The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-09-19

the base-born, either in the matter OF
INTELLECTUAL or physical qualities. The
greatest men have been the offspring
of lowly people. The most rugged in
tellects seem to have come from the
tillers of the soil and to have derived
therefrom certain natural strength
that men born in castles and manor
houses do not inherit. OF all kings
and rulers the strongest were the
founders of dynasties. The first hold
er OF hereditary title nearly always
is the greatest. This fact was known
to the French wit who said: I'VE can
not all be mobiles. Some of us must be
ancestors. In literature and all de-
Fartments of learning the majority of
the masters We're plebeians. Shakes
peare was the son of a wool comber,
johnson of bookseller, Horace of a
freedman, Socrates of midwife-but
the list would be too long if it were
completed here. On the point of phys
zeal courage the cadet OF the Oldest
family i'll Europe and the commonest
KIND of plebe!an are equal The
well-born puppies fought bravelv at
Waterloo but no more bravely than
the common soldiers, the sons of ten1
ants on the puppies estates.
reckless and daring body of men a
ever faced blazing gunpowder was
regiment in the civil war recruited il
the lowest slums of the Bowery. Z
stripping rough in the cities of
United States is one of the finest fiji
ing animals on two legs After
physical courage is very com
and not very lofty attribute. Whellu
the Six Hundred" made that charge
at Balaklava the horses went where
the men rode them and six more
horses than men We're killed, but the
horses are not celebrated Yet phys
ical courage will be admired until the
end of time and nine philosophers out
of ten would rather have their morals
impugned than their courage, and
nineteen philosophers out of twenty
would rather be the arandsons of great
men than be the famous founders OF
families.-San Francisco Bulletin.
WHY FARRAGUT REFORMED.
One of the great turning points in
the early life of Admiral Farragut is
told in Success, which publishes a
series of new stories of the great
American
David was acting as cabin boy to his
father, brave George Farragut, who
had taken part in the revolutionary
and the Indian wars, and who, on this
OCCASION as sailing master of the
fleet was on the way to New Orleans
with the infant navy of the United
States. The boy thought he had the
qualities that make man. 81 could
swear like an old salt" he says, could
drink as stiff glass of grog as if I
had doubled Cape Horn, and could
smoke like locomotive. l was great
at cards and was fond of gambling in
every shape. At the close of.dinner
| one day, he continued, as the story is
related by William NJ Thayer, my
father turned everybody out of the
cabin, locked the door and said to me:
David, what do you mean b
I mean to follow tie SEA / sid.
Follow the sea exclaimed my ia
ther; yes, be poor .-sa!-+- unk-
en- sailor before the mas X <and
cuffed about he world ana die in a
fever hospital in some foreign cliIl ".
No, father l replied, q will tire.
the quarterback, and command, as v
do
No. David; no boy ever trod
I quarrerdecf- with such. 1rinciples
you have and such habits as you
hibit. You will have to change "
whole course of life if you ever becolfF
a man.
My father left me and went on
deck. I was stunned by the rebuke
and overwhelmed with modification.
"A poor, miserable, drunken sailor be-
fore the mast, kicked and cuffed about
the world, and die III some fever hos
pital! That's my fate is it? I'll
change my life and I'll change it at
once. / will never utter another oath.
never drink another drop of intoxi-
eating liquor, never gamble, and as
God is my Witness said the admiral.
solemnly, Il have kept these three
vows to this hour Exchange.