The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1912-03-08
McADOO, TUNNEL BUILDER,
AT THE BERRY SCHOOL.

recently by the great tunnel builder OF
New York, VIM. G. McAdoo:
Il love Georgia for many things;
it is my native state and memories of
my boyhood days linger with me, but
love it chiefly because it has produced
men and women of the stamp from
which Miss Berry sprang. When
think of the men and women who are
making citizens out of the raw mate
rial of the boys and girls, all material
achievements that we have been able
to accomplish sprink into insignificance.
l would rather have been the founder
of the Berry school than to have built
the Hudson tunnels.
Perhaps | am more in position to
know how really great this work is
than most people, for I myself was a
Georgia boy who had his own way to
make in the world The Berry school
is practical, it teaches boys to stand on
their own resources and to become in
dependent. / am glad Sherman was
careless with fire, for it forced me to
learn to stand hardships and overcome
difficulties. 1t is conditions such as
these that teach boys to feel the neces-
sity of deviSing ways in accomplishing
things.
when Sherman left middle Georgia
desolate he also left me the honor of
being forced to become the first news
boy in the town of MilledgevilIe. |
worked at this for a time, then con
ceived at that time the idea of selling
Augusta and Macon papers in MilIedge-
vile. 1t is my recollection that this
work netted me about cents a day,
but that was infnitesimal compared
with the idea and knowledge that | got
through the Medium of being andepent-
worker. 1t gave me good training for
the work which have since done.
Il learned to endeavoF to do things
at which other men had failed. This
was not from an over-confdence or too
great conception of my own ability,
but simply from the desire to aim high
IN order that might accomplish some
thing even though it was but little.
studied law then went to Chattanooga,
and there my first years law practice
netted me the sum of $40.
after awhile things came easier,
then | went to New York. Following
my custom | found something which
men had tried for twenty years to do,
but had failed | decided to try it.
even though failure was a result for
sometimes honest failure is better than
success. My Georgia blood was enthus
ed and at last accomplished tt built
the Hudson tuanels.
Boys don't get the idea that have
any extraordinary ability. | haven't
Do the task well, that is the point
Much more credit than l deserve has
been given me for the building of the
tunnels. could never have succeeded
without the assistance and loyalty of
many other men. A leader must have
the loyal support of many men and
weld them into one organization. OPP
timism and an ability to make friends
has served ire better than any other
qualities. Try to cultivate these and
straight thinking at all times and you
will find it's worth while. 1t just keeps
on building up.
"Be honest, be truthful, he straight,
and never be swerved from the things
that are to be done Here in the south
we have great natural resources; much
is being written and said about conSer-
walton, but the greatest natural reSour-
ces are not land, water powers, timber
and mineral deposits, bat the boys and
girls of the country. Real conserva
ton is the conservation of these re
sources. Government is not to deal alone
with material things, hut the great
sociologist and humanitarian problems
When we reach the point that we arr
ready to put the individual above prop
erty then we shall begin to abolish
poverty, that chief indictment of ou
civilization. Our people must be edu
Gated to realize that human beings ar,
more valuable than property. DeveloI
the human being first and the develop
ment of all other resources will follow
young men, don't depend on luck
Some man will give you your first op
portunity, but it depends upon you afte
that how you are going to use that op
portunity. Let me give you this rul
of success Do your work better tina,
any one else. Then some one highe
up will say; Il need man up here VIII
cen be relied upon. Success and salts
faction are in the line of doing tn
thing better than anybody else ever di
it before you. Not all can be great
but all can do well.
''To succeed you must be honest am
truthful. Don't compromise with tn
Ten Commandments; they are the bes
chart of life. One thing more is need
ed that is loyalty. | mean the loyalt
which your great chief here, Mis-
Berry, is intoxicating in you every day
and loyalty to the right at all times.