Rock Island Argus., 1899-12-18
MESSAGE TO GARCIA. !"
Over a Million Copies of Hub
bard's Essay Circulated.
DEMAND FOR 100000 MORE MADE.

George III. Daniels Largely Response
BILE For the Remarkable Demand
For the ArticIe-NearIy 1000, 900
Copies Have Been Circulated by
Him AIone-Text of "Message.,
With the beginning OF the new year
more than 1.2JO,OO0 copies of Elbert
| Hubbard's pamphlet "A Message to
| Garcia" will have been issued. 1t is
estimated that 100000 copies of the
| essay have been reprinted in various
| forms. This, taking into consideration
the short time that has elapsed since
| the little book was printed first, is un-
| doubtedly the most remarkable record
that has ever been made by any pub
| lication. Elbert Hubbard, who wrote
"a Message to Garcia" wrote it
without any idea of the possibilities
for wide circulation of the sermon it
contained. He is the editor of The
Philistine Magazine, small period
!cal of protest" published at East Au-
rora, Erie county, n. Y. He conducts
printing shop and fine bookbindery in
the name of the Society of the Philis-
tines, of which he is himself the prin-
cipal and pervading member. He wrote
"a Message to Garcia" for last
March's number of The Philistine.
His attention had been attracted to
the act of Lieutenant Andrew s.
Rowan in delivering a message from
the president to General Garcia early
in the Spanish war and thereby keep
ing some 10000 Spanish troops out of
Santiago until the United States army
and navy had taken the city. He made
the incident the text of a homily on
prompt and intelligent service Of en-
ployees.
The great interest taken in the "mes-
sage" and the wonderful demand for
it are due largely to the work of George
III. Daniels. the general passenger
agent of the New York Central and
Hudson River railroad. AS he was
sitting in his office at the Grand Cen
trail station one day looking over The
Philistine his eye caught "A Mes
sage to Garcia" and it struck him that
the sermon contained there applied
with particular force to railroad en-
ployees, says the New York Sun. He
made arrangements with Mr.. Hub
bard to print off some copies. -Four
thousand were printed. Then Mr.. Dan
iels obtained leave for himself from
Mr.. Hubbard to print "A Message to
Garcia" This was done, and 100000
copies were issued in editions of 100,-
900 each. But it has become manifest
TO him that 100000 editions are too
slow, and there is now in preparation
an edition of 100000. More than 1,OOO,-
600 copies of the essay have been cir
culated, as the demand for it has come
from many sources. Besides the 1,000,-
900 copies printed by Mr.. Daniels. Hub
bard has printed 100000 Mt the Roy
croft shop to fill orders that have come
there for the book in numbers from
1 to 1000. The following is "A Mes
sage to Garcia"
In all this Cuban business there is
one man stands out on the horizon of
my memory like Mars at perihelion.
When war broke out between Spain
and the United States, it was very
necessary to communicate quickly
with the leader of the insurgents.
Garcia was somewhere in the noun
tain Businesses of Cuba-no one knew
where. No mail or telegraph mes
sage could reach him. The president
must secure his cooperation, and
quickly.
What to do!
Some one said to the president.
There's a fellow by the name of |
Rowan will find Garcia for you. if any
body can"
Rowan was sent for and given a
letter to be delivered to Garcia. How
1.-The fellow by the name of Rowan"
took the letter. sealed it up in an oil |
skin pouch, strapped it over his heart, |
in four days landed by night off the |
coast of Cuba from an open boat, dis |
appeared into the jungle and in three |
weeks came out on the other side of |
the island, having traversed a hostile !
country on foot and delivered his let !
ter to Garcia, are things l have no |
special desire now to tell in detail.
The point / wish to make is this: Nc |
Kinley gave Rowan letter to be deliv- |
cred to Garcia. Rowan took the letter |
and did not ask, Where is he at:" By !
the Eternal. there is a man whose form
should be cast in deathless bronze and
the statue placed in every college of
the landi 1t is not book learning young
men need nor instruction about this
and that. but stiffening of the verte- :
b-se which will cause them to be loyal .
TO trust. to act promptly, concentrate
their energies, do the thing-"carry
message to Garcia
General Garcia is dead now, but
there are other Garcias.
No man who has endeavored to carry
out an enterprise where many hands
were needed but has been well nigh ap-
paIled at times by the imbecility of the
average man-the inability or unwill-
ingness TO concentrate on n thing and
do it. Slipshod assistance. foolish mat
tcntion. dowdy indifference and half
hearted work seem the rule. and no man
succeeds unless by hook or crook or
threat he forces or bribes other men TO
assist him. or mayhap God, in his good
Less. performs miracle and sends him
an angel OF light for an assistant You.
,1cnder nlrf this matter to q test: You