The Sons of Successful Men.
What becomes of the men who, according to the ways of the world, are considered successful? A few establishments are in the hands of the sons of the founders, but they are exceptions. Do you see that man shoveling coal? Well, his children, and children like his, will jostle your pampered sons and rule the land, said an old New Yorker, the other day. The famed men of the day seldom have a lineal successor. The eminent jurists carry their honors with them to the grave. The funds of merchant princes are soon squandered. The reason is clear. The fathers laid the basis of the business one way, and the sons built another. Men who earned their fortunes by hard work, by diligence, that were their own book-keepers, salesmen, cashiers and even porters, are followed by sons who do as little as possible; who delegate to others all the work they can, and who know more of the road than of the ledger. Young men who fling the example of their sires to the winds, find it easier to squander a fortune quicker than it was earned, and find themselves, while young, at the point from which their fathers started.