Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-28
INSPIRATIONTO
YOUNG MEN
Lecture Of Hon. Z. w. King, DslIv.
cred Before Students Of Agrleul-
turaI College.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGINEERS
Immense Energies Now Going to
Waste But Wait the Trained Head
and Hand Of Young Men.
fBozeman Chronicle. Dec. IA,

tDo6~AAAah SatVt4tCi(s DC(s HI
The following lecture was given to
the students Of the agricultural col.
lege In assembly hall recently by Hon.
Z. w. King. on the subject Of engi.
neering. In view of Mr.. Kings well
known reputation as an engineer OF
ability. the lecture is full Of interest
ing facts, not only to college students.
but to everyone who realize that all
the great institutions of the modern
world, e first worked out. and then
established by the engineer. In view
OF this the Chronicle takes pleasure
IN printing Mr.. Kings lecture:
l was asked about a week ago by
Prof. Cowper to give you a lecture on
some engineering subject, but never
having met any OF you students. l Wis
tied the college a few days ago. and
after seeing what you were doing. and
learning that this was the first lee
ture Of a series that was to be given
to you this winter. | decided to give
you q general talk on the engineer
ing profession In a broad nse I
believe that the engineering profession
Is one of the noblest as well as one
of the oldest professions in existence,
and that II tends TO the elevation and
comfort of mankind more than any
other profession.
There r few people who realize
the important position the engineer
holds In the economical development
of the worlds resources. The laborer
OF today. and for that matter, for ages
past. represents probably ninety per
cent Of the producing population Of
the globe. but nearly all OF the Ia
borers r dependent on the capital
list for remuneration for his labor.
and what could the capitalist do with
out the engineers? None Of the great
transcontinental railways could have
been built and put In successful oper-
alton without having had a trained
engineering mind to direct the locat-
ing and construction OF the roadbed.
and Of the locomotives. and OF the
telegraph lines. and OF the thousand
and one appliances that 90 To make
up the properly equipped railway sys-
TEN. The same is true In nearly ev-
cry kind of mandatory. The building
of the great ocean liners, the great
men of war and other fighting boats OF
the modern ~navies. the erection of the
great steel and iron plants. sugar REIN
cries. mills for the manufacture OF
the textile fabrics. the great electric
lighting and electric railway systems
of the world. the successful operation
OF the great mining and m~etalurgical
industries OF the country. the sue
cessful laying out and identifying OF
the modern city with all OF Its con-
veniences in the way Of light. heat,
power, water sanitary conditions and
It's great s~ky-scraping buildings and
numerous other things In the Indus
trial world are but the creations OF
the we'll trained mind OF the engi-
neer. and without him 1t would be I'M
possible for the capitalist to carry
out these vast undertakings and fur
nish work for the toiling millions, who
earn their bread by the sweat Of their
brow.
The engineer Is probably n OF the
greatest civilizers OF the world. You
take the tribes Of the earth, such as
the American Indian, the negro in
his native state. the South Sea island
ers. and all other tribal countries OF
the world, where there are no engi-
neering projects on foot, and you will
find the lowest plane OF civilization.
You can step up a notch higher and
tale the Chinese empire. the Philip
pine islands. the lndias. and a mum
Der of African and South American
countries. and you will find that their
degree of civilization Is about on a
par with their engineering develop
ments. and that in all Of these semi
civilized countries that the engineer
ing Developments that are being car
ried on, such as the construction oil
railways, navies, harbor improve
ments. sanitary improvements In cit
les. ETC., are all being designed by
and constructed under the direction
Of American or European engineers
and IL is a noticeable fact that as the
sanitary conditions are improved In
the cities OF these countries. and bet
ter transportation facilities are &C
quired, and manufacturing establish
mcnts are built up to manufacture the
law materials produced by these
countries, that the degree OF intelli
gence of its people increases accord
lngly.
Now, to you boys who are here to
day. who have made up your minds u
follow the engineering profession II
any of its various branches. I want Il
say to you: Make up your minds t.
be at the head In your particular line
Don't be content to play second nd
die: the world il full OF second nd
dlers, but the real violin %virtuosos car
almost be counted on the fingers OF
mans hands. The same Is true II
all branches of engineering. In thu
mechanical engineering line you car
find thousands of men who can rui
a lathe, planer. or any of the tooii
used in a machine shop. and the larg'
machine shops of the country have M
trouble whatever In finding plenty o
machinists, blacksmiths. moulders
boilermakers, etc., but II they ar
called on to build a new ocean lineI
a special locomotive. whether to b.
operated by steam, air. electricity
gasoline or any other motive agent
or any other large piece of machiner,
where a large amount OF money !
al stake, the first question that tn
manager of the shop will ask IL
where can I get the best man to d
the designing of and take the lea
In the construction of this piece Q
machinery.
II one of the large railroad con
panies are going to construct severs
hundred miles Of new track they ar
Hooded with applications Of men VIII
want a job of running q level o
transit. but the railroad company ger
orally does considerable hunting be
fore il decides who will be the loca'
ing engineer.
Il matters not what branch OF en-
- -. .xm~< ~hofhor n n,