Hidden Treasures

A. Lewis H.

Description

Why is that some people's lives are filled with astounding accomplishments and achievements while others' efforts seem to fall flat? Author H.A. Lewis sets out to answer this age-old question in Hidden Treasures, Or, Why Some Succeed While Others Fail. Lewis adopts a case-study approach, analyzing the life stories of eminent, affluent and successful people for common themes and models.

Sujets

• Employabilité, métiers et formations

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775453956
• Langue: English

Extrait

HIDDEN TREASURES
OR, WHY SOME SUCCEED WHILE OTHERS FAIL
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H. A. LEWIS
 
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Hidden Treasures Or, Why Some Succeed While Others Fail From an 1888 edition ISBN 978-1-775453-95-6 © 2011 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Preface Introduction Quotations Daniel Drew Russell Sage Cornelius Vanderbilt Amos Lawrence Horace B. Claflin William E. Dodge Jay Gould John Wannamaker Alexander T. Stewart Nicholas Longworth Robert Bonner William G. Fargo James C. Flood John W. Mackay James C. Fair Horace Greeley Thurlow Weed George W. Childs James Gordon Bennett Phineas T. Barnum Mathew Vassar John Jacob Astor Potter Palmer James Harper Henry Disston Peter Cooper George Law Darius O. Mills Stephen Girard Moses Taylor William C. Ralston George Peabody William W. Corcoran Nathan Mayer Rothschild John Adams Thomas Jefferson John Marshall Alexander Hamilton James Madison James Monroe Lewis Cass John C. Calhoun Robert Y. Hayne Daniel Webster Andrew Jackson Thomas H. Benton Henry Clay Martin Van Buren Stephen Arnold Douglass Abbott Lawrence Alexander H. Stephens Millard Fillmore William H. Seward Horatio Seymour Winfield S. Hancock George B. Mcclellan Ulysses Simpson Grant Stonewall Jackson General Robert E. Lee Henry Wilson Abraham Lincoln Edward Everett Edwin M. Stanton Andrew Johnson James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur John A. Logan James G. Blaine Samuel J. Tilden Henry Ward Beecher GREAT INVENTORS AND THEIR INVENTIONS James Watt George Stephenson Benjamin Franklin Eli Whitney Robert Fulton Elias Howe, Jr. Isaac M. Singer Richard M. Hoe Charles Goodyear Prof S. F. B. Morse Cyrus W. Field George M. Pullman Thomas A. Edison WHY SOME SUCCEED WHILE OTHERS FAIL Success and Failure Concentration of Effort Self-Reliance Economy of Time Causes of Failure
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"Not Failure, but Low Aim is Crime."
Preface
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Some succeed while others fail. This is a recognized fact; yet historytells us that seven-tenths of our most successful men began life poor.As our title indicates, we shall endeavor to show "why some succeedwhile others fail." Knowing that everybody desires success, andrecognizing the old adage, "Example is the best of teachers," we haveselected representative characters from the multitude of successful menwho have climbed the ladder of success, beginning at the bottom round.These we have followed from childhood to manhood, dwelling at length onthe traits of character that have made them so rich and successful,believing that a careful study will convince all that the proverbial"luck" had little to do with it. On the contrary, one is taught thoselessons of self-helpfulness and self-reliance which are so essential tosuccess in life's struggles. It is fearful to think how many of ouryoung people are drifting without an aim in life, and do not comprehendthat they owe mankind their best efforts. We are all familiar with theparable of the slothful servant who buried his talent—all may profit byhis example. To those who would succeed, we respectfully present thisvolume.
Every young man is now a sower of seed on the field of life. The brightdays of youth are the seed-time. Every thought of your intellect, everyemotion of your heart, every word of your tongue, every principle youadopt, every act you perform, is a seed, whose good or evil fruit willprove bliss or bane of your after life. —WISE.
Introduction
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Dear reader, it is a grave undertaking to write a book, especially is itso in writing a treatise on success and failure, as we have attempted todo in the work we hereby present you. It is a solemn thing to giveadvice. Experience teaches that no one thing will please everybody; thatmen's censures are as various as their palates; that some are as deeplyin love with vice as others are with virtue. Shall I then make myselfthe subject of every opinion, wise or weak? Yes, I would rather hazardthe censure of some than hinder the good of others.
