit his account be sure you overpay what you are owing him, so you +will have a balance coming to your credit. + +We have been taught to return good for evil, but we have heard the +saying so many times that few of us pay any attention to it. + +It's worth while testing, this rule of returning good for evil. The +next time someone harms you, repay him by doing him a kindness, and see +if you don't feel happier, and at the same time get all the +satisfaction you are looking for. It matters not whether the person to +whom you have done a kindness appreciates it; you have been benefited +and received happiness by your own act, for virtue is its own reward. + +The man who returns good for evil, has the satisfaction of the man who +has on clean underwear, the world may not know it but he does, and that +is all that is necessary. + + + + +Learn to Play + + +Nature has given us many positives and negatives. It has given us the +ability to work hard, and it has given us the ability to play hard. +Work while you work and play while you play. The man who is successful +is the man who works hard during business hours, and then goes home and +leaves his office behind him and takes up play. + +A man should devote a part of each day to recreation, to outdoor +exercise, to frivolity and to frollicking with his children at home. If +he does not care to play, worry will take the place of play. + +Worry and hard work together will kill a man. Work and play will make +him live. + +No two things can occupy the same space at the same time. These brains +of ours are always busy, and we should be careful what we give the +brain to act upon. + +If we work hard all day, the tendency is that in the evening the brain +revolves the things that have been going through it during the day. A +review of these thoughts produces worry, especially if our occupation +has been a strenuous one and if things have not been to our liking. +When we devote ourselves to play, then worry and brain rack will be +absent all the time we are playing. Play was made to rest the brain. +Your sleep will be better if you have indulged in recreation, and your +mind will be clearer the next morning. + + + + +Good Fellowship + + +Call a man a fellow and he will resent it, call him a good fellow and +he feels complimented. + +The good fellow is ever found where pleasures abound. He shines at the +dinner. His knowledge of mixed drinks is a revelation. + +The good fellow spends his time where the glasses clink, where the +horses run, and where the revelers congregate. His earnings go for +dinners, bottles and shows, and while these occupy his mind he imagines +he is having a good time, that his actions evidence "good fellowship." + +Go to the clubs and you will see the "good fellow." He is spoken of by +all the other "good fellows" as a "good fellow." And they are all good +fellows together. + +Some day the good fellow is taken sick and dies. He has not a cent to +his name, and the other good fellows take up a collection to bury him. +The only persons at the funeral are the other good fellows, and the +only requiem he receives is "Well, he was a good fellow." + +The good fellow at fifty is working for the good business man. The good +fellow is like the butterfly, and sips life's pleasures, and shows off +his fancy colors, living for today only. + +The successful man is like the ant, he works and puts something away +each day, where he can get at it in the future. + +When winter comes with its chilling blasts, the butterfly has nothing +in reserve and it starves to death, while the ant keeps himself alive +on the product of his own labor. + +Some day the good fellow finds himself in need. He goes to other good +fellows, but they can't help him because they are in the same boat +themselves. Then our good fellow grows pessimistic, and finds out too +late that it does not pay to be a good fellow. + +Good fellows don't get good jobs very often. When they do get them they +don't hold them very long. + +It is a mighty poor recommendation to be referred to as a good fellow. +People seem to think that the words "good fellow" cover a multitude of +sins, and when a man has done wrong, or makes a mistake, or uses bad +judgment, the other good fellows try to excuse his faults by +saying--"Well, he is a good fellow, anyhow." + +The good fellow bursts upon us with his halo about him. As time passes +the halo dims and the good fellow peters out. + +The good fellow who is so popular at the Club today is found tomorrow +trying to eke out an existence selling books and life insurance to +other good fellows. + +There is nothing in good fellowship that can be negotiated at the bank. +The credit man of the wholesale house does not give credit on good +fellowship. + + + + +Hard Work + + +It is a mistaken idea that hard work kills men. Hard work never killed +a man. It is the improper care of oneself when he is not working that +does the damage. + +The more a man does with his brain the less his hands will have to do. +The better a man's reasoning and common sense are, the more successful +he will be. It requires hard work these days to keep up in the race. + +You cannot make a success unless you work hard. Hard work will be much +easier if you keep worry out of it. + +Hard work brings success, but to do hard work, the machinery must be in +good order. You must keep your constitution up, you must have plenty of +sleep and you must learn to eat and breathe properly. + +No story of success has ever been truly written that did not depict +hard work in every line. + +Success comes by inches, not by leaps or bounds. Success is the pushing +forward each day by hard work. + +Burn the candle at one end only and you replace each day what you have +burned, by rest, sleep and recreation. By burning the candle at one end +only and replacing it fully each day, your candle will not burn out. + + + + +Kindness + + + "A little word in kindness spoken, + A motion or a tear, + Has often healed the heart that's broken + And made a friend sincere." + +There's nothing in business that pays so well as kindness. A man may +spend his money, and in proportion as he spends it he reduces his +principal. With kindness the matter is different, for in proportion as +you spend kindness your principal increases. + +Lincoln said "You can catch more flies with a drop of honey than with a +gallon of vinegar." + +Kindness is beautiful. It brings round you many persons who are ready +to say kind words to you. This subtle, potent influence of having lots +of friends to help you by their actions and showing their hearts is a +great blessing. It is surprising that people know so little of the +value of kindness. + +The word "gentleman" is really a compound word, meaning gentle-man, and +these words together in their simplicity are the true definition of the +word gentleman. + +Kindness means gentleness. No man is a gentleman who is not kind. + +People are glad to recognize goodness and kindness in an individual. No +one can act the part if he is not sincere. We must cultivate kindness, +if there is little of it in our makeup. We must take an inventory of +our qualities, and if the weeds of mean impulses are crowding out the +delicate flowers of kindness, we should pull out those weeds and give +the flowers a chance to grow. + +Lincoln was a kind man, kindness was his chief delight, and his +examples of kindness have been of untold benefit to millions of people. +You remember he said, "When they lay me away let it be said of me that +as I traveled along life's road I have always endeavored to pull up a +thistle and plant a rose in its stead." + +Life at best is short, and the only things we really get out of life +are happiness, health and love. Money cannot buy these things. + +The trouble with many business men is that they imagine good examples +and kindness have no place in business. They think the time to be kind +is after they have attained success financially. They think the time to +show kindness is outside of business hours. + +The real way to be happy is to do the thing now, live each day for +itself. Get kindness in each day. + +The man who is grave, austere, the man who tries to skin the other +fellow, who devotes all his energies to money-making alone, finds as +the years go by and he has attained his goal, but that he does not know +how to enjoy himself. + +There are three periods in a man's life--the future, the now and the +past. When we attain old age our life is largely made up of +reminiscences, or looking back over the past. If our past life has been +one of struggle, worry and getting the best of the other fellow, then +there is little happiness in looking back over such a life. + +The true philosopher does the thing now, he lives each day. He puts +kindness into his action, and when he grows old, he can look back +through a life that was pleasant as he lived it, and pleasanter now in +living it over again. + +One of the Greek philosophers expresses the following beautiful +thought: "If there is any good deed I can do, or kindness I can show, +let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass +this way again." + +The trouble is that some of us keep our kindnesses, or rather the +expression of it, until it is too late. + +We should remember--"Do not keep the alabaster box of your love and +tenderness sealed up until your friends are dead. Fill their lives with +sweetness, speak approvingly cheerful words while their ears can hear +them; the kind things you mean to say when they are gone say before +they go. The flowers you mean to send for their coffins send to +brighten and sweeten their homes before they leave them. If my friends +have alabaster boxes laid away full of fragrant perfumes of sympathy +and affection which they intend to lay over my dead body, I would +rather they would bring them out in my weary and troubled hours, and +open them, that I may be refreshed and cheered by them while I need +them. I would rather have a plain coffin without a flower and a funeral +without an eulogy, than a life without the sweetness of love and +sympathy. Let us learn to anoint our friends beforehand for their +burial. Post-mortem kindness does not cheer the troubled spirit. +Flowers on the coffin cast no fragrance backward over life's weary +way." + + + + +The Salesman + + +Selling goods or soliciting requires careful study. The salesman who +makes the greatest success in the long run is the man who has practiced +truth and established himself in the confidence of his customers. + +The whirlwind makes a good showing on the start, but, by the law of +compensation, what a man gains in speed he loses in power. + +Some customers are slow to open up and extend their confidence to a +salesman. Others make up their minds quickly and express their +preferences. + +A great deal of preliminary work can be avoided if the salesman is +tactful on the start. First impressions are lasting, and a salesman +should study carefully his first appearance. He should be neatly but +not flashily dressed. He should be a gentleman above all things. The +gentleman dresses so that later we can not accurately describe the +clothes he wore. It is the flashily dressed salesman we can describe +later on, for his clothes are so out of the ordinary that they are +remarkable in this respect. The flashily dressed salesman is remembered +by his clothes rather than by his personality. + +The solicitor should never smoke in the presence of the customer on +first acquaintance. The matter of smoking in a customer's presence has +prejudiced many a man against a salesman who has this practice. +Business men have prejudices, and to some smoking is highly obnoxious. +Under no circumstances smoke in a customer's presence unless the +customer is smoking, or until at least you are well acquainted with +him, and have received his permission to smoke. + +Times without number the writer has left his half-finished cigar in the +hall-way before entering the customer's presence. + +Story telling is like a two-edged sword; sometimes it helps and +sometimes it is a distinct disadvantage to tell stories. You must know +when to tell stories, and, above all, do not tell stories to your +customer that he could not repeat in his home. + +Above all things, the salesman must know his man. If the customer gives +evidence that he is fond of a story, then remember a good story and +tell it to him. No salesman ever made a distinct hit by telling vulgar +stories. While a customer may laugh, he forms an opinion of you that is +not complimentary, and, if you are always telling stories that you +would not repeat where women were present, the customer forms a very +low estimate of your character. + +The facts are the world is full of good stories, and good stories help +your case, while vulgar stories hurt it. + +Drinking is another method used by many salesmen to gain favor with a +customer, and what we have said about vulgar stories may be applied to +the matter of drinking. + +Years ago it was a general practice to take the customer out and get +him half seas over before trying to sell him. + +The customers who are most susceptible to influence through whiskey are +the ones who are most likely later on to cause you trouble, either +through failure in business or through their preference for some other +individual who can outdo you in the matter of drinking. + +You must get your customer by the heart and not by the stomach. You +must make your customer believe in you. + +In these days the business man likes to deal with a salesman who is +business from the start. He only buys goods because he expects to make +money on them, and the sooner the transaction is over, the sooner he +can turn his attention to other matters. + +The best advertising solicitors and best salesmen are those who get +business on business grounds and through their knowledge of their +business, rather than through their ability to tell stories, order +dinners and drink liquor. + +The good salesman studies the other side of the question. He acquaints +himself with the method used by the customer in disposing of his goods. +He does not talk his own side of the case all the time. He works with +the customer, tries to give him good advice and shows an interest in +the customer's business. Such a salesman gets close to the customer, +and retains his patronage long after the good fellow has passed away. + +Be wise, be patient, and above all things, acquaint yourself thoroughly +with the goods you are selling. Know more about them than your customer +does. Live up to your obligations. Keep your appointments. Study your +customers' welfare. Help them when opportunity offers. + +The life insurance solicitor who gets the most turn-downs is the one +who writes the most policies, because the fact he gets so many +turn-downs is owing to the fact that he has seen so many people. + +Hard work, cheerfulness, honesty, patience, sobriety and knowledge of +good goods will make a man a successful salesman. + + + + +Honesty + + +Under this caption we are expected to say "Honesty is the best policy." +This expression is as old as the hills, and if it were not good it +would not have obtained so long, for honesty certainly is the best +policy. + +Many a man in business practices absolute honesty and integrity, +because honesty is the simplest and best method he knows of for doing +business. + +No man can succeed permanently, who is dishonest in his practices. The +successful business man is the one who practices honesty in all actions +and dealings during his business experience. + +Honesty begets honesty. The man who is honest in his dealings with his +fellowman has a subsidy which money cannot buy. He gets honest +treatment at the hands of others. + +The merchant who cuts a bolt of silk in the middle and puts different +prices on each piece, may figure he is making money by his action, but +retribution is sure to follow. + +Honesty is a slow road to wealth, but, in accordance with the law of +compensation, in proportion as the business built up on honesty is +slow, so in proportion will it last longer. + +Honesty is the best advertisement a man can have in his business. + + + + +Success + + +If after the employe strikes a balance each day, he finds that he is +moving forward, then he is on the road to success. And so it is with +the business man, only the proportions are greater. + +One cent put at four per cent. interest per annum nineteen hundred +years ago, with interest added to the principal every twenty-five +years, would represent today more money than there is in the world. It +would have taken twenty-five years before the original investment of +one cent was doubled. + +If a man had started that plan his grandchildren would have said the +scheme was no good because it was too slow. + +The boy goes to school regularly and shows little advance in his +mentality if you measure from day to day, but the boy is gaining every +day. He is going ahead slowly but certainly. + +The gambler and the foolish man like success to come quickly and with +great strides. It is because there are many foolish men and gamblers +that the get-rich-quick fake thrives. + +The man who gets rich suddenly usually indulges in such sports as +lighting cigars with ten dollar bills, and his wind-up is in the +pauper's grave. + +No man knows the true value of money unless he has worked for it. The +man who has earned his dollars through the penny route knows the value +of the penny, and he gets mighty good value when he spends a dollar. + +The man who walks steadily in one direction does not appear to be +making much progress. The ship on the ocean seems to be standing still. +When night comes the man who has been walking steadily has disappeared, +and the ship that seemed to be standing still has vanished beyond the +horizon. + +The law of compensation says, The more haste the less speed, and so in +the matter of success, we must not feel discouraged because the speed +at which we are traveling forward does not seem noticeable when +compared with the rapid pace of some of our friends. + +Be not impatient. Learn to wait. Be a good stayer. Do not let the +success of the get-rich-quick creature deter you from your resolve to +move forward slowly. You will get there in the long run. + +And when your hair is silvered and cares rest easily upon your +shoulders, the long road you have traveled will be a source of infinite +satisfaction to you. Your retrospection will be pleasant, and the very +things that were hard in your youth, are sources of satisfaction to you +in your old age. + +Do not use the yard measure in counting your progress, but use the inch +rule that has fine fractions on it. + + + + +Thinking + + +"I did not think" is an excuse offered by many. Thinking is the thing +in business. + +The trunk railroad, the trans-Atlantic cable, the steam engine, the +electric light, the wireless telegraph, the very republic in which we +are living, came about through thinking. + +Every man should take from five to fifty minutes each day to divorce +his mind from the strenuous activity surrounding him, and devote that +time to thought, and good will come out of it. + +The brain is like a muscle, it must be exercised or it becomes flabby. + +Cultivate concentration of thought; study your sphere of usefulness; +cut out the weeds that grow in your brain; get out of the mental rut +you are in; stop drifting; keep your brain healthily active. + +Men are paid either for what they think or for what their muscles do. +Man's muscles have a limit; he can move just so much matter by physical +force. But his capacity from a mental standpoint is unlimited. + +The world offers golden prizes to the man who thinks. Therefore we +should cultivate our brains and make them expand. The brain is like a +plant. If you nourish and cultivate it and care for it, it will grow +too. + +Excitement, striving for pleasures, indulging in reading light, frothy +literature, excessive daily newspaper reading are all weeds and thought +killers. + +Don't act on impulses. The get-rich-quick man or the fake mine promoter +says, "Buy today, the price goes up tomorrow." These fakirs don't want +you to think. Thinking is an enemy to their persuasive arguments. If +you think, and think rightly, the fakir does not get you. + +When you get a nasty letter don't answer it right away. Think it over. +Think carefully. If your thoughts of revenge are so strong that you +cannot calm yourself down, then write a letter and express yourself in +the fullest degree. Leave the letter on your desk. Do not look at it +for three hours. Then when you look at it you will instantly determine +to tear it up, because in the meantime you have been thinking. + +Thoughts expressed on paper have a different sound than if they are +uttered verbally, therefore you should think carefully when you write. + +Cultivate poise, calmness, and practice careful thought before you +speak or write. + +In proportion as you master difficult problems through thought, your +brain will be ready for greater conquests. + +Here are some things to think about during these times when business is +so good. + +These prosperous times are dangerous times. In times of prosperity we +build up false idols, and raise our hopes and ambitions beyond the +safety point. + +Prosperity makes most of us careless. We don't give our business the +careful consideration we should. We run to extremes during prosperous +times. + +We should make the most of prosperity while it is here. We should enjoy +it to the fullest, but we should remember that for every high tide +there is a low ebb. + +Prosperity should enable us to put away a reserve for the hard times. + +We should be careful that prosperity does not turn our heads or cause +us to lose our vigilance. + + + + +Home Life + + +After all we say and do, the real pleasure of this world comes from the +home. The gilded palaces we see in our travels abroad are beautiful to +look upon presently, but later on they serve their purpose to make a +contrast with the sweet simplicity of home. + +When you go home, cut business out, and let play and sociability and +love occupy your time. + +A married man should be in partnership with his wife. The man being +fitted with sturdier physique, with strong ability to combat, should +take up the heavy burden of business, for those are the things he can +do the best. The wife should take up the home part of the duties of the +firm, and when evening falls each member of the firm should try to +lessen or take away the cares to which the other has been subject +during the day. + +The best place in the world is the home, and in proportion as home life +is unsatisfactory or uncongenial, so in proportion are the Clubs filled +with dissatisfied and unhappy men. If you want to hear pessimistic +talks on home life, talk with those derelicts who spend most of their +time at the Clubs. + +Learn to make much of little things. Learn that smiles and good humor +in the home bring happiness, and iron out the frowns and check the mean +impulses arising within us. Be pleasant every morning until ten +o'clock, and the rest of the day will take care of itself. Start out in +the morning right and happiness will be home at night. + +There is nothing in your old age that will be such a comfort to you as +retrospection, or looking back over a long life of happiness in the +home. The happy little incidents which today seem trivial will be +remembered in the future, and a thousand and one occurrences which are +happening in the home are being put away in the store-house of memory, +later to be called upon and enjoyed again. + +In the evening of life when you and your silver-haired partner sit +before the fire place, when you have retired from active participation +in your respective branches of the business, which is bread winning on +the part of the man and bread making on the part of the woman, then you +will have a happiness and satisfaction which all the gold in the world +could not buy. The pleasures of the old who have had happy homes during +their lives are the greatest pleasures in the world. + +The sunset of your life will not be beautiful unless your home life was +pleasant during your day of work. + + + + +Optimism + + +The man who is an optimist may be laboring under a delusion, but +certain it is that he is happy while under the delusion. + +Every man should have ideals. He should see the beauty and good in +things. He may not accomplish his ideals, but the anticipation and +working out of them is a mighty pleasant vocation. + +The pessimist is always unhappy, and when no definite thing is before +him to worry about, the very fact that there is nothing to worry about +makes him unhappy. + +The pessimist says "Business is not half as good as it would be if it +was twice as good as it is." The optimist says "Business is twice as +good as it would be if it was only half as good as it is." + +Grizzly Pete, of Frozen Dog, Idaho, is an optimist, and Webb Grubb, of +the same town, is a pessimist. A short time ago they had a big rain +storm in Frozen Dog. Webb Grubb kicked about the rain. Grizzly Pete, +all wreathed in smiles, said "Rain is a mighty good thing to lay the +dust." A few days later the sun came out oppressively warm. Webb Grubb +kicked about the warm weather. Grizzly Pete, again all smiles, said +"Hot weather and sunshine are mighty good things to dry the mud." + +The pessimist goes about with a dark lantern peering into +out-of-the-way places, ever looking for meanness and things to find +fault about. + +The optimist goes about in the bright sunlight looking for the +beautiful things, and sees more things by the aid of the great sunshine +than the pessimist can find with his little dark lantern. + +The optimist rises in the morning with gladness in his heart, sunshine +in his face and smiles upon his lips. The mere privilege of living and +enjoying nature is a priceless satisfaction to him. He gets good out of +life every moment he lives. He is a man to be envied, if envy is ever +allowable. + +The pessimist warps his mind and his physique, and his influence on +others is decidedly bad. + +The optimist raises the average of the world by his presence, the +pessimist lowers the average. + +The optimist is in the majority, however, and the world is growing +better. + +Learn to see beauty in the small things. Study nature. Watch the +processes of plant life and animal life. Surround yourself with helpful +influences; books, music, friends. + +There is no investment a man can make that yields such unbounded +returns as optimism. + +Optimism cannot be bought with money. It is as free as the air we +breathe. That is why poor people generally are optimists. + + + + +Memory + + +The man whose memory allows him to play four games of chess blindfolded +is good for nothing else. + +Book-keepers who can name every folio page and every customer's balance +are good for little else. + +There is nothing in mental gymnastics from the dollar standpoint. + +The good lawyer or the good business man does not rely on his memory, +but rather his ability to find out things and get at results. + +If you remember only the customers who are slow pay or shaky, it will +be a lot easier than to remember the names of all the customers who pay +promptly. + +If your wife wants you to get something down town tomorrow, write her +request on a little piece of paper, roll it up in a ball, put it in +your pocket with your loose change. Forget the incident, let the paper +do the memory act. + +Next day when you reach in your pocket for change you will find the +little ball with the reminder on it. + +If there is something you want to attend to at home, drop yourself a +postal card. + +Carry a little pad of paper in your pocket. Write down the little +things you are to do. Don't store your mind with these temporary +matters. Let the tab remember for you. + +Let your mind be like a sieve, and have the meshes coarse enough to +keep in the big things and let the little things go through. + +Have your business figures written down, your comparative sales, +increases or losses. Study the written figures. Have system. Do things +methodically. Don't trust to your memory. If the thing you see or hear +is worth keeping, write it down on the little tab. + +The orator who commits his speech to memory is in a sorry plight if he +forgets a sentence. + +If you are to speak at a dinner, lay out your plan, divide your topic +into several parts. Jot down the catch lines, and just before you speak +look over the ticket. Charge your brain with the points or ideas and +build the words around them. + +Don't remember things with verbatim correctness. Remember the skeleton +thought, the idea. + +When you quote a price or figure, jot it down. Confirm the verbal +statement by a written memorandum. + +Memory is a bad servant sometimes. You remember a thing one way and the +other fellow remembers it another way. You are both honest, but one of +you is wrong. If you had made a memorandum in duplicate or jotted down +the figures, what trouble it would have saved you. + +Where dollars are concerned it is good sense to trust to a written +memo., and not to any mental memo. + +No use to cram your brain with transient things, when lead pencils and +paper are so cheap and so easily obtainable. + +The employe who trusts to his memory hurts the business, and after he +quits a lot of misunderstandings will come up. + +Insist on your employes making memorandums of things and prices, for +when the employe goes he takes his memory with him. If he has a +memorandum