The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-09-16
Observation-Disclosures
Frank 6. Carpenter Has Heart-to-Heart Tall
With Josephus Daniels in His Office at Wash
ington.

ordinary everyu,. qf1 o. N get at
the Secretary and IL '2e9a he time
needed for their bushes All that
Mr.. Daniels asks is that he be closet
ed with his bureau chiefs from to
o'clock in the afternoon. The most
Of his time before then is spent in re-
ceiving callers. and it Is only after
that times that he gives his personal
mail any attention.
Nevertheless, he does an enormous
amount Of business. 1t is said that
Napoleon could dictate to four ste
nOgraphers on four different subjects
at the same time and keep them all
busy. The Secretary seems able to
carry on two trains Of thought in the
same way. He is often talking while
signing his mail. He is a swift read
er, and his eye grabs a page at a
glance. NevertheleS he knows just
what he is signing, and he will often
stop and order corrections or have the
letter changed or laid away for some
future time. He is an even minded
man. He does not worry and he
sleeps we'll of nights.
My talk with Secretary Daniels COW
cred a wide range. He told me much
about the navy and his plans for ele-
vating the men and bringing the ser
vice closer to the people. In response
to my question he talked also of him.
self. and 1 will write of that first.
] asked him to tell something about
the Daniels family and where it came
from. He replied:
'The name Daniels is Welsh and the
most OF my family came from Wales.
They emigrated to this country at an
early date and settled in North Caro-
lima, where my father was a farmer.
My father began his life on a farn.
Then he took a notion he would like
to be a shipbuilder, and he went into
| a shipyard and learned the trade. 1t
| is rather strange that l, also. should
be connected with ships after these
many years"
"Yes, 1 was only three years old at
the time. That was in 1865, and the
South was almost bankrupt on ac-
count Of the war. My father left
comparatively nothing, and my moth
er had to support the family, CON
sisting Of herself and three little
boys.
my mother is a very extraordi-
nary woman" continued the secretary
| 'In those hard times she succeeded
not only in making our own living,
but she gave a fairly good education
Ito her three children. At first she
|
made dresses and after time she
became pOstmstress Of the town
where we lived. OF course, I helped
I had to work hard, and think I was
fortunate. It is better for boy to be
born poor than to be born rich"
Had your mother any ambition to
make you statesman"
"NO I think not. She is piOus
woman, and her only ambition was
that I should be a good man. She
once hoped that l might become a
preacher, but my bent seemed to be
the newspaper and l strove toward
that profession. l think I have done
better as a newspaper man than
could have done as a preacher.
But you believe in religion, do you
not?"
Most assuredly / do l believe III
the Bible and everything in it from
cover to cover. / think more people
believe that than is usually supposed
and / venture quite as many would
so to the stake today as they did
when they burned the first Christians
1t is hard to realize the influence OF
the Christian religion. 1t has touched
all of the nations and has made then
; better. 1t has affected all Of the peo-
ple Many men who do not believe
in religion give to hospitals and othel
charities They have been touched
by Christianity without knowing it
"Do you believe the whole wOrlc
will be Christian some day."
! Yes, although I doubt whether
, shall live to see it. | believe that II
, time all of the nations will come t
see the light. But Gods ways ar
not our ways. 1t may be slow, but
will come to pass.
/ Il understand that you are greati!
, interested in the Y M. C. A. p
Yes. that organization has beer
doing much good 1t has great mis-