Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-05-15
AMERICUs. Ca. MAY Is. 1901.
LUCK.

''Luck" IS one of the worst abused
terms IN the English language. To
luck is charged all our own follies
and failures, while we realistically
claim credit for successes, though they
were almost thrust upon us. There are
many cases where a superficial view
will reveal nothing but series of for
tunate occurrences which urge some
one to fortune and fame. The crazy
Lord, Timothy Dexter, shipped cargo
of warming pans to the West Indies,
and while people were laughing at his
folly the returns of sale came and
brought him fortune. They had been
sold to sugar makers for juice dippers
The writer personally witnessed case
during the civil war where DAVIS
Lawless was shot through the body
with mimic ball, which afterwards
clipped Tom Catlett on the knee, not
breaking the skin. Three weeks later
Lawless reported for duty, and Catlett
had been dead a week as the result OF
his wound One man stuck a ish-bone
in his thumb, blood-po1soning set in
and he died, having the best medical
attention. The same day horse ran
away with buggy, colIided with pc.
destrain and one of the shafts of the
buggy passed through his body and
this man recovered and lived a good
old age. Many men who have acquire
fame and wealth have been firm beI1ev.
ers in luck, but if these cases be in
vestigated it will be found that they
spared no effort, physical or mental,
to accomplish their ends-let no oppor-
tunity slip if anything was to be gained
by holding on to it. Some men are sue
cessful because they are always ready
to seize favoring circumstances when
ever they come their way. Lord Byron
said that sometimes
"Men are the sport of circumstances,
when
Circumstances seem the sport of men. ;"
Shakespear declares:
'It is not in our stars.
But in ourselves that we are under
lings."
To have luck, one must keep his eyes
open and his ears open; must always
be ready to seize favoring opportuni-
ties; must use the best means and
methods within his reach; must let no
opportunity pass without appropriating
1t. Passing a gang of laborers few
days ago, who were working in mud
knee-deep digging a sewer, we noticed
among them a number of old men and
said to companion, S'Ain't it sad to see
these old men having to work so hard
for 81 90 week?" eyes" was the re-
ply, ''but they are getting just what
they deserve. They have been visited
by abundant opportunities, but they
didn't invite the visitors in Favorlng
contingencies certainly have much to
do with the success or failure of men
but any man can, if he will, overcome a
host of opposing occurrences and con-
quer at last. Thousands of men pass
through life homeless, accepting so sad
q fate because they were not willing to
ray the price of success, which is in
dustry, energy and aIertness. There
are farmers yet who repose their faith
in the moon or the tradition of the
elders" rather than IN their own right
arms and ready minds, and they are
classed with the unlucky. If things
don't happen right, go to work and
make things happen. Remember that
events are brought about" caused
to occur. Men may be said to be the
creatures of circumstance, in the sense
that they suffer themselves to be led
by them, to the summit, or into the
ditch. But circumstances are the crea-
lures of men when men go to work as
they should and make "bad luck" get
ont of the way, like loafers in a smith
shop when the red-hot sparks fly
Texas Farm and Ranch.
1t is found by educators that there