you know the facts. + + + + +Worry + + +Nothing will prevent effective work like worry. If you are given to +introspection and worry, and allow these things to go unchecked, they +become habits with you, and while your sleep, in a measure, is an +antidote for worry, yet the more worry you have the less soundly you +will sleep, and consequently the less effective sleep will be in +correcting the injury caused by worry. + +Sunshine and darkness cannot be present at the same time, for in nature +one of the first rules we find is that no two objects can occupy the +same place at the same time. No matter how much one is given to the +worry habit, he experiences reflex moments when he does not worry. Some +of our pessimistic friends who are given to the worry habit say it is +impossible for them not to worry. You are thinking of what you are +reading, and if your mind is interested in it you are not worrying +while you are reading these articles, and this shows that if you are +interested in reading there is little chance for worry to get in; for +your mind is occupied. + +Men have tried all sorts of things to escape worry. Some of them +frequent places where gaiety and mirth abound, so that they are for the +time being banishing worry, but in proportion as these things keep one +from worrying, the reaction is stronger when it does come, and the +individual who tries to escape worry by going the pace and occupying +his time with light things, suffers more keenly from worry when it does +come. Some men turn to drink to kill worry. Many a man imagines while +he is drunk and his brain is clogged with alcohol that he is the +happiest man in the world, and some of them go to the extent of +imagining their finances are in a flourishing condition. The alcohol +fills the brain with fancy pictures, and for the time being the mind +forgets to worry. When the alcohol wears away the brain takes up the +worry again in an increased degree. + +To kill worry by the active process is like trying to cure rheumatism +by external application. The only thing you do is to stop the pain +temporarily. The best way to cure rheumatism is to go at it through the +blood. Eradicate the uric acid from the system, and then the rheumatism +will disappear. The best way to cure worry is not by local +applications, but by getting at the root of things. Eliminate as far as +possible the things which cause worry. Remember that as long as you +live there will come things across your path that are not to your +liking. You should be philosophical, and make the best of things that +are about you. Look at the bright side rather than the dark. + +There are only two things in the world to worry about. First--the +things we can control or change; second, the things over which we have +no control. Now, it is manifestly useless to worry over the first kind; +for we can correct the thing and there will be nothing to worry about. + +It is manifestly useless to worry over the things we cannot control, +for, as set down in the second proposition, we cannot change the +things. It therefore behooves us to eliminate from our calculations the +second kind of worry, for no amount of worry can possibly change that +kind. We must therefore confine our attention to the first kind, the +kind we can change, and when we have changed the thing there is no +cause to worry. + +Nothing helps a man's health so much as contrasts in climate or habits. +When the doctor tells you it is necessary to go to California or +Arizona, or some other distant point, he knows that fifty per cent. of +the good you will get by the change is from the water, air, sunshine +and surroundings, and the other fifty per cent. of the good you will +get is because you have been taken away from the very things that have +been causing you worry. If you can't get contrasts by trips to other +distant points, you can get the contrasts right where you live. If your +mind is occupied in the day with deep thinking and hard business +problems, you should occupy your evening with something that will +contrast with it. Take up some light literature, play with your +children, or work at some hobby in which you are interested. + +The trouble with those who worry most is that they have worked +themselves up to such a frenzied state they can't read anything +excepting startling newspaper articles and freakish, frothy books. + +The man with rheumatism cannot cure himself in a day, neither can the +man with the worry habit eradicate worry from his make-up in a day or +so. + +The man who worries should make up his mind he is going to read and get +interested in the reading. Let him set apart ten minutes the first day, +and agree that he will devote those ten minutes honestly, intently to +the subject before him. The next day he can add a minute or two, and so +on until he can read one or two hours at a time. Finally, the wrinkles +will be ironed out and the horizon will be brightened. + +As we are, so is the world to us. The most familiar objects change +their aspect with every change of the soul. When you worry, everything +is distorted, everything appears unnatural, the world looks dark, our +friends seem far off. The jokes we hear fall flat. We indulge ourselves +in pessimism. + +When the whole matter is summed up philosophically, there is no bad +luck in the world except sickness. All other so-called hard luck is +simply temporary. If you lose your money, don't worry about it, make +some more. If you lose a friend, don't worry; show him his mistake. If +you lose an opportunity, do not worry; be ready for the next one. + +Life is short. The end of life is death. What's the use of worrying. + +Worry is like drink. The more you give it the more it fastens on you. + +Cultivate a cheerful disposition. Mix with people who are cheerful. Do +not allow the garden of your mind to grow up with worry weeds. + +Occupation kills worry. If your mind is filled with uplifting work or +brain training it will have little time to worry. + + + + +Promises + + +A business man may be rated as worth a million, but if he breaks his +promises regarding payments or fulfillments of contracts, he will find +later on those who deal with him will insist upon cash transactions. + +Keeping promises is the basis of credit. Let it be said of you that you +always keep your promise; that you have never been known to break your +word, and you will need little persuasion to get the credit man's O.K. + +If you purchase for cash right along, some day you can ask for and will +receive a small credit, if you promise to make your payments on a +certain date. If you keep your promise you can repeat the operation. +Later on you will be given larger credit, because you have been keeping +your promises. You can increase your credit step by step to amazing +proportions if your promises are always kept. + +The business world places much confidence in promises. The note in the +bank is a written evidence of the promise. The note says on the face of +it "I promise to pay." The Government of the United States issues bank +notes on the face of which is a promise. + +When you make promises as regards dates, jot down the promise in your +memorandum book. Whatever you do, keep that promise. The man who breaks +his promise in little things will break them in greater ones. + +When you make a promise to meet a man it is just the same as promising +to pay a man money. In either instance you are in the man's debt, and +the obligation is not cancelled until the debt is paid. In other words, +until the promise is fulfilled. + +Just so sure as the sun sets, the man who habitually breaks his +promises will surely break his business. + + + + +Independence + + +It seems to be the rule rather than the exception that the moment a +business man attains success he grows independent. + +There is no such thing as independence within the full meaning of the +word. Every creature in the world is dependent more or less. + +The man who takes delight in his so-called independence and forces it +to the front, soon receives knocks. + +The constant tapping and knocking hurts anyone. Boosts beat knocks. The +man who has a reputation for being independent never gets boosts. + +Some business men forget the obligations they are under. They forget +the help that was extended to them in time gone by. They furnish up a +fine mahogany office, with an outer room, and outside of this another +room with an information desk. They cultivate coldness and +independence. They make it difficult for their friends to see them. +They put a lot of red tape around their business, and by these acts +they get out of touch with the pulse of the business. They look at +things through colored glasses. Their judgment gets warped. + +In proportion as a man cultivates independence and autocratic ideas, +just so in proportion is he nearing the brink over which many have +fallen to destruction. When an independent man has a fall, his enemies +glory and loud are the shouts that arise from them, and if we listen +closely we will hear the multitude say: "Serves him right." + +There is nothing like democracy in business. By this it must not be +understood that the head of the concern is to see every pedler, or +every life insurance agent. But if the business man is accessible, and +greets you with a glad hand, and in the pleasant manner turns you over +to the proper department head, you go away from the office satisfied, +and you give this man a boost instead of a knock. + +The late P. D. Armour was a good example of the point we are making, he +did not waste time in social visits during business hours, but anyone +who had business with the Armour Institution could get an interview +with Mr. Armour. It has often been remarked by business men that they +would rather have a turn-down from Mr. Armour than an order from some +of the other houses, for Mr. Armour always made one feel good. + +No one can be independent. The larger one's business is the more the +proprietor is dependent on those around him. + +It takes many months to build a sky scraper, yet a wrecking company can +tear a sky scraper to the ground in a few days, and so it is with a +man's reputation. It takes years to get good credit in the commercial +world, but if success spoils a man and makes him independent, he has +created enemies, and there is no telling where these enemies will get +in their work. It is like the worms eating through the bottom of a +ship. Some day the craft goes down because of the silent attacks made +in it, which were not visible from the surface. + +Some day the independent man is surprised to have the bank call him in +and insist that he take up his loans. He is astonished; he does not +know why this sudden change has happened, but like as not some secret +enemy in the bank, or some secret competitor who has a friend in the +bank, has gotten in his work, and then this independent man finds out +how really dependent he is. + +The safer a man is from attacks, the safer his business is from the +financial standpoint, and the more generous this man should be in his +consideration for others. + +No man can afford to be independent. Men who have built up their +business slowly are not the ones whose heads are turned and who affect +this independent air. The independent man is nearly always the newly +rich or the suddenly successful business man, and the moment he sets +himself up as independent he is made the target for an army of enemies +who are waiting for a chance to injure him. + + + + +Short Letters + + +Most business men make much ado about nothing in the matter of +correspondence. They use a wilderness of words to express themselves. +They write at such length that the original meaning runs into so many +by-lanes that the meaning is lost. + +The man who writes long letters usually deals out high sounding phrases +and customary paragraphs such as he has picked up through his perusal +of others' letters. + +The average business man seems to glory more in his ability to use +euphonious sentences than to talk to the point. + +Letters should be like telegrams, they should be short and to the +point, so there will be no misunderstanding on the part of the +recipient. + +There is one business man that we have been in close touch with for +over fifteen years. We have heard from him an average of once a week, +and in all that time he has never written a letter of over twenty-five +lines. Our records show there is no customer with whom we had so much +business dealings and so little misunderstanding as this one. + +Write short letters. Use small words. Don't be blunt, but be short. + + + + +Perspiration + + +No matter what one's aspirations may be, success will not come without +perspiration. It is well this is so, otherwise success would not be +appreciated. That which a man earns by perspiration he appreciates and +knows how to enjoy. + +If success were something that could be drawn by chance, like a prize, +success would not be worth anything. + +The measure of any valuable thing, or condition, or relationship is the +amount of work, energy, trouble and sacrifice that has been expended to +obtain it. + +None is to be more pitied than the rich idle-born, who have every +comfort around them. They do not know that perspiration must be added +to aspiration before they get success. + + + + +Friends + + +How little the average business man understands this word "friends." + +In everyday conversation we hear one man say to another "Mr. Blank is a +friend of mine." + +As a matter of fact the word acquaintance could be substituted in +ninety-nine cases out of a hundred where the word friend is used. + +Real friends are few and far between. A real friend is never determined +until a test has been made, and this test is usually troublous times, +adversity or the loss of a loved one. + +When afflictions come to our families, or reverses come to our +business, when the dark clouds hang over us, when stormy seas are about +to swamp us, when we need help, then is the time we find who are our +true friends. When such calls for friendship arrive it is surprising to +see how we have been mistaken in individuals. Those upon whom we +counted most shrug their shoulders, draw their skirts about them and +give us good advice, while those whom we had never counted as friends +come to the front and lend helping hands. + +The word friend has been greatly abused. Around places of gaiety, where +drinks and good fellowship abound, we frequently hear the word friend, +but in the time of trouble those who pose as friends will not help us, +and the few who would help us cannot because they have squandered their +substance and have not the ability to help us. A friend in need is a +friend indeed. + +There is no relationship more sacred than friendship. + +Friendship carries with it