The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-04-16

when Cyrus W. Field stretched his ca
that when Galilei developed the te!e
scope he was developing 1t for you.
and that when Isaac Newton discover
ed the law of specific gravity he was
discovering 1t for you? All these meh
were seed planters They We're the
giants who laid the foundation stones
upon which the superstructures of our
Industrial prosperity have been erect
ed. They themselves received very lit
tie personal benefit out of their seed
planting. but they made millions of
dollars for other men. The next gen
Grafton reaped the harvest of their
seed planting. Zone man soweth. and
another reapeth."
This fact was powerfully Illustrated
In the life of one of my friends. In
my Pittsburg church there was n fam
lily which for generations had produced
bridge builders and contractors. The
first member Of that family who came
to the western part of Pennsylvania
was a contractor. His grandson, whom
[ knew well. was also a contractor.
Some years ago this grandson of the
first pioneer had contract to build
over or reconstruct railroad bridge.
As he dug down into the fourSln lions
to relay some of the old stones. much
tn his surprise he found there Il tool
chest marked with his own Initials.
That fnnl ..Enut nnnlI hnrn ha-
longed to but one person. and that bis
own grandfather after whom he had
been named One of his grandfather's
men had forgotten and left his tools
there when his grandfather built the
original bridge. So when we begin to
modern Industrial prosperity we al
ways find that our modern Industrial
life has been built ont Of the inventions
and the discoveries of the generations
that are dead and gone. Like the coral
reef, we have been growing in a tenn
porai sense Our industrial prospect
ties are built upon the catacombs and
the tombs of our ancestors. These for
mer generations may have received
but little personal benefit from their
seed planting We have reaped the rich
harvest lone man soweth and m.
other reapeth."
History Of the Flag.
What is true of the industrial life Is
true of the political and
the social life. The flag under which
l., 20
ing was not designed entirely by q
Betsy Ross. It was not woven by the
fingers Of n Martha Washington. That
flag Is a combination flag. 1t was dyed
red on the bloody soil Of many hard
fought battlefield. Its white stripes
were cut from the sainted robes Of
many martyrs. Its many stars repre-
sent the states added one by one to
the great family. The men who fol-
lowed It when It was first unfurled and
who made It glorious by love and sac
riflce reaped but little personal adj
vantage In this world. but these noble
patriots were seed planters. The pres
ent generation and all coming genera
lions will gather the plenteous harvest
of their sowing.
Do you for one instant suppose that
even there we are at the beginning:
There would never have been u Decla
ration of American Independence I'M
less there had first been Magma
Charta. Why. those stern faced. iron
listed, unrelenting English barons VIII"
gathered about the "round table" at
Runnymede in 1915 and compelled
King John to grant them their person
al liberty unconsclously fought AZ
much for American independence a.
they did for their English rights.
Washington and Samuel Adams and
jefferson and Patrick Henry would
not have been possible unless these
patriots of seven centuries ago had
first dared to challenge the doctrine of
the divine right of kings. Do you sup
pose there would ever have been a
constitution of the United States TN
less there had first been Bannock-
burn or a Beverly Manor House? John
Witherspoon was only a reincarnation
of Sir William Wallace. Miles Stan
dish and Israel Putnam may have liv-
ed 200 or 800 years apart, but they
were twin brothers. Governor Carver
and Governor Bradford spoke In the
Continental congress through the lips
of John Adams and Franklin. A man
may seem to die, but his spirit never
dies. 1t has its first incarnation. then
its reincarnation, and then 1t lives In
thousands of other lives. You see the
doctrine Of psychical heredity display
ed In these national crises far apart
in time and place. 1t is made up OF
the combinations of thousands and
tens of thousands of heroic men who
when they lived did not or could not
dream Of country like that in which
today we are living. These patriots
In their own time received little per
sonal benefit from their sacrifices.
They were governmental seed planters
But the present generation and all sue
ceeding generations shall be the gath
erers of the harvest which they sowed
'One man soweth, and another reap.
eth
Did Not Die In Vain.
Many patriotic martyrs have died