The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-11-25

Sklll and Ienius during the
Year"-Presentation Speech
Made by Hon. James Bryce.
Fayetteville Index, 10th.
Some fifteen years ago among the
hills OF Chatham county there lived
an ordinary country lad not unlike a
thousand other farmer boys in the
rural districts of that day in North
ChrOlina-except that his npportuni-
ties for making u distinguished man
of himself were perhaps more limited
tnan those enjoyed by tn" average
conn'ry youth even nf that time
A casual obs. rvrr doubt less would
have noticed nothing in this bow in
the way of distinguishing character
i>tics, nor would he have been i'm
pressed 10y the had as giving promise
of any remarkable career His par
ents were not wealthy The boy had
to work. He was honest and ambi-
tious and neither ashamed nor afraid
to wOrk-even to labor with his
hands in a menial position.
Lacking the opportunity in the
country to crafty his ambitious, he
went to the city-to work; not to
wear pretty clothes, loaf on drug
store lounges and'smoke cigarettes.
No time for these things. He went
to work with a newspaper as office
boy at small wages. He stuck to his
bush. He worked. He grew to young
manhood. He was poor. He never
went to college, nor even to n graded
or high school. 'Sassiety" didn't
recognize him but he didn't care a
rap. He had no Functions" Doubt
less some learned ones prophesied
that because he could hoast no col
lege diploma he could never amount
to anything but a drudge. But
watch his career.
He is not yet thirty years of age
Last Thursday he stood up before an
audience composed of North Carroll
tna's historians, poets, college pro.
fessors and leading journalists and
had conferred upon him the highest
hOnors of the chief literary auth hority
in the State.
That Chatham county farmer boy
was Clarence H. Poe. And he was
the man who on last Thursday at
the meeting of the North Carolina
Literary and Historical Association
at Ralei Ugh was awarded the Patter-
son Cup for having written the pro-
duction OF greatest excellence and
highest literary skill and genius dur
ing the year" The silver trophy
was presented by Hon. James Bryce,
British Ambassador to the United
States, and one Of England's most
eminent statesmen. He spoke OF
his own knowledge of Mr.. Poe and
declared that not one brings to the
association "a finer literary sense
and zeal" The production that won
for MIR. Poe the trophy was his book
entitled "a Southerner in Europe" r"
the second edition of which is now
being rapidly sold. The cup is known
as the civilian Houston Patterson
Memorial Cup" and was offered by
Mrs. Lindsay Patterson, OF Winston
Salem, to be awarded at each annual
meeting OF the Association for ten
successive years, beginning with Oc-
tober, 1905. In years past it has
been won by such men as Capt. S. A.
Ashe, historian; DR.. Edwin Mimms,
professor in Trinity Collegs1and the
late John Charles McNt Whsst and
| journalist.
The Judges of award were: Presi-
dent of the Literary and Historical
Association of North Carolina, the
occupants of the chairs of English
Literature at the University of North
Carolina, at Davidson College, at
Wake Forest College, and at the
State College of A. & NJ. at Raleigh
and of the Chairs of History at the
University of North Carolina and at
Trinity College.
Mr.. Poe is not only an author, he
is q magazine writer of national note
on economic subjects; he is recog
nized as one of she country's leading
authorities on industrial and socia
conditions in the South; he has trav
elled over this country from the At
lantic to the Pacific and in all the
leading countries of Europe; he has
filled a place as speaker on the pro
grams of congresses and conventions
of national import. Withal he is
eminently successful as a business
man. But in North Carolina he il
best known as editor of the Pro
gressive Farmer, with which he start
ed as an office boy. And it has beer
in this capacity that he has been o
the greatest service to his State. He
is now chief owner OF the paper
and it has a circulation Of A, 1000
giving him an opportunity to SEND
100000 people in several States a
weekly message of inspiration and
progress. Through the paper he has
done more than any other living
man to develop the agricultural re
sources of the State and to elevate
and enrich its rural life.
His career illustrates the possibili
ties OF "boy without q chance, but
with character, ambition and brain
to recognize the fundamental princi
pies of life above the fads and foibles
and superflcialities. And the grea,
secret of his success is in the wore
WORK.
Hail to the lad of the Chatham
hills!