Show AMERICAN BUSINESS LIFE one of the which an gentleman cannot understand this business life of american gentlemen is one of the hardest problems for an englishman to understand correctly says the nineteenth century till comparatively lately in england commercial business except banking has not been thought highly of for gentlemen politics the church the army and navy the bar etc have been the outlets for english younger sons in america it is quite different among the many reasons for this I 1 will mention but the one important one that the pursuits above mentioned afford but few openings comparatively ively speaking the church is a poorly paid profession for the sons of the wealthy merchants and the army and navy are so small in number that they do not afford a field for more than a few the bar is of course open and is crowded in america as in england politics for some inscrutable reason does not seem to attract many of the higher grades of youth consequently the young american seeks the commercial field and in every american city especially in the west one finds at the head of cultivation and progress men whose rise has been due to successful commercial enterprise it is well for the individual that success should be so rewarded and it is well for the community also that the man of business who has gained his success on legitimate lines should bo its leader in a new and partly unsettled country like america so fortunately situated as to need practically no foreign policy and to fear no foreign enemies the creator or the distributor of wealth is a far more valuable man than the politician or the soldier the sanguineness of the american is another feature especially striking to an outsider the whole temper of the people is one of hope no young man enters life in any line without the fullest belief that he is going to succeed and going to make a great deal of money and do it all very quickly this may be true of young men everywhere but it is especially so in the states and men are justified in their youthful hopes practically any young man of reasonable brains and industry is sure to succeed openings aro numerous and the sharp witted american is quick to take advantage of them it is a curious fact but one that I 1 have often heard employers of unskilled labor comment upon that none of their workmen were american born unless possibly some of the foremen As an englishman I 1 am glad to add that rarely are englishmen either found as american workshops 3 2 |