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Parton, James, 1822-1891

"Famous Americans of Recent Times"


We are informed by one who knows him better almost than any one else,
that he owes his excellent health chiefly to his love of horses. He
possesses the power of leaving his business in his office, and never
thinking of it during his hours of recreation.
Out on the road behind a fast team, or seated at whist at the
Club-House, he enters gayly into the humors of the hour. He is rigid
on one point only;--not to talk or hear of business out of business
hours.
Being asked one day what he considered to be the secret of success in
business, he replied:--
"Secret? There is no secret about it. All you have to do is to attend
to your business and go ahead."
With all deference to such an eminent authority, we must be allowed to
think that that is not the whole of the matter. Three things seem
essential to success in business: 1. To _know_ your business. 2. To
attend to it. 3. To keep down expenses until your fortune is safe from
business perils.
On another occasion he replied with more point to a similar
question:--
"The secret of my success is this: I never tell what I am going to do
till I have done it.


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