Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-10-22
THE LITTLE GRAY CABIN.

Advice to Poor ISoys Who Arc Taught
That Ability aud Industry brought to
, Crowded cities VIII Surely Mako Them
Great
An English author lately In this
country, while looking over book OF
eminent Americans, remarked; "rhc
little gray cabin appears to be the
birthplace of all your great men."
pointing to picture of a four-roomed
frame dwelling, such as may he seen
in every village from Maine to Caliior,
MIA, and which is usually tenanted by
the poorer class OF mechanics and la
horers, In such dwelling Lincoln,
Grant, Garfield, Blaine, Jeremiah
Black, Webster, Andrew jackson,
Hawthorne. Emerson, Poe, and among
men of affairs, Astor, Girard and Van
der5ilt. were born. In fact. the great
majority Of our successful financiers,
soldiers, jurists or statesmen look back
70 the ''little gray cabin, devoid of
luxury or ease. as tho home of their
childhood, whore their ambition and
strength first had birth. tTIEF
Tho ordinary Significance and moral
of this fact, which is preached every
day to the boy-readers of the COmpd,i-
ian who are born in s.rlightcped cir.
cumstanees,. is-imitate the purpose
and energy of truly successful men. II
you have energy, industry and couF-
age, you too may be useful and influ-
cntial. You have the same chance as
these men, Now, no good, but much
harm. is done by false statements,
however ilattering, 1t is not true that
the boy, born now in the little gray
cabin, without an extended education,
without capital, or family influence,
has the same chance MS the successful
men OF past generations, The latter
entered tho race with few, II any. COM
petitors. The boy of to-day finds
trained athletes arrayod against him.
Astor and Girard, for instance, found
out there was money to be made by
dealing in peltry. Their sixpences
turned into pounds as by magic. But
ihepoor boy now who goes into the
fur trade finds it 4 vast, long-estab-
lished industry, in which enormous
capital Is invested, and thousands of
experts are employed. He must begin
by carrying home packages, and how
long will it be before his energy and
ambition will win him the race against
countless other young men who also
have energy and ambition, and with
them capital, knowledge and intluenccP
Poor lads push their way into the
great cities, encouraging themselves
by remembering that "Ben Franklin
landed in Philadelphia with but six.
pence in his pocket" They forget
that Philadelphia was then but a vii.
lage, and soon after the field of the
most important events in the world
Every citizen who had any ability
found the stage ready for him to play
lthe part of hero, Franklin, with his
little paper printed by hand, lmme,
diately found hearing from the whpC
of the colonies, and was pushed to the
front as director of public affairs. Blu,
how soon would a poor boy with q
hand-printed sheet find notice now in
the city of Philadelphia, or be called
to control her municipal councilsp
There is always room on top" is {
popular and true maxim But there II
a great difference in the routes 10th,
top. Our advice to poor boys, who
think their place is ION top is, kecl
out of the crowded roads. II you cove
the phenomenal success OF the Astor
and the Lncolns, try for it under tn,
same conditions that they did--in tn,
rougher, more sparsely-settled region
of the country, where competitors ar
few, and where Il man OF natural abili
ty is soon noted. The South and Wes
now offer these conditions, but The
arehard to be found in our large eli
les. Youth'S Companion, 3f4f