The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-16

Given equal natural ability, push,
nerve, determination and ambition,
the college graduate has a big advan-
tage, of course, over his fellow who
has not enjoyed the advantages of the
schools.
But college training alone will not in
sure success. Whosoever would win
must be educated, but it is one of the
easiest things in the world to spend a
certain number of years at college, to
pass the examinations creditably and
to get document which certifies that
you have done these things, without
really becoming educated. And if you
are not educated, in the true sense, you
cannot accomplish the things that are
really worth doing in this world.
The first problem for every young
man, then, is education. He should
go to college if he can manage it, but
there Is no reason for him to despair
if the college course is beyond his
reach. America is crowded, as every
body knows. with men who have made
their marks in business, in high
finance, in politics, in railroading and
manufacturing, in Journalism, art and
literature, in nearly every walk of life,
who never have seen the inside of
college save as visitors Most of these
men are proud of what they have done
in spite of their handicap, but there
are few among them who do not re-
greet the handicap; who do not believe
in their hearts that they could have
gone further and achieved more, had
they been able to get the training that
the college course gives.
This could be shown in no more con-
elusive way than by the liberality dis
played toward the higher institutions
of learning by certain non-graduate
Princes of Industry. of Finance and of
Transportation. No man in the world
has given so much money for the
maintenance and endowment of semi
naries, colleges and universities as
John d. Rockefeller, whose education
was completed without the help of any
school of a grade higher than the dis
trict school. No other man has given
one 1.-THE as much to place the means
of self-education, in the form of free
libraries, within the reach of those who
cannot go to college as Andrew Carne-
gle, who was graduated into the world
of affairs from the telegraph key, and
whose education included practically
no schooling at all. A long list of
munificence to educational institutions
might be made, but mention of the two
best known for their liberality in help
ing Others to enjoy the advantages of
which they were deprived in youth is
enough to illustrate my point. Proba-
bly, more than half of all the money
that has been expended in America
for the founding and the maintenance
of colleges and universities has been
&1I Ixxx xxy1.1 nNl-
lege graduates.
The College Mans Great Advantage.
One of the important advantages
employed by the college men over the
non-graduate lies in the fact that by
reason of his college course the former
virtually belongs to a vast and growing
club, with members in practically
every city of his own land and many
cities of the great world outside.
A graduate of Harvard, for instance,
going from an Eastern city to San
Francisco to engage in business or
professional life has a big lead over
a non-college man in the same circum-
stances. There are many Harvard
graduates in San Francisco and every
one of them viii be quick to extend
| such social courtesies as he may to
any newcomer, who, like himself. re-
ceived his training from the beloved
Alma Mater on the banks of the
Charles 1t is the same If he be a
graduate of Yale or Princeton, of Co
lumbia or Cornell-of any of the col
leges or universities, great or small
East or West. Though. of course, the
graduates OF one of the bigger col
leges stands a chance to find more
brother alumni in his new home than
| the graduate of a smaller institution
With the non-college man 1t is diff
ferent. lie is alone, a stranger. in the
new city. He has his own way to
make In far greater degree than the
other. II he has character. ability and
address, he makes his way, as a mar
ter of course, but II is slower, more
difficult. often. TO be sure, he wins
a higher prize than the graduate, for
his first advantage is only temporary,
when all is said. After he has estab-
lisheo relations with HIS brother
alumni In his new field OF action II
remains for him 20 make good" II he
doesn't, his lead doesn't last, and. in
the long run, he IL worse on than
IL be had ne lead 70 beEiR With. That