Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-02-22
The Possibilities of the Young
Men of Today.

Men of Today.
The following paper was read
at the Farmers Institute by
Mrs. d. j. Orr, and was so en-
Enthusiastically received that it
was ordered published in the
Homestead and other farm
papers as we'll as the papers of
the county. 1t appears first in
the Times, of course.
There never was a time in
the worlds history when high
success in any profession or
calling demanded harder or
more earnest labor than now.
Men can no longer go at a
single leap into eminent posi-
tions. Opportunities do not
spring up spontaneous like
weeds. 1t is impossible to sue
coed in a hurry.
But for the young man with
the right material in his make
up there are still many posi-
bilities. But he must not ex-
pect to find them in the saloon
nor by the fireside amid the
fumes of tobacco smoke. There
are scores of young men all
over the land who want to ac-
cumulate wealth and yet every
day scorn such opportunities as
really rich men would improve.
They are not willing to begin
at the foot of the ladder, but
half way up or even at the top.
They expect their parents to
start them where they leave off
not willing to stand the ardu-
Gus struggles the parents have
endured.
To begin at the foot of the
ladder and work slowly to the
top seems a very discouraging
process and here it is that thou
sands of young men have made
shipwrecks of their lives.
First of all a choice of bust
ness or occupation should be
made and made early with a
wise reference to capacity and
taste and then the youth should
be educated for it and in it as
far as possible and then he
must persue it with industry,
energy and enthusiasm.
Having an ideal in life is
what makes the man. What
ever a mans talents and advan-
tages may be with no aim or a
low one, he is weak and despis-
able, while with a high aim he
is respectable and influential.
Without some definite object
before him, some standard
which he is earnestly striving
to reach, he can not expect to
attain any great height either
mentally or morally. Mankind
everywhere are DESTROYS of
achieving success of making
the most of life, but many have
not the will power to make the
necessary eXertlon. Don't
think [ measure a mans success
by the number Of dollars he ac-
cummulates, for many a rich
man has died a failure. The
world is no better for his having
lived in it. We are in the world
to make the world BETTER to
lift it up to higher levels Of en-
joyment and happiness. 1t is
a law of our intellectual and
moral being that we promote
our own happiness in exact pro-
portion that we contribute to
the happiness of others. God
in his infinite goodness has so
ordained that one can not work
for self alone and be successful.
He may accumulate wealth
but he is not happy. and true
success consists of being happy.
In former times it was consid-
cred successful to get rich but
fortunately there is a new gen
GRAFTON of people who find OPP
portunities thick as weeds for
doing something nobler than
becoming rich. A great draw
back with many of the young
men of today is they are not
taught to work while young.
They are sent to school as soon
as old enough and are not train
ed to any manual labor or given
any responsibility thinking that
education will carry them
through life without any furth.
err effort, and education in the
true sense of the word will, for
the real meaning of education
is development. 1t is not simp.
ly instruction communicated by
the teacher, but it is a waking