The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-02-10

deadhead tickets to the circus came
pouring in. Then he came to passing
most Of his time in a tub and to get
ting of such philosophy as Pay to-
day and trust tomorrow and Birds
o. a feather flock together It was
Dlogenes that consoled a man with
a boil on his leg by saying that he
might have had a carbuncle on his
neck. He turned the world upside
down In his way and died a grand
success.
Let us come down nearer to our
own times. What did George Wash
ington amount to at the g of twen-
ty-one or even three or four years
later? He could do a little land sur
veyins, but nothing to brag Of. The
old mar let him run the farm, and he
ran things into the ground. He tried
to teach school and made a failure of
1t. He never traded horses but what
he got stuck. Even after he married
the Widow Gusts he wasn't consid-
cred any great shakes. 1t was a uues-
tion whether he'd ever be worth as
much as the average hired man when
his niche came sailing along. It was
marked, TO the Father of His Country
handle gently George slipped into
It and nailed himself in, and history
tells you what followed. He kicked
up a rumpus that lasted seven or
eight years. and he made a mighty
king glad to go out of the American
business. Had he skipped his niche
and gone to keeping books for some
merchant he'd never have been heard
Of outside Of his village home.
"Go back to Columbus for q mo-
ment. At the age Of forty he had
tried tailoring. coopering, the saw
mill business and half a dozen other
things and had made dismal failures
at all and was teetotally busted for
cash. l don't depend altogether on
history for my facts. I have been told
on the outside that Mr.. Columbus was
so hard up at the crisis of his life that
the question Of raising fried eggs and
bacon for breakfast was a serious
problem for him. He was ready to 20
out cutting cord wood for IS cents a
cord when his niche came along. All
at once he got the idea that there
might be some more world to grab on
to, and he began to talk. He wasn't a
failure with his mouth. He kept at it
until he got the king and queen of
Spain interested, and they fitted him
out and gave him Horace Greeley's
advice to 60 west. he went west, and
here we are. A vast continent has
been redeemed from the Indians and
over to the grafters.
His Own Case.
'"Take my own case. My friends,
at fifteen I couldn't chew gum with
out swallowing the cud inside Of two
minutes. At twenty l planted dried
applies to grow an orchard. I had the
inner consciousness that somewhere
was a niche for me, but I couldn't find
It. tried lightning rods and tin ped
ding and book canvassing, but I was
set down as a half idiot. l tried po-
etry and was run out of town. It SEEM
ed impossible for me to catch on, and
l had to put up with being called the
fool of the family. One day. after l
had planted corn in the ear and been
across a thirty acre lot by the
l was working for. my niche
came along. 1t "a labeled The ros-
trum.' l recognized it at once and
in, and 1 am still there. 1t is
not for me to say how much my lee
lures have benefited mankind nor to
ask what calamities might not have
happened had I failed to find my niche
at last. always leave that to my
audiences.
AR you a successful farmer? Then
you have found your niche. Woman,
you construct a pumpkin pie that
will melt in the mouth? Then that is
your niche. Young man, can you de-
The Boy Stood on the Burning
Deck in such a way as to bring tears
to the eyes of your audience? If so,
into the niche and hold it down.
intended you for an orator.
Young woman, does playing Old Black
Joe on the piano come as natural to you
making beds and washing dishes?
Then your niche Is music, and don't
let any cuss words of the neighbors
stop you. If you haven't found your
niche yet, keep on looking for it. 1t
Is sure to come and success to come
it. Whatever you can do best
md with the most satisfaction in your
heart is your niche, whether it be po-
'try or pumpkin pie, oratory, chopping
wood, preaching the gospel or running
| sideshow. With thanks for your
Interested attention and unbounded
l now bring my remarks
20 a close and ask that you kindly
each other up" NJ. QUAD,
Neeks - Nath:no