The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-03-17


ior:S at becoming equipped for Just
this thing. | shouldn't be at all STIFF
prised to see him at the head Of the
nation fifteen or twenty years hence.
His ambition means nothing: that he
has already begun to prepare himself
by hard work for this great RESPONSE
bility means everything.
Each mans present position is an
index Of just how strong and practi-
cal have been his efforts to get ready
for better work.
Success is lev of spontaneous de-
vclopment. 1t is a plant which grows
from a seed. Buried in darkness. ard
o~bscruity it slowly and surely puts
out tiny sprouts and sends down
sturdy roots, then come stem. branch
es. leaf. and, last OF all, the blossom.
Only an expert florist can deter
mine a plants value before the
blooming season; the ordinary person
is not sure whether IS is a flower or a
common weed.
And so it is with the worlds sue
cessiul people. They are all around
US, in various stages of development.
Most OF us do no realize what they
are until blossoming time. They
ma us. with a wonderful invention.
Or a discovery in science. or a mas
terpiece in literature. or a revolution
in business methods We applaud the
last stage, we admire the beautiful
flower, but we do not always appse-
ciate the terminating period. We say
he was born under a lucky star" or
with a silver spoon in his mouth"
that he is a genius; that it is queer
how some people have everything in
the world and others nothing, all the
time forgetting the season Of prepar-
alton, the plant which was carefully
nrtured till it should develop sufR-
cient strength and age to burst into
flower.
: = < x x < x
In q western railroad camp. a
young civil engineer bent every night
over his books, diagrams and draw
ingS. His companions played poker
and rallied him on his studiousness.
They were satisfied hat the days
work was satisfactorily finished
they were running lines for a great
transcon1inential railroad and the
prospect OF a long job relieved them
OF care for the future.
But the studious young engineer
worked on V his books and his
drawings. He had an idea. The arid
region over which they had travelled
could be made into thrifty farming
land ii only water could be gotten to
it. He spent the long evenings mas
terlng the principles of irrigation. He
studied water systems and methods
OF cribbing and examining the soil
and the streams. He figured Out the
expenses of gigantic canals and ways
to make them supply water to the
largest acreage. He did his work
during the day with all The more
falthfulness and enthusiasm because
o. his study at night.
Hardly fifteen years from this time
he was known as the greatest irriga-
ton expert Of America. He was call
ed upon to inspect irrigation systems
all over the west and commanded as
high as $500 a day for his services.
Today he is the author of several
works on the science of irrigation,
and his nalne is known to every
young engineer who aspires to sue
coed in this profession. They respect
what they call his "genius," but they
say "William Hammond Hall was
lucky in the time of his birth. He
got a hold on the west when it was
new" forgetting that there were doz-
II OF young engineers who, with
him. had the same opportunity and