The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-06-30

obstacles which would have discour-
aged one with less pluck and deter
mination.
Earns His Schooling.
After l had sold the Oakesdale Sun
to a syndicate and L. w. tanning.
well known in Pullman, who had been
my foreman, was made manager of
the plant, he retained Leonard"
Meigs, that being the name by which
they called him at the time. and the
boy worked in the sun office for a
number of years. He went to school
but worked mornings. evenings, sat
urdays and holidays and became a
proficient printer. He graduated from
the public school with the highest
grades of any pupil who had left that
school up to that time. He wished to
attend Washington State college and
told me that he would come to Pull
man to, enter this school in the fall
of 1895.
| needed boy to deliver the Spokes-
man Review at Pullman and | asked
Leonard if he wanted the place. How
much is there in it?" he asked. with
his usual quick way of deciding a
question. | told him he would get 81
a month for delivering and COM
mission on what he sold. His reply
was prompt and to the point: You
bet | want it. That will make it pos
sible for me to go to college. l have
through the year.
Friends Lend Helping Hand.
suggested to Leonard that | might
be able to do even better than that
and would try to get n place where
he could work for his board and room.
saw Mrs. Sargent, who was publish
ing the Pullman Tribune, and told
her of Leonard and asked her to let
him work in the Tribune office when
not in school. for his board and room.
She asked me if he was nice boy
whom she could take into her home,
ard, on my assurance that he was,
offered him the position, which he ac-
I'cepted, and Pullman people will rem
ember him as having delivered The
Tribune office in the winter of 1859.
He made manw friends here and
took an active part in the college life.
He took part in one of the amateur
| thetatricals presented by college stu
dents that winter. By strict attention
to business, by hard work and econo-
my he managed to leave school with
| more money than he had when he
entered in the fall. He returned to
Oakesdale during vacation and work.
ed as printer and reporter on the
Oakesdale Sun during the summer va
| cation and earned enough to take him
to Ann Arbor, Mich, where he entered
the law school. After paying his tut
ton and other necessary expenses to
get started, he had 81 as his cash CAPT
tai to take him through the school.
Struggles at the University.
But Leonard Meigs was not the kind
of boy to be disheartened by such
conditions. When he said in his ad-
dress, Labor is the only door to
achievement" he knew of what he
was talking. He could labor and he
| did
He secured employment with the
circulation department of morning
| newspaper and was required to get up
at $3.50 in the morning to manage the
| circulation. Later the morning and
evening papers combined and he man
aged the circulation of both for the
magnificent" salary of SO per week
He began work at $3.50 a. m. and gen
orally finished anywhere from to 9
o'clock at night, and he did his school
work between these hours, having the
days, between a. m. and y. m. for
| school work, and he took part of the
night after finishing his work at the
office and before he began at $3.50, for
extra study.
1t was a hard struggle. but he made
| his way and finished his first year
with high grades. The second wear he
organized a boarding club and super
intended the buying and thus reduced
the expenses of the members and by
work at various things he made
enough to take him through the sec
ond year. He won number of cash
oratory the second year, for his abil-
ity as an orator and debater had been
recognized even in that big school.
Few of the students and faculty of
Washington State college know that
Mr.. Meigs, William Duncan. county
| auditor and w. d. Outman won the
first debate that w. s. C. ever won
from Whitman college, but they did.
His political success is such recent
history that most people know of it,
When he first returEed from Ann Ar
Dor Mr.. Meigs was visiting at our
house and talked with me about enter
ing politics. He said that he expect
ed to go into political work after he
got well established in law. Last
year he decided to run for the legisIa-
ture. He made his canvass was nom
mated at the primary election and
elected in November by a large major
ity. He then decided to enter the race
for speaker of the house He made
his canvass quietly but effectively. He
never seemed to think of failure. Dur