Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-06-20
A FOOL
WITH
A FAD
A laymen Expresses HIS Opinion Of
Another Opinion

Il
cause of train wrecks is the age OF
the employees, and that the railroad
should have no men in it's employ,
over 40 years of age. 1t seems like
a waste of time to take such drivel
seriously, and yet the position he is
holding down compels some notice
to be taken of his statement. Just
what age DR.. Jonas has achieved is
unknown, and it Is difficult to decide
whether his opinion is the spontan-
eous outburst of adolescent ignor-
ance, or the pessimistic drivel of
mumbling senility.
If man above 40 years of age is
too old to be trusted to manage an
engine, to handle a combination of
steel and iron--is he not also too
old at that age to be trusted with
the care of such a complicated piece
of mechanism as the human body?
II he is too old to see an open switch,
recognize a danger signal, or remem-
ber his orders at 40--is he not too
old to diagnose a case, prescribe
Ipoisons, and pass judgment on the
qualifications and capabilities of his
fellow man? II man is too old to
manage an engine on a road at 40,
isn't he also too odd to manage the
road? Should not the learned dis
|ciple OF Esculapius insist on Presl-
dent Hartman being fired? And II
the doctor has passed the age at
which he thinks man is no longer
OF use, should he not be compelled
to resign and return the money paid
him since he reached that age? Has
not what he has received since been
obtained under false pretenses?
Should not any member OF the board
OF directors; any head of any rail-
road department, who has railroadej
long enough to understand his busl-
ness, bo unceremoniously bounced?
Suppose the management OF the
4
this disseminator OF catnip tea. opo1
deldoc and arnica--how long would
the railroads have any employees?
What inducemonr would there be TO
any young man to learn railroad
ing? He would not have the busi-
ness more than fairly learned when
the time for his retirement came.
And II he married, as every good citi-
zen should, what would become OF
him and his III he was married
at 25, he would have fifteen years
In which TO provide for his family
and himself--in his older years, or
be turned out without n trade or
OF any other business.
with his oldest child at the most,
years OF age.
A mans age IS not measured by
years, and most men are not In their
prime until they have passed 40.
let us look for a moment at a
few men living, who would have been
down and out II Jonas theory is cor
rect. President Palmer of the North
western Mutual Life Insurance Co.
Is 81; John Bigelow, SO; Senator
Pettus OF Alabama, SIS. and his fell
low senator. Morgan, who died al his
post a few days ago, So; ID. o. Minis,
iinancier, 81; De Freyeinet one OF
the most active OF French statesmen
Is rs; and Count Tolstoi and Clara
Barton are OF the same age; General
Booth OF the Salvation Army Is II;
Senator Allison and Cullom, both
presidential possibilities, King Oscar
Of Sweden and Murat Halstead are
all n; President Dlaz OF Mexico. a
ruler, is rs, and so is
Senator Teller and Justin McCarty.
Field Marshal Lord Roberts of the |
British Army. and Justice of the su-
Dreme Court Shires are "a; Chief |
Justice Fuller ofthe u. s. Supreme
Court is 73, 50 is Justice Harlan,
Auu AlC8lutul LAAACeS Va ~@@~% 49, ~ i
md Cardinal Gibbons are 72; Pope |
Plus X, Rev. Lyman Abbott, Bishop |
Potter. Mark Twain" Hattie Green
Andrew Carnegie. and Secretary OF
agriculture Wilson, are each IL;
Uncle Joe" Cannon who is not
hought too old 70 run the United
states government as its president, i
md who is now the speaker OF the
over house OF congress. Is 20.
Howells. the author; Archbishop
Ireland, ]. Pierpont Morgan. Justices
Brewer and Peckham OF the Supreme
,ourt, swinburno the poet. and Ad-
niral Dewey are 60; and to take the
ist down TO the age OF so. would
,ut into print the name OF almost
very man OF prominence In the
,ountry. These and hundreds OF
more prominent In their chosen call
ngs are those this professional mi