The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-14
Poverty,
John A. Slelcher, in I.esIie's

John A. Sleicher, in Ieslie's.
 Carnegie was a telegraph operator dur ing his early days, often working 24 hours without relief or rest John D. Rockefeller was a clerk in a minor position with no limit to his hours of service and few holidays. Charles NJ. Schwab, now the head of the Bethlehem Steel concern, was boy working around the forges. Henry C. Prick, the acknowledged father of the steel and iron industry of the United States, was a barefoot boy on a farm when other boys of his age were at school
 Many of the presidents of our leading railroads began as trasnmen and some as hagmen and rose through all the posi- lons of toll to receive the reward of merit President Vanderlip of the great National City bank of New York has told us of the heads of his institution and or other prosperous banks who began as boys on the farm or clerks in stores None of these was ever found complaninc of the long hours of toll. They were never sitting on the doorstep of the pros porous shaking their lists with envy
 They were not crying out on street corners, or hanging about legislative halls demanding new laws to take from those who had and give to those who had not These self-made men are the type that master problems. They achieved sue
 
 building on a foundation of industry thrift and integrity. They built their big business affairs on the credit of A good name and a high character No great business in this country or in any other will ever be built up unless the builders have the qualities that win.
 The boys who win seek no adventitious aids, waste nothing on luxuries. They depend upon their own resources. When weary, they plod on; falling they rise again with grim determination to over come every obstacle. They ask no help beg no aims, and raise no mad outcry that the state owes them a living.
 Hundreds of thousands of poor boys in this country have risen solely on merit. and others are doing it with an indominate spirit, that envies nothing but opportunity.
 Nearly all our great captains of in- dustry in boyhood lived in the humblest homes. Many brushed the snow from their pillows in cabins on the plains when they went to bed at night and reverentlv thanked God that they had A bed on which to sleep. Their fare was simple, but never a word of complaint These knew what poverty meant They have more real sympathy with the de- serving and the unfortunate than all the demagogues who thrive on politics. all the muckrakers who write for 500 a page ana all the bogus uplifters wander ing about chauatauqua circles pleading the cause of the dear people for $500 a plea.
 While others are preaching the gos- pei of discontent let the consderate hold up the examples of our success ful men as the parents of these sue cessful men held others up as worthy examples for them to follow The boys who have made successful men were workers. not loiterers. They wasted no time on trashy books. frothy enter tainment and tango dances. They read "The Pilgrims Progress" the story of the life of George Washington, the | achievements of other notable men in history. and they did not forget their fathers Bible and their mothers prayers.
 l Woe to those who arc progressing so fast as to send the best things of the past into the discard. Woe to those who preach new gospel of envy hatred, selfishness and rebellion against man And God.
 | The eternal verities remain. Injus- tice. poverty and suffering are never ahs >, but courage. truth and faith >ll mark the noblest manhood and still inspire the highest success