In [my] life ... I did not understand steam machinery, but I tried to understand that much more complicated piece of mechanism - man.

Mr. Morgan buys his partners; I grow my own.

Men who reach decisions promptly usually have the capacity to move with definiteness of purpose in other circumstances.

Nothing tells in the long run like a good judgment, and no sound judgment can remain with the man whose mind is disturbed by the mercurial changes of the stock exchange. It places him under an influence akin to intoxication. What is not, he sees, and what he sees, is not.

I choose free libraries as the best agencies for improving the masses of the people, because they give nothing for nothing. They only help those who help themselves.

There is scarcely an instance of a man who has made a fortune by speculation and kept it

The sound rule in busi­ness is that you may give money freely when you have a sur­plus, but your name never-nei­ther as en­dorser nor as mem­ber of a cor­po­ra­tion with in­di­vid­ual li­a­bil­ity