John D. Rockefeller Recounts His Own
Early Struggles and Shows to Young
Men the Virtues of Economy.
It may be, as sometimes has been said, that more is to be learned from the
mistakes of other men than from their successes. If that be true it is
because the reasons for their mistakes can hardly be concealed. Whether or
not successful men betray the secrets of their successes, however, usually
rests with themselves. In studying success, it is the occasional intimate
disclosure that bears value rather than the superficial record.
John D. Rockefeller has addressed to the Bible class over which his son
presides a pamphlet entitled "First Ledger of a Successful Man of
Affairs." In it he tells of the ledger he kept as a young man, in which
all his receipts and expenditures were most carefully recorded; and
starting with this reminiscence he gives his advice to the young men of
to-day. He begins with the dictum that "it is a religious duty to get all
the money you can"--that is, "honestly and fairly"--and he sings the
virtues of rigid economy. Speaking of his own efforts to "get a footing,"
he says:
If you all feel as I did when I was just starting in, I feel
sorry for you. But I would not be without the memory of that
struggle. And, discussing the struggle for success, what is
success? Is it money? Some of you have all you need.
Who is the poorest man in the world? I tell you, the poorest
man I know is the man who has nothing but money, nothing
else in the world upon which to devote his ambition and
thought. That is the sort of man I consider to be the
poorest in the world. Money is good if you know how to use
it.
Now, let me give you a little word of counsel. Keep a
ledger, as I did. Write down in it all that you receive, and
do not be ashamed to write down what you pay out. See that
you pay it away in such a manner that your father and mother
may look over your book and see just what you did with your
money. It will help you to save money, and that you ought to
do.
It is a mistake for any man who wishes for happiness and to
help others to think that he will wait until he has made a
fortune before giving away money to deserving objects.