love. The true friend is not one made in a +hurry. There is no friend like the old one with whom you went +birdnesting in your youth, the friend that has plodded along life's +road with you shoulder to shoulder. + +When you have a friend who has proven himself such, never let up so +long as you live in your evidences of gratitude for the kindness he has +shown you. Repay him with interest for his good offices, and let your +actions towards him ever be a source of happiness and pleasure to him. + +Nothing is so much appreciated between friends as gratitude, and +nothing will kill friendship like ingratitude. + +Genuine friendship is such a rare jewel that when you have a positive +demonstration of it, let it be your great concern that you will do +nothing to mar this friendship, for broken friendship is a source of +grief to both friends so long as they live. + + + + +Employes + + +The success of any business depends upon the hearty cooperation of the +employes. + +We have often heard that a corporation has no soul. A corporation +probably has no soul but most of us forget that the officers of the +corporation have souls and hearts, and in proportion as the individual +at the head of a corporation or private enterprise treats his employes +just so he will be repaid. + +We are paid back what we pay out. If we are harsh and mean to others, +ever suspicious, ever looking for evil motives, those who work for us +will be suspicious of us and look for evil motives behind our every +act. + +The employer who shows consideration, cultivates respect and sets a +good example will find it pays from a monetary standpoint, as well as +in the satisfaction he has in knowing that he is doing the right thing. + +Lincoln said "A house divided against itself must fall." If the +employes of an institution spend their time in wrangling and +quarreling, it means a divided house, and the house will certainly +suffer. + +Set a good example to your employes. Take them into your confidence. +Recognize ability. Advance worthy ones, and you will find everyone from +the office boy to the officer pulling on the rope in the same +direction, and you will get full measure of ability from everyone who +works for you. + +It is impossible to suddenly get a perfect working force. A good +organization comes through the process of evolution and elimination. + +Whenever an employe does all he is hired to do and a little more, that +employe is in a position to occupy a place of greater responsibility. + +If an employe is a sluggard or a four-flusher, he may be sure these +things will be found out and he cannot hope for advancement. + +Employes should remember that the most successful institution is the +one whose managers are developed from the rank and file. The best +houses do not hire high class help from other concerns. The most +successful men are those who started in at the bottom of the ladder, +and by perseverance and pluck and aptitude they climbed the ladder +until they reached the top. + +Employes should remember that the most difficult problem the employer +has to solve is that of good employes. + +A small want ad. in the metropolitan daily will bring an army of cheap +help. The market is full of cheap help, but good employes that are +worth over $2,000 a year are very scarce. The high priced employes are +generally the best money makers of the institution, for they are +selling their brains rather than their hands. The hands are limited, +the brains are not. + +Employes, there are golden opportunities before you. Disregard the +clock. Bend your energies toward doing your work well. The advancement +will be sure to follow. + +The trouble with many employes is that their minds are filled with +outside matters of a frivolous nature. + +In every large city there are thousands of dude employes, the kind who +wear high collars, the kind who spend all their salary for clothes. + +The dude employe stands in his own light. He wears a higher priced tie +than the boss; he is immaculately neat; he looks like a fashion plate, +but at the same time his tailor bill is not paid, he is owing money +right and left. He spends his evenings in the cafes, and at odd moments +during the day he dodges out to look over the racing form and smoke a +cigaret. This dude employe sits up late at night. He spends his salary, +and more too, in the gay life. He is tired next morning when he comes +down. + +The dude employe who wears a high collar is not the one that knuckles +down to hard work. Perspiration and high collars do not go well +together. The dude employe does not like perspiration, so he sees to it +that he does not exert himself enough to perspire. + +Employes should remember that very truthful axiom: "The employe who +never does more than he is paid for is never paid for more than he +does." + +The employe should remember that the boss takes large chances in hiring +help, for there is not one employe out of ten that is a good +investment. The employes should remember that it is necessary for the +boss to make a good margin of profit on each employe, else he could not +maintain his business. + +Every employe who studies how much he can do is a help to an employer. +Every employe who sees how little he can do is a hold-back to the +institution. + +Employes should remember that prosperity goes in cycles, that it is but +three generations from shirt sleeve to shirt sleeve. + +Over ninety per cent. of the bosses today started in and worked their +way up from the ground. The young man who inherits a partnership in his +father's business really has a handicap on him, and is not as likely to +succeed as an employe who starts in at the bottom of the ladder. + +Employes should remember that responsibilities only come to those +whose shoulders are broad enough to bear them, and when additional +responsibility comes to an employe that employe should look upon the +responsibility as a distinct advantage to him, for it gives him an +opportunity to show the stuff he is made of. + + + + +Laxity + + +When young men start in business their thoughts are all prospective. +They look forward to the time when they will attain success. They work +hard. They put enthusiasm and long hours into their business. As years +pass they attain success and cash in this world's goods. They buy +beautiful homes and surround themselves with luxury. They indulge in +high living. They have country places. They take things easy. They sit +back in their chairs and imagine their business will go on forever +because they are so well established. + +The hard worker is entitled to slacken up a little as success comes to +him, but the moment his energies commence to wane, he should see to it +that he gets the right sort of young material in the institution to +keep up the enthusiasm and hard work which he himself has had. + +In the very nature of things it is impossible for a man to keep up his +youthful pace in his mature age, for, as we have frequently observed, +you can't go fast far. + +One of the principal elements in Marshall Field's success was that he +got enthusiastic, hard workers around him. The moment he saw signs of +laxity in any of these individuals, he let them out and got new +material. + +Laxity means loss of power, and with loss of power the machine does not +do as good work. + +Laxity in business is a waste. + + + + +Enthusiasm + + +In these days of keen competition and wonderful activity it is +necessary for the business man to have enthusiasm. If he lacks in this, +his business will be at a stand-still, while his enthusiastic +competitor goes forward. + +Enthusiasm should not be carried to an extreme any more than any other +good thing should be carried to an extreme, but at that it is better to +be over-enthusiastic than not enthusiastic enough. No one can be truly +enthusiastic who does not believe in his business. Enthusiasm is a form +of advertising. It shows the people you deal with that there is +something going on and that you believe in your own medicine. + + + + +Catching Up + + +Nearly every one in this business world seems to be engaged in the +occupation of "catching up." Nearly everyone is a little behind in the +matter of finances. + +As soon as one gets across the stream and is on dry land and has his +bills all paid, then he takes on new responsibilities and goes deeper +in debt. + +It is a very hard game, this catching up. The game of existence is very +easy to play when you are caught up. + +We have tramped through the forests of the great West, and we have +invariably found that the pace-makers or leaders are the least tired at +night, while the followers or those who are behind trying to catch up, +are the ones who are most fatigued. + +Some people are habitually behind "with their hauling," as the +Missourians say. No matter how their salaries may increase they are +proportionately behind with their hauling all the time. When an employe +gets $50.00 a month he is owing $75.00, he is working hard at the +catching-up game all the time. He figures that if he only got $75.00 a +month, he could apply the $25.00 extra and could catch up in three +months. The theory is all right but the practice is not, for when this +individual gets $75.00 a month, instead of applying that $25.00 extra +to catching up, he finds that he wants better neckties and better +underwear, and makes greater expenditures all along the line, so +instead of wiping out that $75.00 debt he had when earning $50.00 a +month, he finds himself $150.00 in debt on his $75.00 salary. + +This catching up has a bad influence. It worries the individual; he +does not do his best work. + +When you have all your bills paid and a surplus of $500 in the bank, +your head is higher, your chest is broader, your backbone stiffer, and +you have a confidence that helps you take on greater responsibilities. + +To be in debt is to be under obligations to your friends, and it kills +off those strong qualities which you naturally possess but which warp +when you are catching up. The man who is catching up cringes instead of +standing erect, he is suppliant instead of dominant. He is disturbed by +little things, and in the meantime the catching up process is tearing +down his nervous system. + +Get caught up with your hauling. Whatever your income is, save a +percentage of it. Do not mistake us in thinking that we are preaching +the old sermon of the savings bank, which is, save your pennies and the +dollars will take care of themselves, for our friend Grizzly Pete of +Frozen Dog, Idaho, says: "Save your pennies, the dollars will be blown +in by your heirs." + +No man gets rich through mere saving, but it is the training the man +gets in saving the pennies that gives him a good idea of values of +things and shows him the importance of having a reserve. + +If the boss is extravagant in little things, the employe multiplies the +extravagance. + +If you are always catching up while you are an employe you will always +be catching up while you are boss. If you are always saving and putting +by a reserve while you are an employe, you will be doing the same thing +when you are a boss. The principle is the same. It is merely a question +of figures. + +Do not take on financial responsibilities until you see your way clear +to meet the responsibilities, and in addition to meeting them, see to +it that you have made an allowance for good measure. + +Catching up calls for double effort and double work. + + + + +Anger + + +In proportion as a man is wise, he controls his anger. + +Centuries ago the following truth was written: "Whom the gods would +destroy they first make angry," and in the same era there was also +given us another truth: "A soft answer turneth away wrath." + +A man's judgment gets twisted, his ground becomes insecure and his +point of vantage weakens when he becomes angry. + +The man who keeps calm when the other fellow gets angry has infinitely +the best of the matter. + +Let the other fellow fret and stew and get red in the face, but you +keep calm and you will win the fight every time. + +Control yourself, change the subject, and absent yourself when anger +shows. + +Cultivate poise, refrain from lowering yourself to the methods of the +ignorant, which is anger. By keeping your temper when your adversary +gets angry you thereby show your superiority, and your adversary +instinctively feels you are a bigger man than he is. + +A cool head is wonderful capital for an employer or an employe. + +Don't mistake coolness and poise for submissiveness and servility. +Don't let people impose on you and take advantage of your good nature. + +State your position in cool, well-weighed words, and carry conviction +with them by your manner. + +It takes two to make a quarrel. Whenever anger is present, do not be +one of the two. + + + + +Precedent + + +Precedent has caused many failures. We refuse to make a bold move and +inaugurate a new system because we hate to break away from the methods +established by successful predecessors. + +We say "Let well enough alone." We forget that times change, and that +conditions which made our competitors successful, may not now exist. + +If you have the precedent habit it is an admission that you have not +the brains to originate, and you are trying to take advantage of +another's brains. + +You remember the old fable of the lion and the jackass. The jackass was +browsing on thistles in the desert. It took all his time to gather +enough of the scanty vegetation to keep him alive. One day the jackass +noticed the lion comfortably eating a lamb, whereupon he said "That's +the scheme for me. I will do the same trick as Mr. Lion," and +forth-with the jackass found a dead lion and covered himself with the +lion's skin, hoping that with the lion's skin he would appear as a lion +and thus be able to catch game in large portions, and relieve himself +of this slow monotonous, hard work he had been used to. The jackass +sallied forth, but he could not catch a lamb. He had copied the lion so +far as physical appearances were concerned, but he did not have the +brains of the lion, and he failed. + +There are hundreds of wealthy business concerns today who are slowly +dying from dry rot because they have not the nerve to break away from +the precedent that built up their businesses. They let sentiment +outweigh common sense. They maintain the same old lines and follow the +same policy because that policy years before things made them +successful. + +Many manufacturers continue to advertise in publications which have +long since lost their advertising value. These manufacturers have the +habit, and on account of precedent they are afraid to break away. They +do not recognize that since they started there are dozens of newer, +brighter and better publications than the ones they are