, 1904-12-05
LUCK AND PLUCK.

In the battle of life some very pc
culiar complications arise and Mr..
William Shakespeare was prone to be
lieve that nearly everything was left
to chance. Shakespeare remarked,
There is a divinity that shapes our
ends, rough hew them how We will"
A philosopher or the past century
changed this to the. following: Luck
is a fool; Pluck is a hero"
Recently it was that Mr..
Herbert Brees of this city had rece!y
ed his captains commission. II it so
falls out, in the whirling of things. that
Mr.. Guy Kent is likely to be the second
lieutenant in Captain Brees' company.
But what of it?
Some seven years ago a competitive
examination was held in Wyoming
for the purpose of selecting a military
cadet for West Point. Herbert Brees
of Albany county and Guy Kent Of Lar.
annie county entered the competition
The judges in that contest decided that
Kent was a fraction of l per cent in
advance of Brees and Kent went to
West Point. We ere compelled to ad
nit there was an element of chance in
the examination and an element Of
chance in all that led up to it. but was
1t not indomitable energy and pluck
hat brought both these boys up to that
stage of competence that rendered it
possible for them to even enter the
competition.
GUY Kent went to West Point. Her
bert Brees went to Rawlins. where he
secured a position smashing bag.
gage. Later Hs.beftS~as changed TO
Cheyenne. where he was night bag
gageman for the Union Pacific. 1t was
an humble position, but he performed
his duties well, knowing that he must
be in line with his superior officers n
loyal to the company in order to win
success. The Maine was blown UP,
war was declared against Spain, the
Torrey Rough Riders were rganized
n Herbert found sufficient time to
enter actively into the drilling OF a
His knowledge of military
science, learned at the University OF
Wyoming. came in play. There were
few at that time in the state capital
his equals in the tactics. He concluded
to go to the front and enlisted as a pri-
A -lp,orf rmaijltply
elected as a first lieutenant. His gen
Jus, military training and indomitable
energy were brought to h attention
of Senator Warren, who made applica'
ton to the wal department for his ap
pointment to the position OF second
Lieutenant in the regular army OF the
United States. After mature delibera-
ton. Herbert accepted the esponslDll
ity. although it almost broke his heart
to leave his comrades of the Rough
Rider regiment. He went to the Philip-
pines and later served at various posts
in the United States. At the militar!
school at Fort Leavenworth, in a class
of 95. he stood first. Promotions came
to him as a matter of course and mt
now wears a captains shoulder straps
and is his former competitors ranking
officer.
Was it luck or pluck that brought
Heybert Brees to his preseTf proud pc
sition?
Was it luck that made him an earn
est. energetic student in the Laramie
public schools? Was it luck that KEPT
him at the head of his class in the uni
yersity? was it luck that made MN
N of the best football players IN the
Rocky Mountain region? Was it luct
hat said to him, THE work OF smash
ing baggage al Rawlins is better tnan
doing nothing?" Was it luck that free
his heart with patriotism when wal
with Spain vas declared? was IL luch
hat sent him to the head of the mill
tarv class at Fort Leaverworth?
The modern philosopher knew more
than Shakespeare. Luck is a fool;
Pluck Is a hero