Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-20
WILLIAM WILBUR WINNER
High School Young Man Who Gets Gold
Medal for Essay
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, TYPICAL AMERICAN
Mrs. Edward Porter Peck Presides at
the Meeting and John l.. webster
Delivers the Principal
Grafton.

IN the presence OF several huAoIeu nlBn
school students the gold medal Of tine
Daughters Of the American Revolution was
conferred yesterday afternoon upon Will
liam Wilbur, who won II in the annual
competition Of high school students fos-
tered by the society by an essay on the
subject Benjamin Franklin, a Typical
American The rostrum In the assembly
room on the fifth floor OF the city hall
was decorated with the stand OF colors
which the daughters will present to the
officers Of the new battleship Nebraska.
Mrs. Edward Porter Peck presided over
the program, which was held yesterday,
because 1t happened to be the anniversary
Of the battle of Lexington
Six honorable mentions were bestowed
upon Lake Deuel.. Jerome f. Heyn. Vera
Ryerson Marie Roman. Irene Harmon and
Harry Blixt. 1t was the FIRST time since
the medal has been conferred that II was
carried or by a boy.
The principal address was made by John
l.. webster, who talked OF the revolution,
patriotism and notable men. chiefly Frank
lin. Selections were played by the high
school orchestra, Stanley Letovsky leader.
and brief history Of the navy was read
by Mrs. Troup. Miss Hazel Needham sang
the Irish Lullaby Bishop williams
asked the invocation and the exercises
closed with the singing of America"
Mr.. Webster in his address said
II is worth more to our spirit of indie
pendent nationality and to the progress
familiar with the lives and acts and
thoughts of the men who controlled the
destinies Of the colonies as they passed
years war than II is TO know the rise of
the history of Greece through it's ages Of
supremacy In art and eloquence and the
history of Rome when II had risen to it's
golden era under the rule of Augustus.
Inc history of the American revolution and
OF the adoption Of the Declaration OF In
dependence and Of the framing of the fed
eral constitution are the sources of that
great spirit of Americanism which has
gone on growing and expanding. until II
In the powers of the world.
Mr.. Wilbur read his essay, which follows;
Franklin, typical American" The words
mean little to us unless we first under
stand what a typical American Is. Tho
typical American is one that possesses ali
the peculiar characteristics of the American
race-not only those of New England MOI
only those of the SOUTH not rich, not poor
not ruler, not a slave. A typical Amer.
lean is, in word, all Americans moulded
Franklin to be.
But to better understand why Franklin
came TO be such a true American we must
look at the influences that helped him we
must see what his early environment was
He was born in poverty-the son of a poor
candlemaker with large family. If there
was any condition of life to bring self-re.
lance this was IT, And If there were any
ambition at all in him this condition would
Increase it and make him strive for better
| things.
Then Franklin was blessed with good anc
sensible parents, who. though they were
| poor, did not wish their son to be- They
encouraged ms attempts to get an educa
| uon, and this announcement, together
with his own passion for learning-we ar,
told that he read even while eating-madc
/ possible his rapid rise. His father too
| discouraged his attempts at writing poetry
| telling Benjamin that poets were general,
beggars, and so saved him for better
| things 5uCr
Though these outside g influences wer,
| great, II was necessary That there shoulC
| be something in the boy himself, and there
| was. One of the chief characteristics %
| the typical American is ambition, ant
! Franklin had this in a high degree. TIL,
| best proof of his ambition rs his success
! A person with no ambition will stay wherj
| he began; but Franklin rose from the soI
| of a poor, common, obscure candlemake
| until finally he became the representative
| of the nation in the courts of Europe
| Another chara cteristic of Franklin is hi
| self-reliance. We have his environment 4
| thank for that. But the best proof Of II Il
arrival in Philadelphia with only a dollar II
his pocket, a story with which all of u
are or should be familiar.
| He tells us that he was captain in hi
| boytsh games-a true American character
| istic. Americans are born leaders and can
not endure subordination. A race of thi
kind of men could not fail to become pow
| erful in the world.
Then Franklin was adaptable. TIL
change from poor, insignificant house II
! Boston to the court of one of the mos
| powerful kings OF Europe is great one
but Franklin accomplished 1t, and so coult
many other Americans in his place, s.
| could any typical American.
| Ingenuity and inventiveness are tw
| characteristics that go we'll together Wit
| ness his experiment with the kite, the dis
covery that electricity and lightning wer
the same, and the application Of that dis
covery in the lightning rod. Then it is t
| Franklin that we owe our first stove,
stove which is still in use and which bear
his name.
The typical American is Industrious. eco
nomical, fun-lovlng and just. Franklin wa
all this. The many proverbs which he com
posed and published in Poor Richard
Almanac" will show this. silks and satin
put out the kitchen fire." III you woul
| have your business done, go; If not, send.
| Little strokes fell great oaks" Thes
| are only a few of his many pithy sayings
But the greatest virtue of, an America
is his patriotism; aud surely no one ca
say that Franklin was lacking in this. TIL
greater part of his life spent in tn
service of his country. Through the revolu
ton he was ambassador to France, and