using. + +Columbus, Marconi, Edison, Stevenson, Newton, Fulton, and hundreds of +other originators would never have succeeded if they had followed +precedent. They required strong courage to break away from accepted +methods. Each of these men was told in so many words that the thing +never had been done, and consequently could not be done. + +Business men who throw aside precedent are more apt to succeed, for by +throwing aside precedent they show they have originality instead of the +ability to copy. + + + + +Financing + + +A financier and a general are much the same thing. The financier makes +the dollars do the work at the best place, and the general does the +same thing with his soldiers. The financier with plenty of money in the +bank and the general with plenty of soldiers at his command are alike. +They give the order and the thing is done, for they have the material +to do the thing with. The difference between the good financier and the +bad financier is like the difference between the good general and the +bad one, the difference being that the good one makes a little go a +long way, and gets the best results from the little under his command. + +The cause of many failures is due to bad financing instead of bad +business. The trouble is few business men know exactly "where they are +at." + +A detailed statement should be kept of all obligations. The business +man should get along as far as possible without giving notes, and when +he does give notes he should see to it that the notes are taken up when +due. + +The business man who overstocks shows he is a bad financier. The man +who buys too much on possibilities makes a mistake. + +As you go along this year you should make statistics of the receipts +and expenses by the day, week, month and year. With these figures you +can make up a budget of your receipts and expenses for the coming year +with reasonable correctness. + +Keep your resources well in hand. Buy often rather than buy in large +quantities. + +If you are owing money to the bank, have your plans arranged so that +you can realize on your assets quickly. + +The good general always plans his campaign to be ready for attack that +may come through unexpected sources. The good financier is always ready +for an attack on his finances. + +The concerns from whom one buys may be prosperous. The bank with whom +one deals may be flourishing, and yet without warning something happens +and you are suddenly called upon to liquidate your indebtedness. You +should be prepared for this sudden call. + +Financing is an art, and you will never be a good financier unless you +have had perplexing problems to solve. In order to solve problems you +must have the pro and con, in other words, the details of your receipts +and expenses. These figures should be put down plainly, with elaborate +detail, if necessary, so you may count on your figures and make your +plans accordingly. Preparing for emergencies is one of the first things +the financier should understand. + + + + +Discontent + + +While in another part of this book we show that ambition is one of the +things that makes success, yet it must not be forgotten that discontent +is another great factor in bringing about success. + +When the young man quits school he has life before him and has ambition +to succeed. It is not particularly necessary that we find out what his +ambition is to start him on the right path. Let the young man get +started at any thing. If he is ambitious and has ability in him to +manage a business he will get there finally. + +He may get started in the wrong line and this will make him +discontented. The discontent will cause him to try another tack, and so +long as discontent makes him change he will finally get into the right +line by the process of eliminating those callings which make him +discontented. + +Time after time we find in reading the stories of successful business +men that they have floundered around in the beginning of their career +from one business or calling to another. Discontented with each of them +they changed and changed and changed until they finally struck the +thing best suited to them, and all the changes they made in the past +were distinctly beneficial because of the experience they obtained. + +If it were not for discontent many of the leaders in the business world +today would still be on the farm or clerking in a country store. + +Keep busy, young man, do the first thing that comes handy. Change your +job if you are discontented, for no one can do his best work if his +heart is not in it. When discontent causes you to change frequently you +may be sure that some day you will strike your gait, and then ambition +will fire you to stick at it. + +When you get on the right track and are not discontented you have +struck it right. + + + + +The Generalist + + +The chapter on "The Specialist" is almost inseparable from this +chapter. One is the positive, the other the negative. What we have said +about the specialist we could repeat by taking the opposite of the +question for the generalist. + +This one point, however, we wish to make clear, even at the risk of +repetition. Do not be a generalist in business. If you divide your +efforts your results will surely be divided. The business man who goes +in many outside ventures will not get along as far in the matter of +wealth as the man who does one thing well. + +We hear about "The jack of all trades," but the aftermath of the jack +of all trades is "master of none." + +Only one concern in fifty succeeds in business, therefore it calls for +your best efforts if you wish to succeed. It calls for a singleness of +purpose. + +If you make more money than is necessary in your business put out the +money in some form of investment that will require little of your +attention. Buy mortgages or real estate. Get stuff that you can put in +the green box in the safety deposit vault and not have to worry about. + +The stockbroker has a lot of unwritten history about the business man +who divides his energies between his office and the ticker. The +business man who is trying to make more progress than his competitor in +business and at the same time trying to beat out the stock market is +dividing his energies, and between the two occupations he is likely to +fail. Be a generalist in pleasure and recreation, but not in business. + + + + +Our Aches and Pains + + +When we work hard with our body all day our backs ache and our muscles +ache. This is all right, for Nature has given us sweet refreshing +slumber to drive away the aches and pains so that on the morrow we are +ready for the fray. + +In proportion as we have endured these backaches and pains and are +patient in our occupation, the aches will lessen until finally we have +laid up a store of energy so that the aches will not bother us. + +The backaches and muscle-aches and headaches we have, when they come +from honest work performed for the benefit of those we love, are sweet +aches and pains. They represent sacrifice, these aches and pains do, +and sacrifice brings happiness. The only way to be truly happy is to do +something for somebody, and doing something for somebody is making a +sacrifice for somebody. + +The aches and pains we have endured in performing labor for those we +love is the best evidence of genuine sacrifice. + +We gladly suffer when our efforts are appreciated, and when those for +whom we work are grateful, but there is one pain that never lessens, +and it is the pain that kills. That pain is a heartache, and the +heartache comes from ingratitude. + +After we have endured backaches and headaches for those we love and +find the effort has not been appreciated, then comes the heartache, and +that is the ache that kills. + +Whenever anyone does something for you, your first concern should be to +show appreciation. + +Gratitude is one of the most priceless gems in nature's collection. +There is nothing lower on the face of the earth than an ingrate and a +snake's belly. + + + + +Dressing + + +Many persons look upon the good dresser, and think that good dressing +is an evidence of success. In dressing, as in everything else, the +extremes should be avoided. The man who is temperate has the right +idea. A man must be temperate in dressing as in all other things. + +We have all seen the solicitor and the business man who look like a +fashion plate or tailor's model. Each day he appears with a different +suit. He wears the latest ties, the latest shoes, and appears in the +height of fashion. This extra dresser is a four-flusher, for he is +trying to appear as something that he is not. Grizzly Pete says "It +ain't what's on a man but what's in him that counts." + +In proportion as a man's character or mental training is lacking, he +often tries to make up for it in dress. With some it is a case of +ninety per cent. dress and ten per cent. man, and with others ninety +per cent. man and ten per cent. dress. + +In trying to find a word of cheer for the good dresser, the writer +vainly endeavored to recall some successful business man who had +climbed the ladder step by step through a period of years, during which +he was always dressed in the height of fashion. We recall to mind +several extreme dressers who are possessed of millions, but these +millions were the result of accident or inheritance rather than +ability. We cannot remember any instance of a plodder who started in +with nothing and made his millions who during the operation dressed in +extremes. + +We have an autographed photograph of Marshall Field, and we venture to +say that there are fifty men in Field's store more expensively dressed +than Marshall Field was at the time this picture was taken, shortly +before his death. Not that Marshall Field was poorly dressed, but that +he was dressed like a gentleman. A gentleman does not wear extreme +collars, extreme neckties, extreme coats. Marshall Field's clothes +fitted him well, the goods were of splendid quality, but of modest +design. Marshall Field was ninety per cent. man and ten per cent. +dress. + +When a man recognizes he has not the ability to make a name for himself +on account of his brains, he resorts to dress in order to give him +distinction. + +The ability to dress in the extreme of fashion is an advertisement to +the world that dress is your specialty, and if you are a specialist in +dress you will not be a specialist in business. + + + + +Declare Monthly Dividends + + +Make it a rule to declare dividends every month. We venture to say to +the business man that you are meeting all your fixed charges, paying +your rent and employes, paying for postage stamps, lights, taxes and +all other fixed charges. When the Government put a two cent tax on your +checks you paid that tax. You certainly can add one more fixed charge +to your business, and that fixed charge should be a percentage of your +cash receipts. + +It is usually a difficult thing to draw your profits out of your +business in a lump at the end of the year, but if you draw your profits +out in monthly installments, you can do so without any burden. + +The business man should figure what percentage of his cash receipts is +profit, and this percentage should be deducted every month, less a +little leeway to make the matter easier. Make the percentage a fixed +charge and put this money away in a special account as a reserve fund +if you do not wish to draw the dividends out of your business. If you +have this reserve fund drawn out in monthly installments, you are ready +for attack if your creditors call on you suddenly. + +If you have a snug little sum in a separate bank as a reserve +sufficient to withstand any attacks on your business, your step will be +more elastic, you will have more confidence in yourself, you will have +less worry than if you are keeping your nose to the grindstone and have +no reserve. + +There is some amount between a dollar a week and a thousand dollars a +week which you can draw out of your business without affecting it. If +you make this a fixed charge you will take care of it, and you will +arrange your business and your purchases so that this fixed charge will +be properly taken care of each month. You will trim your expenses a +little closer, and your business will thus benefit by having this fixed +charge. + +Nearly every failure is due to sudden calls of creditors or refusal +of the bank to extend further credit. This fact shows plainly the +necessity of having a reserve fund. + +Take your figures for several years back and find what percentage of +the total receipts was profit. If, for instance, your business earned +$9,000 and your total sales were $100,000, then 9% of your receipts +represents profits. You can therefore declare a monthly dividend of 8%, +and when Christmas comes you will have an extra dividend, being the +accumulated 1% each month you did not draw out in dividends. + + + + +Debt + + +If it were not for debt most banks would go out of business, for banks +live because debt is a recognized factor in business. + +The plan of getting rich through saving is a very difficult and +practically impossible road to wealth. + +The man who is working himself out of debt puts in better effort and +longer hours into his business than the man who does not owe a cent. Go +in debt reasonably and carefully, and you can make money with other +people's money. + +Money has a fixed value in itself in the matter of earning capacity. +This fixed value is 5% or 6% or 7% as the case may be. One who puts his +money in securities gets his money which the cash earns without effort +on his part. The hustler, however, can make 10%, 15% or 20% on the +money, plus his hard work. Therefore there is an opportunity for a +hustler to borrow money at 5% or 6%, and with that money and his energy +earn 10% or 15%. + +The active man can therefore pay 6% per annum for money, and use that +money to discount monthly bills at from 2% to 5%. + +The building and loan association, the installment firms and monthly +payment real estate concerns show what people can accomplish who go +into debt. Thousands of families now live in their own homes because +they went into debt. Few of these families would have homes if they +started in on the saving-the-money-first plan and bought for cash. + +Don't go in too deeply. Calculate your earnings in business. Allow a +wide margin for discount on your figures. Hard times and unlocked for +reverses come, therefore you should play safe. Go into debt on a 25% or +50% basis of what you are reasonably sure you can pay. + +Up to forty years of age a man is sowing and tilling, and after forty +he reaps. The farmer goes into debt during the spring and summer, and +reaps in the fall. + +Very few of our great men had much money before they were forty years +old. Up to forty is the debt period. Up to forty a man