Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1912-02-06
UNUSED POWER.
Rev. Mr.. WyokofFs Topic in Crescent
Fire Arms Shop Talk.

AT the Crescent Fire Arms company
shop on Monday at noon Rev. II. J. |
Wyckoff Of the Second Congregational |
church was the speaker at the shop |
talk under the auspices of the Y. M. c. !
A, his topic being Unused Power" /
Two soprano solos by Mrs. Louis 0. !
Potter were heard with much pleas |
ure.
Rev. Mr.. Wyckoff spoke in part as
follows:
The greatest single factor in the
material advancement of the world
from the rude existence of our early
ancestors TO the present highly de-
velOped state of civilization has been
power. Once men dreamed Of a race
of giants; beings of impossible size
and strength, whose shout could be
heard to the ends of the earth, whose
outstretched arms engirdled the land
and sea, whose hands rent rocks in
play, and tossed about mountains for
sport Today the world is so full of
such fanciful feats that we pay little
attention to them.
The marvellous thing about all this
is that the power with which the race
has been raised from the stature of
pignles to that of giants has always
been right in the world.
Using the Latent Power.
It was only when men discovered
and began to use this latent power
in the world that human progress
commenced in earnest, and the age Of
machinery came to birth.
But is was soon discovered also that
this servant would not work for moth
ing, eager and strong as it was. 1t
costs something TO harness power, and
hold it in readiness for service; and,
like a vigorous animal it grows i'm
patient under the leash and pulls
away without serving its would-,be
master. The modern system of engi-
neering economics is more concerned
with unused or wasted force, than
with a higher development of horse
power. The competitions of twentieth
century commerce necessitate check
ing this loss: and the profits of the
business Of today more often depend
| on the recovery of the waste of mate
rials and power, than on direct pro-
duction.
All this, indisputably true OF mere
| mechanics is no less vitality true of
! manhood. The difference between a
| human being and a man is the dis
/ covery and application Of the unused
! power in the individual.
| The chief essential about your work
| here is that you have learned to do
| rapidly and accurately and without
| wasted motion the several things
| which produced a certain number OF
! guns each working day. But the point
I am making is that under peculiar
| and pressing conditions, such as a
rush order with unusual profits for
all, the output of this factory could be
/ n of .
! single emplOye.
Is there any unused power in US
which, applied to finer, broader, wor-
| thier tasks, would net us larger re-
| turns on our investment? How about
| the physical strength? Could we give
the wife or mother a lift after hours
| at the end of the day, when it would
do her the most good? Is there anoth-
er ounce or two of energy left in us to
be used, not for wages, but for love
sake? What about our extra hours
| those of the evening? Do they slip
away to no purpose, like the stream
from the safety valve of the boiler
unused power? What if they were
| turned to getting acquainted with the
| boy? To helping him build a boat or
sled? What If they went to reading or
| study that would increase our efficien-
| cy in the present position, or fit us
for one higher up? And what about
the unusued power Of personal char
acter and influence and service in the
cause of the best things in the world
A mans religion is oftentimes the
| greatest asset Of unused power with
in him; not alone for his own profit
when applied to the enlargement of his
own life but for the enrichment of his
home and city. The capacity of the
soul for religion is one of the untest-
ed profits which God offers TO every
man. A perfect body and a balanced
mind are not its equivalents, If this
man realizes the difference between
making a living and making a life;
for those factors Of power are bound
:. ed by human limitations that are mar
row and short, but the power of Coo
in human life can lift it up from {
crude, crawling existence to the stat.
ure of the perfect Mail