There need neither reasons to be given nor apologies to be made wherethe benefit of our fellow-men is our aim. Henry Clay Trumbull says: "Atno time in the world's history, probably, has there been so general aninterest in biography as that which has been shown of late. Just herelies a weighty obligation upon these who write, and those who read, ofthe lives of men who have done something in the world. It is not enoughfor us to know WHAT they have done; it belongs to us to discover the WHYof their works and ways, and to gain some personal benefit from theanalysis of their successes and failures. Why was this man great? Whatgeneral intentions—what special traits led him to success? What idealstood before him, and by what means did he seek to attain it? Or, on theother hand, what unworthy purpose, what lack of conscience and religioussense, what unsettled method and feeble endeavor stood in the way of the'man of genius' and his possible achievements?" In this volume one seesthe barefoot boy rise to the eminent statesman, the great millionaire,the honored inventor. How was this accomplished? We believe that acareful study of the different characters, by the light of the author'sopinion of the characteristics essential to success, as shown inDepartment Fifth, will show why they succeeded.
Let the reader follow each character separately, from childhood tomanhood, noting carefully the different changes in the career of eachand the motives which actuated and brought them about. If this bookshall serve to awaken dormant energies in ONE PERSON who might otherwisehave failed, we shall feel abundantly repaid. Doubtless, there areothers who are better qualified to write a treatise on such a subject;nevertheless, we have done our best, and this done, we have attainedsuccess.
Quotations
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A man, to succeed, must possess the necessary equanimity of temperamentto conceive an idea, the capacity to form it into some tangible shape,the ingenuity to put it into practical operation, the ability tofavorably impress others with its merits, and the POWER of WILL thatis absolutely necessary to force it to success.
—THOMAS A. SCOTT.
Labor rids us of three evils.—Tediousness, Vice and Poverty.
—CARLYLE.
" Never start upon an undertaking until you are sure it is practicableand ought to be done, and then let nothing stand long in the way ofaccomplishing that undertaking. It is better to deserve success than tohave it; few deserve it who do not attain it. "
" There is no failure in this country for those whose personal habitsare good, and who follow some honest calling industriously, unselfishly,and purely. If one desires to succeed, he must pay the price —WORK!"
In order to succeed, a man must have a purpose fixed, then let hismotto be VICTORY OR DEATH.
—HENRY CLAY.
" Be liberal but cautious; enterprising but careful. "
" Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time wefall. "
Fail!—Fail? In the lexicon of youth, which Fate reserves for a bright manhood, there is no such word As—fail!
—"RICHELIEU."
Benjamin Franklin has truly said: The road to wealth is as plain as theroad to mill.
Daniel Drew
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Here is a great financier. A man of unusual ability; but who is noexception to the rule, born poor. His success came by hard work and athorough mastery of his business. It is surprising how many Wall Streetoperators began life on the farm. In the case of Daniel Drew, at the ageof only fifteen, matters were made worse by the death of his father.
At eighteen, he concluded to go to New York; but, after a discouragingtime of it, his money giving out, he was obliged to return to his home.However, his trip did not prove a total failure, as subsequent eventsshow. While in the metropolis he heard that fat cattle could be soldthere at a profit over what he knew they could be bought for, at hiscountry home. He therefore resolved to go into the cattle business.True, he had no money, he was a poor country lad, but this made littledifference with Drew's determination. As he had no money with which tobuy a drove for himself, he did the next best thing; this was to inducethe neighboring farmers to allow him to drive their cattle to market ona commission plan. By this one act the reader can understand thedifference between Daniel Drew and the neighboring farm boys, many ofwhom were better situated, doubtless, than was he.
Another characteristic he developed was economy; his money was saved andwith these small savings he added cattle to his drove which were hisown, hence, increased his profits; first one at a time, then two, whenat last he abandoned the commission business, becoming a drover on hisown account. Later, he took a partner and the firm of Drew & Co. becamethe cattle kings of America. This was the first firm that ever drovecattle from the West, and Drew, ever watchful for opportunities to addto his already increasing income, bought a tavern which became, as Drewknew it would under good management, the centre of the cattle businessin the city on market days.
As time passed, as a matter of course, following such a line ofprocedure, he became a very rich man, and his disposition being of anenterprising nature, he began to cast about him for new investments,seeking new fields to conquer. The explosion of a boat on the Hudson,discommoding for a time the existing line, offered to Drew the favorableopportunity for which he was looking, and as was characteristic he atonce improved his chance. He immediately placed on the river the "WaterWit