Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-01

do it. Let us spend little while with
David, and ask him about it. If we
can learn what principles governed his
action, and will build our, own, founda-
ton upon the same bedrock, there is
no reason why we should not also
have great success.
It is a very common plea on part
of young men today, that there is
SO much competition in life that
young man has no chance. And
grant you this is time of great COM
petition, but competition never has
and never will brighten man of real
backbone Competition makes man
get right down to his mutton and do
his best. Competition makes him
move his feet faster than grass can
grow and great competition always
means great opportunity. and great
opportunities make 4 great success
possible. I doubt if there was ever
a time when opportunities for doing
great things were ever so great as
now.
David Was Industrious.
But David also had great conpeti-
| ton. Let us not forget that. He
was the youngest of ten children.
! There were eight boys and two girls
| in David's family. and anybody who
knows anything about large families
| knows about what kind Of chance
David had There was nothing for
! him until the long string ahead or
him had been supplied. l doubt if he
ever had suit of clothes made out
of new cloth until he bought it HIM
self. but probably had everything
made out Of the clothes his big
brothers had worn. You may be sure
there were plenty of "hand-me-
downs in David's time And then
David had more bosses than any
body else If anybody wanted any
thing done nobody else would do
David had to do it. It was the
same way when it came to a place
for him to go to work. He just
had to take what there was left. Some
of his brothers, who were princely
. looking men, got all the best jobs
Some of them were in the royal army
Perhaps in the kings bodyguard
where they could fight under the eye
of their prince, and hope to win pro
motion but there was no shining place
like that for David All there was left
, for him. was to go out on the back
part of his fathers farm somewhere
, and look after a few sheep-a calling
which i'll that day was despised ant
looked down upon. It was drudger.
which was only given to slaves, ant
women and children But David tool
the little place and soon became to-
! ;ol se, al, mo IN,
to do. Take the first little place tina
!, offers, no matter how small it is, AM
as soon as you begin there begin t.
qualify yourself for something bet
ter. That's what David did. Let u
go with him, and try to find out hoy
he did it. David didn't sit down on
stump and begin to groan over wha
;. hard world this is for a boy, but h
frightened his belt, rolled up hi
sleeves, and began to hustle. Davi
opened his eyes wide and locke
+ about him in every direction to fin
G out what there was to see. His wri
l. ings show him TO have been one c
n the closest observers that ever llvet
: He observed everything. He studio
: nature, birds, bees, sheep, cattl'
e trees, hills-everything No man ca
o get very far up the ladder of success
d if he tries to Climb it with his eye
; shut. 1t is always the man of kee
f observation who discovers the sol
J. mine. Inventors are inventors onl
n because they look at things hit
q sharper than other folks. The fir:
S step toward success is the ability
q see and improve golden opportunit,
:. Thorough Training Needed.
:, :, One of the first discoveries Davl
= made by his close observation VIZ
that it pays to be able to do som
- thing everybody can't do, and tn;
= = it is a good thing to know somethir
- everybody don't know, and 80 Dav
. said: I'm going to start up stair
y won't stay here and look aft
these sheep any longer than | have t
Anybody can take care of shee
J. so I'll train myself for somethiI
n everybody don't know" And rig
n there and then David began to gro
y and he never stopped.
| wish could impress upon you Il
3, great Importance of thorough trainin
;? Training Will always put ability at
|? premium as nothing else will. Even
IL trained QOS Is worth uOISll l1dl uoA
he know enough to follow wagon.
5: trained man has tremendous adva
to tage over the one who is not traine
lie This is clearly shown in the contra
or between David and Samson. Dav
~ could have used UP hundred Sa
gs sons. knowledge is power, men, and
&C. you want 10 be able to move thin
e. you must nave some. David went
lie, college out on that hillside, and this
az what every man should do. No matt
IS where he is, he ought to be In scho
he trying to learn something that "
nd make him a bigger man than he W
to before. David got his education in t
to college of self-culture; SO did Linco
Sc and so may you, for that college NJ
.st er closes its doors against everybod
ok David improved his time, talent a
nd opportunity and learned everything
is could. He learned to throw with
al sling until he could hit anything
~ could see, and until he became
,Ie very best singer in the country. a
Iii o,~I- al