The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-07-25
knowing How.

pTactlcal WISDOM, ana asked MIN TO
write in an autograph album the most
helpful and timely advice which he
could put into the form Of motto.
The teacher quickly wrote two words
with his autograph, and returned the
book. The two words were these
"Know how
Ten years later the pupil and his
former teacher met again. The young
man was then holding an important
and highly remunerative position in q
shipbuildiug establishment. He had
achieved the most brilliant success of
all the members of his class, thus far.
In response to the congratulations of
his old high school master he said
gratefully: II owe it all to those two
words you wrote in my autograph al
bum, ten years ago, Know how It.
did not take me long to realize that
that was indeed the supreme demand
o. this age, and / met it as earnestly
and as faithfully as 1 could. 1 chose
my profession, and then gave myself
to it day and night, until there was
not a detail from first to last with
which l was not perfectly familiar. I
hope [ do not say this boastfully.
What l have to be thankful for is sim
| ply the result of the honest following
Of wise advice"
The writer knows another young
man-not SO very young now how
ever who started out with a differ
ent conception Of the demand of the
age. He thought, and used often to
assert, that ell one needed in order to
succeed in life were "puf h and cheek"
He did not believe in the supreme
practical vale Of equipment. Self
assertion was his reliance. "What
you assume to be, the world will grant
you," he declared. Cali you have to
do is to demand it, But when he
was thirty-two years old he concluded
to give up mis- grand game Of bluff and
accept himself as the worlds stern
valuation-on the basis of practical
equipment. He is now working in a
furniture store in Omaha-and grad
ually learning how.
Time was, perhaps, before the world
was as intelligent as it is nov, when
self-assertion or "cheek" would do
much toward helping young person
to secure position Of trust and re-
sponsibility. Assuming to know
counted good deal with those who
confessedly did not know. But that
time has certainly passed. Modern
eyes have the X-ray power of intelli-
gence. They can see through wool.
The most sublime assumption and self
assertion no longer suffice. The stern,
straight questions which the world
asks every young person are these:
"What is your equipment? What do
you know now to dof" No preien-
sion will be accepted ss an answer to
this question. The world nowadays
not only demands honest equipment
but humility with knowledge. At
any rate, it puts premium upon mod
eat fitness. To know thoroughly what
one asks chance to do and yet to be
modest and deferential and receptive
at heart, is the best recommendation
for any young, person who is seeking q
place in the world.
Undoubtedly, there never was a
time when life had such strenuous de-
mands upon the beginner as now.
Universal intelligence, keen compen-
sation, higher standards in education,
definite and well-directed training
from childhood up, the tendency to
specialization, the demand not only
for complete knowledge but for orig
inal creative faculty-all these
things make it increasingly harder for
the new workers to win Reorganization.
There is absolutely no honorable
chance in these days for the young
person who does not know how to do
something and do it we'll. We must
wake to this fact before we throw our
self into the struggle for life, or moth
ing but cruel disappointment awaits
US. "Know how" is the most i'm
perative Of all notices, so far as prac-
tical success in life is concerned. The
dawdler, the wool -gatherer, the skirk-
er, the super6cialist, the truster in
l1ck-these are the ones who cannot
survive in this age of progressive in
tellectual selection.
Yet, how many young people seem
still inclined to follow the cheap and
shoddy methods by which success
used sometimes to be. snatched, not
won. How many fail to wake to the
seriousness Of life until they are help
lessly Handicapped in the race. How