Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-10


is his testimony. knowledge Is power.
IT Is said that at one time Daniel
! Webster was the guest OF honor at a
dinner. Leaders of thought had been
invited, and were in attendance. The
table talk drifted to great men and
1 their greatest thoughts. When Mr.
Webster was asked to tell what he
considered the greatest thought OF his
life, he said Gentlemen, my greatest
thought is my personal responsibility
to God. knowledge Is power and hap
/ piness Is we'll"
A thing half made Is not made at
/ all. A brilliant start may mean wither.
! ing defeat. recall that some years
ago a party Of churchmen planned to
build great temple. Their dream was
a thing of beauty. The foundation was
laid, and it was the talk of the town.
; But alas, reverses came, and their
dream was never realized. SO that the
splendid foundation, once the pride
and boast of the town. became a
| source of contempt, and they were
| compelled to remove 1t and level the
! ground.
And SO say to you this morning.
stop not here. You have laid we'll the
foundation, now proceed with the
superstructure. urge this, first. be-
cause you can do it, and because you
can do it, you ought to do it. You owe
I it to your future, and to the God VINO
gave you the chance.
Poor Boy Favored.
Do I hear you say: But Mr.. Cudllpp,
I am poor? Well, I am glad OF 1t. !
have no sympathy for the poor boy
| who wants to go to school. The best
students we have are the poor boys.
We need not spend our time
sympathizing with the poor boy. Just
J urge him to go.
It is a fact that more than two
thirds of our college students are poor,
and that eighty-five per cent OF the
men who today are in places OF
responsibility and trust are from the
humble home.
Indeed. 1t is my conviction that 1t Is
a blessing, and not cursing, for one
to be poor during student life.
History shows that the poor boy mas
out-classed the rich boy at every turn
in the way.
have a case in mind where rich
man sent his son to college. The young
man knew Of his fathers wealth, ana
like thousands. In his class, LED q
profligate life. His good father tried
him again and again, until finally, ne
was compelled to refuse longer to pay
his bills. He was forced to leave
school and make his own way In the
world. ..s.
Lies hard way soon taught him
that he had made mistake. He de-
cided to 20 back to school and work
his way through. He did the best ne
could, but was driven finally to ask his
uncle to help him, and he would pay
him back The uncle replied: Il Will
think about it, come back In a few
DAYS. In the meantime, tie uncle saw
the father, and they fixed upon a plan
nv which the boy might borrow money,
! ~ long as he showed disposition to
work and study, the father agreeing to
| nav all the bills, provided the boy
knew nothing about the plan.
II worked like a charm The boy
worked and studied, blissfully ignorant
of what a good father was doing for
him. and finally graduated with honor,
and today Is credit to his father, and
to the school which graduated him. 1t
was necessary to make this boy poor
before he could be made rich.
Hard Part Of College.
Perhaps I had better admit you into
the sanctum of little secret. Listen.
The hardest part of going to college
is the getting started. l have friend
who wanted to be scholar and
LAWYER. which meant seven years In
the university. He was poor boy and
had no money. Worked during the
summer, Came up to the opening Of
school with 5000, but back OF that
5000 there was strong will and n
splendid purpose. Three years ago that
Young man graduated with more
money in his pocket than he had when
he started seven years before. MY
young friends, you can do 1t II you
will
Again urge this, because you will
need the advantage 1t will afford you
in the days which are to come.
There is a senseless peevishness
playina, for recognition In these days,
which declares that the day OF oppor-
tunity has passed by, that the good
places are all taken, and that striving
lis useless. Men tell us that the bust
ness and professional conditions are
badly contested, and that our youths
are mad with useless ambition.
over against this false alarm wish
to put q truth or two which hope will
help you in the arrangement OF your
plans.
First of all that the very air Of today
Is so weighed with opportunity that it
fairly groans under It's burden. Never
in the history of this, or any other
country, were youth so persistently
urged to places Of trust and RESPONSE
bility as they are today.
The great corporations and institu-
It.ons Of this country are actually beg
glng for men who are able to master
great enterprises and great problems,
at salaries, all the way from $4,000 to
$4,000 year.
What a magnificent future looms up
before the youth Of this western coun-
try. do not wonder that a good man
said to me the other day: Il must re-
main in the west for the sake Of my
hovo - Thia nv Young friends, Is