Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-16

Energy TO Attain That End.
Some Requisites to Be Successful.
Admiral Dewey Cited as an Elk
ample.
Yesterday was the ninth anniversary
OF the Epworth League. Rev J. l..
Sooy, pastor of the Fourth Street
church, last night stated that it had
been decided not to celebrate the
event. but thai he was not inclined to
let the day of the anniversary pass
without some appropriate reference.
Therefore, his remarks would be di
rected mainly to young people. The
subject of his discourse was Aim well
before you shoot"
DR.. Sooy stated that his subject sim
ply meant that every individual
should have an aim, some definite OBJ
ject in life. A would-be writer in
New York once wrote to Horace Greel-
ey and asked his advice as to how
to be successful writer He received
the lacOnic answer from Mr. Greeley:
Have something to say, and say it"
DR.. Sooy said that the way to be sue
cessful in life was to have something
to do and do it. He wondered how
many young men there were in his
audience who, if a pencil and paper
were put in their hands, could write
down what they expected to make of
themselves.
Yet, those who could not do this
should not be surprised if they never
amounted to anything at all. There
are many around us who are simply
whiting away time, waiting and vast
ing precious moments, and they will
find that to them life has been moth
ing but chips. Every young man and
aim. 1t was DR.. Sooy's idea that every
boy, II or Is years of age, was able
to realize his duties and possibilities,
ana should decide upon the calling he
intended to pursue in life He cited
bryant's "Thanatopsis," written by the
author when Is years of age, as an ex-
ample that mental powers could be
active and predispOsitiOn shown even
before early manhood or womanhood.
Come when it WILL early or late, the
birth of self-consciousness should be
the setting up of an aim in life to
attain which every effort should be
used" 1t was Dr. Sooy's opinion that
it was better to have an aim and
change it, rather than have no aim
at all.
DR.. Sooy mentioned some of the
requisites that are necessary to realize
aims in life To do this it is essential
that a person should be intelligent and
inform himself by study and reading.
In this age of newspapers and general
information there was no excuse for
man or woman to grow up in ignorance.
People should read and be informed
SO as to be able to distinguish the truth
from error. DR.. Sooy said some peo-
pie believed everything that was
preached from the pulpit. This Was
wrong he stated, and people should
take ont the chaff from what the heard.
1t was not necessary to nave ll!ee
library, but to read well and mentally
digest thoroughly that which was read.
The library of Thomas Carlyle, the
author and historian, was character
lied by the small number of books
which it contain d, yet every book was
battered, worn and marked by use. DR..
SOoy emphasized the importance also Of
learning to wait The crying sin Of the
century is Impotence. People of the
present period have acquired dis
taste for labor and patient prepare
tion. They expect to win success and
become rich at bound.
There are many people who are do
ing nothing and are living in hope that
some German or Irish uncle may die
and leave them fortunes. DR.. Sooy
urged his hearers not to wait until 4
fathers or relatives estate was d:Vld-
ed. but to cultivate the nobler spirit Of
independence.
He deprecated the idea Of peorie
trusting and believing in luck and
chance.
1t was not luck or chance that save
Admiral Dewey his great victory at
Manila Admiral Dewey had been work
ing for that for forty years and when
the opportunity came he was ready
From the time when he was seven
teen years of age, when he entered an
acadmy in Vermont town, he evlnc-
ed spirit of obedience and industry
that won him promotion and prepared
him for emergencies of the future.
When he ran his fleet into the harbor
of Manila and drew his ships UP in
battle line in the early morning, he
ran up to the masthead the signal:
Keep cool and obey orders" Every
man in the fleet saw the signal and
knew that they had commander who
knew what it was to obey and knew
they could obey and trust him.
Another requisite to success
was health and to refrain from
those habits that impair the
health and destroy vitality and energy.
In this argument DR.. Sooy drew atten-
ton to the fact that large number of
volunteers who had been rejected were
addicted to the habit of igarette-smok-
ing. and this habit had permanently in
iured their health and disqualified