pays interest; +after forty he collects interest. + +Business calls for the hardest kind of work up to forty or fifty. After +that time the man makes up in judgment and experience what he lacks in +physical activity. + +Work hard until you are forty. Go into debt and make the money you have +borrowed earn money. After forty make money by investing your funds in +sound securities, so you will run no risk of losing what you have +worked so hard for during your younger days. + +The average banker is over forty. The hustling business man who borrows +is usually under forty. Nature gives the young man ambition, ability +and willingness. Nature gives the middle aged man judgment, experience +and conservatism. + +Forty years will determine what is in a man. If he has the stuff in him +to earn a competence at forty, he has usually acquired the judgment and +experience to keep it after he is forty. + +The man born with a golden spoon never knows what hard work is. He does +not go into debt because he has plenty of money for his requirements. +At forty he has not the experience of his brother who was born in an +environment of hard work and little money. The law of compensation thus +bestows a subsidy on the poor boy and a handicap on the rich one to +even things up. The poor boy goes into debt and works hard; the rich +one lets the money do the work for him. + +There is no joy or happiness in the possession of things we have not +worked for, so while we envy the rich who have never worked we should +take satisfaction in the law of compensation which gives us a subsidy +in the way of ability to work hard and earn money, so that later on we +may enjoy the money better than our rich friend who has never worked +for his money. + +Don't go into debt on the wholesale plan, hoping to make a big coup. +Don't try to be a millionaire. Don't set too big a mark. Have your +ideal advancement, no matter how little that advancement is. If you go +forward each week or each year you will find at forty or fifty that +your substance piles up much faster than you imagine. From forty to +fifty years of age most fortunes are made. From twenty to forty your +efforts have been foundation work, and the foundation does not show up +much above the ground. From forty to fifty you are building the +superstructure, and when you commence building that your progress seems +more rapid. + +Healthy indebtedness is a great incentive to hard work and a material +benefit in building character and gaming experience that in later years +will be of untold value to you. + + + + +Brains--Birth--Boodle + + +One of the weaknesses of the human race is envy. No one is entirely +free from envy, although the true philosopher who has studied himself +and has things sized up correctly is nearly free from envy. + +Human kind have three measures for gauging the other fellow. We measure +the other fellow either by his knowledge--which is brains, by his +pedigree--which is birth, or by the money he has accumulated--which is +boodle. These three Bs are like three stars in the sky. The first +star--Brains is usually the dimmest, but it is really the brightest +star of all. Mankind is prone to look at the brighter stars of birth +and boodle. + +These three stars of Brains, Birth and Boodle, are three aristocracies. +The first aristocracy has no less authority than that of the Almighty. +The aristocracies of birth and boodle are sham counterfeits gotten up +by man. They do not mean anything when put into the crucible and tested +by fire. + +The aristocracy of brains differs from the aristocracies of birth and +boodle as the sun differs from the jack-o-lantern, or as the music of +the soul differs from the bray of the burro, or as a pure woman's love +differs from the stolen affections hashed up by the fourth husband. + +Brains like air and water, are not always appreciated until we have +analyzed and investigated thoroughly. The foolish man thinks champagne +is the finest drink. The wise man knows water is the best drink, even +though water costs nothing. The foolish man has for his ideal--money or +birth. The wise man takes off his hat to brains. + +The measure of a man is his brain and not his birth or his boodle. +Thought, reason and knowledge are possible to the man who has a brain. +No man can buy brains, and truly he is an aristocrat of the highest +order who is blessed with a good brain. + +Some people whose ancestors came over with the Pilgrim Fathers have a +picture of the Mayflower in their homes and they seem to take a great +deal of pride in the picture of the Mayflower. There seems to be a halo +around the Mayflower. The descendants of the passengers of that ship +look upon the picture of the Mayflower as a sort of seal or guarantee +of the good qualities of their forefathers, and consequently, being +direct descendants they take unto themselves a lot of credit for +something in which they had no hand in the making. + +The Mayflower was afterwards used as a slave ship, but our disciples of +birth do not want to know about this. Some of the passengers in the +Mayflower performed acts and violated laws and conducted themselves in +such a manner that would cause people of these days to be put in jail +for the same offenses. Some of these good ancestors of the present +descendants of birth burned witches at the stake. + +Time wipes out a lot of things, and this is probably as it should be, +but certainly it is true that the world is progressing and the good man +of today is probably better and broader than some of these glorious +ancestors to whom so many take off their hats. Some of our forefathers +in Europe were little less than pirates and buccaneers. Their +descendants today knowing that they can make great claims with little +fear of contradiction, extol the virtue of their forefathers and +complacently take on a superior air. They have thought over the matter +of birth so much that they really think they are superior beings. + +Grizzly Pete of Frozen Dog, Idaho, doesn't take much stock in the +aristocracy of birth. He says, "It ain't what's on a man and it ain't +what his father was that counts. The only thing to judge a man by is +what's in him and what kind of brains he has." + +One thing about this glorious Western country of ours is that a man +gets credit for and he is punished by his own individual acts. It +doesn't make any difference how far back his pedigree runs, if he +doesn't make good himself, people have no use for him. + +The heritage of birth is mighty thin fabric and mighty weak material +for a man to use in making a cloak of exclusiveness to put around him. + +We anticipate that some of our readers will take exception to our +attitude on the matter of birth. We wish to be plainly understood that +the matter of good birth and good ancestors is a good thing to have. +The writer has a pedigree that would be his passport into the +aristocracy of birth if he chose to belong to that lodge. Your good +ancestors is no handicap. It is a credit to you, but mark this down +well: You, yourself, are entitled to no credit for any acts of your +ancestors. Your measure is and should be taken for what your own net +worth is. + +The aristocracy of boodle is the slimmest aristocracy of all. Yet there +are more people who try to get into that lodge than any other. The +possession of the dollar seems to be the ambition of everyone, and +usually the first thing we try to find out about a man is "how much is +he worth?" The thinker, however, knows that the possession of money +doesn't make a man any better than his neighbor who has no money--their +morals and their acts being even. + +Brains. That's the true aristocracy. The professor in college who has +spent a lifetime in study and has devoted his talents to uplifting +mankind is an aristocrat. He may be getting two or three thousand +dollars a year, while his brother with lesser knowledge is getting ten +times that much in another vocation. The aristocracy of brains always +has been, is now and ever will be the enduring aristocracy. Even those +who belong to the aristocracies of birth and boodle find they are sham +counterfeits and many of them turn to study and to good impulses hoping +they may get into the lodge of the aristocracy of brain. + +In business the aristocracy of birth or the aristocracy of boodle is a +decided handicap. They make the individual think he is superior and he +is above doing things which seem to him trivial, because he thinks he +is a superior being. The man with brains, however, digs as well as +climbs. Without brains, business would go to the dogs, for if business +were conducted by men of birth and boodle without brains, you can +easily see that the whole fabric would fall to pieces. + + + + +Backbone and Wishbone + + +In proportion as a man's backbone weakens his wishbone seems to +develop. + +The ten dollar a week man spends his time saying: "I wish I had the +luck other people have." He says: "I wish I had this place, or I wish I +had that job." He is ever wishing. + +Things in our body, whether muscle or bone, develop by usage, and if we +use the wishbone all the time it will develop into huge proportions. On +the other hand if we develop our backbone and use it frequently, we may +not have cause to use the wishbone so much. + +Brace up. Stand erect. Strengthen your backbone and, with it, your jaw +bone. + +Say "I will" instead of "I wish." The world bestows her prizes on men +with backbone and the blanks on those who use their wishbone. + + + + +Do Good + + +Doing good is planting seed, the harvest may not show at present but in +the future you are going to reap it. + +A man is paid back precisely in the same coin he pays out. If he plants +weeds or mean impulses the harvest will be weeds and mean impulses. If +he plants seed of good deeds he will harvest good deeds. + +Centuries ago it was said "Cast your bread upon the waters and it will +return to you many-fold." + +The man who is doing good as he goes along, who is lending help, kindly +counsel and encouragement will find the world is a pretty good place to +live in after all. As he journeys along through life he will find the +good he has done in the past has flourished and returned to him in +greatly increased proportions, like the bread cast upon the waters. + +It is not only the good one actually gets for the good, he has done, +but it is the profit that comes in the way of happiness he gets for his +actions. The true way to obtain happiness is to do something for +somebody. You get back out of the general exchequer of good in the +world full payment for the good you have done, plus a profit of +happiness which comes from the very doing of good. + + + + +The Get-Away + + +After you have driven the nail home make your get-away. + +Many a solicitor has lost his prestige because, after having +accomplished his point, he hung on. + +It is quite an art to know when to make the get-away. Study your +customer carefully, and when you have made your point clear and your +proposition is presented to him in the best possible manner, then get +away. + +The bore is a bore because he does not know how to get away. The +solicitor is always welcome if it is known he is not a hanger-on, and +that he gets in and gets out quickly. + + + + +Double Equipment + + +For the employe there is nothing better to possess than double +equipment, by which we mean the ability to do two things well. + +From the employer's standpoint nothing will stand his business in such +good stead as to have his employes doubly equipped. + +In the printing business, for instance, the old time printer knew how +to set type, lock up forms and to run a press. + +Nowadays we seldom find a printer in the broad sense of the word. + +In the big printing establishment we find the various branches of the +printing trade have employes who are specialists at one thing. In the +printing trade the craftsman is either a compositor a proof-reader, a +make-up man, a pressman or a binder. + +The employe who can set type and also run a press is a decided +advantage to the employer. The writer knows a certain publishing house +whose every employe is doubly equipped. The rule of the proprietor is +that every job or branch of the business must have more than one person +competent to run it, and that every person must know how to do two +things. + +Double equipment on the part of the employe gives the employer great +resources. + +When sickness, accident or other causes prevent the employe from +filling his accustomed place, then the proprietor can call on others +who have the double equipment, to fill in the gap. + +The employe who is following a particular line in the establishment +should acquaint himself with some other branch of the business or some +other trade, if he is a craftsman. + +The employe who is doubly equipped is decidedly at an advantage over +the employe who knows but one thing. + + + + +Initiative + + +Initiative is simply the willingness and ability on the part of an +employe to do things that are not simply routine, to do things he is +not told to do, to look for opportunities to help the boss or to +improve the business wherever possible. + +The employe who has no initiative in his make up is going around a +circle and when you go around a circle you don't go forward. There is +no one thing outside of honesty, ability and hard work that will help +the employe to go forward like initiative. + +In every great business there are many opportunities for the employe to +do things he is not told to do and when an employe gets the initiative +habit he is not long in attracting the attention of the boss. + +Look over the work you are doing, study the matter carefully, figure +out some plan whereby the value of the work you are doing will be +increased. + +Find a chance to lessen the expense in your department. + +Put into practice some idea that will increase the receipts. + +Acquaint yourself with the operations of other employes in similar +work. Wherever you find a plan better than yours, take advantage of it. + +Keep your eyes wide open and you will find many opportunities for doing +things you are not told to do. + +Every employe should carry out to the letter the directions given him +by the boss and in addition to this he should have initiative, which is +doing things the boss did not tell him. + +It is the plus or initiative in a man's make-up that helps him to the +front. + + + + +Night Work + + +It is always a question among experienced business men whether night +work and Sunday work help the game of business. + +Of course there are occasions when a job must be finished or work +completed within a specified time and if you are behind with your +hauling, it is necessary to turn all your resources into a singleness +of purpose to get the thing done. + +The trouble is, however, that many business men figure on this night +work as part of the regular scheme and in this they overdo the matter. + +The law of compensation says that a man is good for just so much work +and if he spreads the work over into longer hours the intrinsic value +of each hour is lessened. + +A man who habitually takes work to his home to finish and counts upon +these extra hours, will soon find the value of his work decreases. + +We should all remember that we should work while we work and play while +we play. + +Work hard during your business hours, conserve your energies, but +outside of business hours, let play, study and recreation occupy your +time. + +If you go home from business at night and forget the things you have +been doing in the day and use your time for the things in life outside +of business, the next day, when you go to your office, you can make +things fly. + +It is proverbial that the busy man is the one to go to if you wish +things done promptly. + +Those of us who were born and reared in the country know a familiar +type that is to be found in every country town. + +He may be a carpenter or blacksmith, or may run a repair shop of some +kind. We find him going to the post office in the middle of the day to +get his mail. We frequently find him in the back part of the country +store playing checkers. At other times he is watching a horse trade. +Again he is arguing politics. This man does not get in over four or +five hours' simon pure hard work in a day. + +You take a job to this man and it will drag days and weeks. You become +impatient at the delay. You get after the man and his answer is that he +has not the time. + +It is practically a truism that those who offer the excuse that they +have not the time are really the ones that have the time. + +Some of our friends treat us shabbily in the matter of correspondence +and when you get a letter from one of them, he says: "Excuse me for not +writing sooner, but I really have been so busy that I have not had the +time to write." + +As a matter of fact it takes five or ten minutes to write a letter and +the person who pleads for forgiveness through lack of time has wasted a +hundred times the minutes necessary to write a letter. + +The busy man, accepts his duty as a matter of course, a ranges his +correspondence and work in systematic order and goes at the thing, +hammer and tongs, and gets the thing done. + +Night work is usually evidence that the man does not do his work +properly in the day time and he is like our friend in the country who +wastes time in the day and tries to make up for it by night work. + +The thing to do is to work hard in the day time and rest at night. + + + + +Obedience + + +Several years ago, our friend Elbert Hubbard wrote a little sermonette +entitled "Carrying the Message to Garcia." The story was simply this: +President McKinley called an orderly and gave him a letter and said: +"Deliver this letter to General Garcia." + +The employe did not stand around and ask a lot of fool questions about +the trains and things. He put on his hat and duster and he delivered +the letter to Garcia. These facts were stretched out in many words and +made a little booklet. That booklet reached the sale of more than a +million copies. + +It seemed to make a hit with business men throughout the country. A +certain railroad bought and gave a copy to every employe. Business men +followed the example. The great sale of the book and the wide-spread +interest it created would seem to indicate that carrying the message to +Garcia was an unusual thing and so remarkable that it attracted +attention. + +As a matter of fact the whole theme of the story was simple obedience. + +There are thousands of institutions in this country who have employes +who will carry the message to Garcia. + +Richard Harding Davis, you remember, was dining with friends in London. +The discussion was along the lines of obedience and the like. + +On a wager he called a messenger boy, gave him a letter addressed to +his fiancee in Chicago, told the messenger boy to deliver the letter to +the lady and bring back an answer. That fifteen year old boy carried +the message to Garcia, or in other words to Mr. Davis' sweetheart. + +The Colonel of a regiment has under him about twelve hundred men. +Directly under him are his majors, and then come the captains, +lieutenants, sergeants, corporals and privates. The first rule in the +army is obedience of orders without question. + +If obedience were subject to question on the part of the subordinates, +the colonel could win no battles. + +When your superior gives an order, the thing to do is to carry it out. +If the order is wrong you will not be to blame, but your superior will +suffer. + +There are times, of course, when an order is given that is manifestly +impracticable and initiative on the part of the employe might save +trouble. + +On the other hand, an executive would be greatly handicapped if his +orders were subject to interpretation and analysis by his subordinates. + +The executive may give an order and in the giving have in his own mind +the relation of this order to some other order he has given in an +entirely different department and upon the proper execution of all the +orders given through the various departments depends the ultimate +success of his plan. + +The thing for the employe to do is to obey orders willingly, quickly +and to the letter. + +The employe is not blamed when he does his duty. + +It is a source of great satisfaction to the boss to know he has +dependable employes and that when he gives an order the thing is done +so far as further effort on his part is concerned. + + + + +Pay Day + + +We have all tried all sorts of plans regarding pay day, but the plan +most satisfactory to all concerned is to pay each Tuesday or each +Monday for the previous week. If the nature of your business is such +that Monday is an unusually busy day, then Tuesday should be your pay +day. + +Monday is usually called blue Monday, because the employes blot out +some of the sunshine on Sunday by thinking of the hard week's work +ahead of them. Much of the blueness is driven away, however, if in +looking forward they know that Monday or Tuesday they will get their +pay checks. + +The old fashioned habit of paying off Saturday nights is a bad one, +especially if most of the employes are men. + +Many men are weak and it is difficult for them to pass a lot of saloons +on Saturday night without the money in their pockets burning a hole. + +The Saturday pay day may mean that a percentage of your employes will +not show up on Monday morning. Many men will go on a spree on Saturday +night on the theory that they can rest up on Sunday, who would not +think of going on a spree on Monday night or Tuesday night, for it +would interfere with the work next day. + +The writer does not know of a single concern that has adopted this +Monday or Tuesday pay day plan and practiced it for a reasonable time +without finding it works admirably. Try it in your business and you +will not go back to the Saturday pay day. + + + + +Saving + + +We will not indulge in the proverbs handed out by the savings bank in +the matter of saving. We are not pessimistic when we say that no man +ever became wealthy through the savings bank plan of putting away a +certain amount each week. We will say, however, that there is no better +training for the employe than this one thing of saving. Saving a part +of your weekly income and putting it away, if carried on for a number +of years becomes a habit and it means that you will keep your expenses +within your income. It is the saving habit that makes the benefit, for +later on when you are in business the habit stands you in good stead +and teaches you the value of having a reserve. + +By all means, put away a certain amount each week. If it is not a +dollar, put away fifty cents. If that is too much, put away half of it, +or even ten cents a week. + +Have some amount as a fixed charge in your operations and put this +amount in the savings bank. Later on your balance will grow and you +will have much satisfaction in watching its development to better +proportions. + +Habitual saving makes you careful in the things you do. It teaches you +the relationship between principal and interest. It shows you that when +you buy something useless and pay ten dollars for it that it is costing +you interest each year to maintain it. + +The man who does not save is pretty sure to live beyond his means and +some day trouble or affliction will come and he will be out of a job +and then he appreciates the difference between the butterfly and the +bee. + +When you haven't anything to fall back upon, the world is a mighty blue +place. When you have money in the bank it is a mighty good place to +live in. + + + + +Waiting For Success + + +It takes a good poker-player to know when to lay down his hand. + +It's a wise business-man who knows when to quit a forlorn hope. + +It's all right to build up a business. It is all wrong to play a losing +game in business for a succession of years in the hopes of ultimate +success. + +As years go by the business man is establishing matters on a firmer and +more solid foundation. Sales generally increase; the volume of the +business gradually grows greater. This fact is responsible for many +business men continuing their business at a loss, lured on by the hope +of final success. It's all right to build a reputation and to be +patient, but when the odds are against you and by all the changes you +make and all the brains and ingenuity you put into your business, you +cannot turn it into a profitable basis, then get out of that business +and start something new. + +It's all right to build, provided that as you go along you are making a +living profit, but dogged determination to play a losing game year +after year is not to a man's credit. + +Every man has some particular channel in which his talents will fit and +produce good results. If your business goes along year after year at a +loss, it is evident that your talents are not in the right channel. + +The great thing in business is that it shall respond quickly and show +signs of life right away. If it does not, then the business is wrong. + +The shores of the great ocean of business are strewn with wrecks which +have been dashed to pieces on the rocks sailing for that false beacon +light, "keep everlastingly at it brings success." + +This saying is true, providing you are making expenses and some profit +as you go along, but to keep everlastingly at it when your business +shows a loss means failure. + +The thing that lures many on is the increased sales. Meanwhile, the +expenses are increasing proportionately, and if these two lines are +always parallel, there is no hope of your making a success. Better quit +before you get too deep in the hole and have a lot of "dead horses" to +pay for. + +It's all right to have ambition, tenacity and patience in business and +to look forward to the far future as crowning success of your efforts, +but it's all wrong unless you are paying expenses and making a living +while doing these things. + + + + +Our Sons + + +The noblest and most important work we have to do is the training and +teaching of the coming generation. + +The successful business man has no more difficult problem to solve than +what he will do with his son. + +It is a fact that the greatest successes in the business world today +are those men who had to start in the battle early, and fight their way +to the front. + +The successful business man usually tries to arrange matters so that +his son will not require to go through the hard working school of +experience he himself attended, and in this the business man rather +goes to the other extreme in that he tries to make things easy for his +boy. + +As the twig is bent so the tree is inclined. The young mind is plastic +and capable of receiving impressions, and we know that the impressions +made in our youth are lasting all our days. + +The problem in the country is not so difficult, for there are so many +things to do about the home that the young country boy usually has +plenty of chores and duties to perform. + +Occupation is a decided blessing and a present benefit to a boy. + +People in the cities have all creature comforts about the homes, +transportation facilities are ample, the homes are heated by steam, +stores are in abundance, people buy from day to day, and every little +convenience is at hand to keep the scheme of living going along +smoothly. + +Because the city boy is surrounded with schools and the comforts of +home he has much time on his hands. The boy is active, and if his +activity is not turned on useful things, it will be turned on useless +things. The young boy goes to the grammar school, and the daylight +hours, outside of school hours, are devoted to play. This is right and +as it should be, but when the boy gets along to twelve or fourteen +years of age, the parents should arrange for him some little duties, +some regular task to perform. The youngster will get accustomed to +this, and it is decidedly beneficial. As the boy enters the high school +he finds his hours shorter and his leisure hours longer. + +The high school period is a most important one in the boy's life, and +the father should see to it that the high school boy is occupied for +several hours each day, either in his own place of business or in some +other establishment. + +There is no way of teaching a boy the value of money like having him +work for money. + +Arrange to pay your boy so much an hour for the duties he performs. +Have his occupation regular, talk with him about what he has done +during the day, be a companion to the boy, and soon you will notice +that he evinces interest in the things he is doing, and as time passes, +ambition is fired in his breast, and when the time comes for him to +enter the threshold of business he has been prepared for the work. + +It is strange that while we parents realize the importance of +education, we pay so little attention to the boy while he is going to +school. We should keep in touch with the boy's teachers and with the +boy himself, taking an interest in his studies. The business man as a +rule drifts apart from his son during his younger years. + +There is nothing that will help the boy so much as being a companion to +him, being interested with him in the things he does, whether work or +study. Fathers and sons should be comrades. + +A close companionship between father and son is not only a great +satisfaction and source of happiness to each of them, but is decidedly +beneficial to both. + +By all means have some regular occupation for your boy while he is +going to school. Keep in close touch with him. Explain to him the +things he does not understand. Show him the great possibilities ahead +of him if he does right, and the impossibility for him to succeed if he +does wrong. + + + + +Pull + + +The young man who is expecting to get a fat job through pull is working +on a false basis. The young man whose objective is to get a snap shows +he has not ambition, and surely this young man will occupy inferior +positions as long as he gets a job through pull. + +There is a legitimate pull in business, and that is activity and +ability. Don't look for snaps. Snaps are merely traps. Men are not paid +for snaps, but for snap. + +The average young man just out of college looks for a job through the +pull of his father or some relation, and in this he is making a great +error. The best way to get a job is to get it without pull through your +own energy and aggressiveness. + +The best jobs are obtained through push and not pull. + +The City Hall and Government buildings all have the word "pull" on the +front door, and in direct contrast with this you will notice the front +doors of the successful business institutions are marked "push." + + + + +Gossip + + +It is surprising to see the extent to which gossip is carried on among +business men. The funny papers always refer to women and the members of +the sewing societies as gossips of the first class, but if the gossip +going around business circles could be tabulated, we are sure the +sewing society would have the joke on us. + +It is a footless thing to spend valuable time in idle gossip, for the +gossip is seldom a successful business man. + +Gossip takes hold of some men to such an extent that most of their +waking hours are spent in finding out something to tell to someone +else, and thus leaves but little time for business. + + + + +Bribes + + +Many business men seem to think that bribes are efficient helps. It is +not so. The moment you bribe a person you acknowledge your dishonesty +by paying for his dishonesty, and you may be sure that the bribe habit +will grow; the demands of the men accepting the bribe will grow to +alarming proportions. For every dollar you make by bribing someone, you +are losing ten dollars in other ways, especially in your own self +respect and satisfaction. + +The moment you give a bribe you are under obligations, and some day or +other the facts will be brought out and you will suffer the +consequences of your own weakness. + +Underhand, clandestine information you get is no more than dishonesty +on your part. You can get better information and accomplish your +purpose more surely by going direct to a competitor, stating your case +plainly, and announcing your abhorrence of underhand methods. Your +competitor will appreciate you more for your fairness, and he will go +out of his way to give you information when you have shown you are +square. + + + + +Stenographers + + +Few young men realize the advantage of learning stenography. We all +know the young man who writes shorthand comes in touch with the boss at +once, and while acting as amanuensis or secretary is getting a +schooling that money could not buy. He is going through and becoming +familiar with business as it actually exists. + +He sees the decisions made by his employer, and he unconsciously +absorbs methods which would be almost impossible for him to learn were +it not for his proximity to the boss. + +Shorthand is decidedly beneficial, first--because it is a good training +for the mind; second--it is a help all through one's life. It enables +him to take down memoranda and keep notes of verbal transactions; it +enables him to get in the private office, and to be in the middle of +the nerve centers of business. + +Some of the greatest men in this country were shorthand writers. The +stenographer who is alert soon gets to the center of the business; he +soon has responsibilities given him by the boss, and is in direct line +for promotion. + + + + +Hypochondriacs + + +Here is a type we run across every day in business. We see the +apparently well man taking out a pill box or a bottle of medicine as he +sits down to lunch. We ask him what is the matter, and he proceeds to +tell us about his bodily ills and infirmities. + +Many men seem to take a keen delight in having something the matter +with them. They go to a physician, though often the disease is +practically mental. + +You can't get health out of a glass bottle. The man who is taking +medicine all the time is going at things wrong end to. If his stomach +is out of whack he should change his method of living rather than to +try to cure his dyspepsia with stuff that comes in a bottle. + +The man who needs a tonic before he can eat a lunch had better take +plenty of air and exercise than to take poisonous drugs into his +system. + +If you are a smoker and find you have no appetite for lunch, give up +cigars in the forenoon, and you will notice an immediate difference +when you sit down to the noonday meal. + +The hypochondriac imagines he has things the matter with him, and he +becomes confirmed in his belief, he finds that so long as he lives he +has something the matter with him. He no sooner gets cured of one than +something else attacks him. There is no medicine like air and exercise +and occupation. The man who gives in to trifling ailments is in a sad +plight. He is never happy unless he is sick. He is unreasonable, and he +is the last one to appreciate what can be done by a man who cures +himself through the mental processes. + +We all know that we can take a perfectly well man and pre-arrange to +have a dozen of his friends on a given day greet him with some remark +about his ill appearance. That man will be sick before the tenth man +accosts him. + + + + +Politics + + +Politics is a losing game. Every man owes it to himself and to his +family and to his country to take an interest in politics to the extent +of getting out to the primaries and voting for the right man, and help +to get good men in office. But when a man carries politics to extremes +or mixes it with his business, his business is sure to suffer. + +There are two kinds of politics--the honest kind and the grafting kind. +The honest politician gets very slight remuneration for the time and +energy he spends, and the grafting politician sooner or later winds up +in the soup through his dishonest practices. + +There is no greater danger to business than to have the proprietor +spend much of his time in politics. The upright business man will not +descend to the things practised by the dishonest politician, and the +sharp business man who has no compunctions on this score will make a +loss in his business. + +The law of compensation surely comes in here, for in proportion as a +man plays politics his business is bound to suffer. + + + + +Profanity + + +Twenty-five years ago profanity was found on every side. Today you find +it only among laborers. Business men won't allow profanity. + +Swearing goes with lying. The truthful man can look you in the eye and +chisel out his words and you know he means it. + +The liar gets angry and swears, and he is a bluff. + +Truth doesn't need curse words to make it stick. + +Some great men swear and many small men swear. Usually, however, the +truly great man doesn't swear. + +Men who think, men who study and analyze, seldom swear. + +Swear words are usually used as fillers in sentences. Some men have +limited knowledge of adjectives so they resort to swearing. + +Mark this when you hear a man firing a volley of profanity in rapid +succession--You lose respect for that man! + +Profanity is an easier habit to acquire and harder to give up than its +distant relative, slang. + +Slang has its value for it has taken place of much profanity. + +Slang and profanity, and logic and thought don't mix well together. The +more profanity, the less brains in your make-up. Profanity is a +hold-back. + + + + +System + + +System is all right so long as it lessens labor. Generally system is +complex and increases fixed charges. + +The system of copying every letter is a waste of time. Not once in a +thousand cases do you require to refer to a letter. + +Have fixed rules and prices and you won't have to refer to letters. + +When you do copy a letter copy it on the back of the letter you are +answering. Use a carbon sheet. + +Have Simplicity your rule instead of System. + +System has tangled many institutions. + +Beware of system that makes more work. + +Don't clutter up your office with a lot of useless data and wagon loads +of old letters and records. + + + + +Rule of Gold + + +Centuries ago Confucius was walking through the woods soliloquizing and +analyzing and sizing up things in solitude. While thus engaged he was +waylaid by two Chinese peasants. These men had heard of Confucius' +philosophy, but they could not make much out of it, for Confucius used +words beyond their limited understanding. These men, with raised clubs, +halted Confucius and said to him: "Our minds are small. We do not +understand the things you say. Tell us how to live. Make your story +short or we will slay you. We can only remember as much as you can tell +in a moment. Therefore, stand on one foot and tell us quickly what we +are to do. We can only remember what you can tell while standing on one +foot." + +Confucius stood on one foot and said: "Sing, fat, bong, lung, looy," +which, being interpreted, means "what you would like others to do to +you, do to them." + +This is the golden rule which has been handed down through centuries. +It has been alloyed and simulated. It has been attacked, but, like all +pure gold, it has endured forever. There is no line of action we can +suggest or anything that will prove more valuable to the young man or +old man through life than the golden rule. + +The golden rule is not theoretical, but a wholly practical help, and so +in closing this series of talks with you, the writer feels that the +essence of all the logic, good advice and philosophy may be summed up +in the following: + +"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." + +In saying good-bye we suggest that you particularly remember the key +to knowledge, which is O.R.B., and which means Observe, Reflect and +Benefit, and the practice of the following: Work, Horse Sense and +Golden Rule. + + +THE END + + + + +My Symphony + +By + +COL. Wm. C. HUNTER + + +I have set my mark at Truth, +My purpose fixed, I shall not hesitate; +Ever on and on again +I go toward the goal of my ambition; +I shall not turn aside or pause. +The pleadings of the Siren, +The wiles of the Devil, +The threats of mine Enemies, +Shall not make my Purpose change. +Obstacles may block my path +And Darkness blur my way. +But ever firm with Right my guide +I shall keep pushing on. +I may not reach my grand Ideal, +But be that as it may, +The journey to it surely will +Be a pleasant one; +And should I fall upon the way, +My face shall be toward the place +I started for. +Truth is Right and Right is Truth, +Wrong shall surely fail; +I shall not be discouraged +At Clouds or Storms. +I know the Sun doth shine, +It beams somewhere tho' I see it not. +I fear not but the end of Time +Will show all Things that are, are best +For the Eternal plan. +Truth endureth and Lies shall not obtain +For any length of time. +In Shadow Land are upstretched hands +And, midst the noise of this Great World +Are feeble cries for help; +My ear shall practice to hear such calls, +My hands shall train to lift the fallen; +Noble men and women who are pushed aside +Need champions for their cause; +Man, where'er he is or what he be +Is none the less my brother +And needs the strong to cheer him on. +What we extend in help and cheer, +Brings its reward in Happiness. +It is not for me to say or think +Look out for myself first; +The bird, the beast, the stream that flows, +The hills, the fields, the land, the sea, +Are Parts, are Things like me, +And all belong to one Grand Plan; +The stars, the moon, the sky, +And endless space as well, +Are Parts of one machine, +That runneth by but One Grand Power +Of which I am in truth a part, +An Atom though I be. +All things that are, are best-- +This much Truth I know, +Though why things are I can't explain, +My Vision still is dim. +All answers will be given out +When time shall be no more, +And so I keep a-plodding on, +And on and on my way; +My face is to the Light, +My heart doth sing for Joy; +I strive to do the best I can each day +In Act and Thought and Word; +I know not just the plan of things that are +But back of all is Truth, +And Truth I seek; +I shall not know all Truth +Until the great Revealing Time. + +Col. Hunter's Symphony is printed on heavy parchment paper. Illustrated +in colors. Size 9 x 12 inches. It is suitable for framing or may be +hung on the wall with ribbon. Price, postpaid, 25 cents a copy. + + + + +Another Colonel Hunter Book + + +[Illustration: Front cover of the book "FROZEN DOG TALES AND OTHER THINGS"] + +This book is full of pathos and humor. It is all stories and sketches +depicting life in the far West. It tells of the doings of Grizzly Pete, +Joe Kip and other inhabitants of Frozen Dog, Idaho, where Colonel +Hunter has his beautiful ranch. It breathes the spirit of the mountains +and the forest. In Dollars and Sense you have read the business side of +Colonel's life. In Frozen Dog Tales you get his life as he sees it +while close to nature. + +The book is much larger than Dollars and Sense. It is bound in fancy +cloth covers in colors. It has 200 pages and one or more pictures on +every page in colors. + +If you like Dollars and Sense, you will love Frozen Dog Tales. It +touches your heart strings and the next moment convulses you with +laughter. + +The price of Frozen Dog Tales is $1.00 per copy, postpaid. + +Address HUNTER & CO., Oak Park, Ill. + + + + +COL. HUNTER'S +Autographed Motto + + +We want every reader of Dollars and Sense to have one of these brass +mottoes. + +The illustration below shows the size. + +[Illustration: Be pleasant every morning until ten o'clock, the rest of +the day will take care of itself + +Wm C. Hunter] + +The autographed motto is engraved and enameled. It has a hole in the +center to tack it up. + +The motto can either be worn as a pocket piece, or it may be tacked up +on your desk, on your dresser, or on the wall. + +THE PLATE IS TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER + +PRICE 10 CTS. POSTPAID + +Address HUNTER & CO., OAK PARK, ILL. + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Dollars and Sense, by Col. Wm. C. Hunter + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DOLLARS AND SENSE *** + +***** This file should be named 22418.txt or 22418.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/4/1/22418/ + +Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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