The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-09-10
DETERMINATION TO
WIN BRINGS VICTORY
Not Necessary To Bury Your
Identity
Going To a Strange Place And Living
Under An Assumed Name will Be
Of No Avail. You Must Be
Determined To Win Out
By H. S. Mod.

Several of the boys have asked me
if thought it advisable for them to
change their names and go to some
place where they are unknown. as
soon as they are released. Boys,
you have asked a question that is
very hard 10 answer, for circum-
stances, you know, alter cases. AL
though l have followed the prece-
dent of going to strange place and
there living under an alias, | cannot
say that it has proved beneficial in
my case, and l am not in favor of
advising anyone TO follow the same
course. Experience has shown me
that it is not names or a matter of
location that plays the leading part
in the Make Good game. l believe
that the man who really wants to
make good can do so under his own
name and in his home locality far
better than he can under an assumed
name and strange surroundings, the
chief essential being determination
to make good at all cost. Society
is waiting to welcome you, but not
until you have proven to be wor-
thy man.
You cannot 60 out from here and
associate with gay and dissipating
companions and expect to make
good. You must shun all these and
live soberly, honestly and industri-
ously. 1t takes money to travel in
fast society, and many man has
failed to make good chiefly because
he travelled in society that set a
pace too fast for him to follow, and
still retain his honesty.
The man who wants to make
good cannot be too careful in choos-
ing his associates. / have found to
my cost that many of my supposed
ly 1est friends were in reality my
worst enemies, for they encouraged
me to do those things which knew
were wrong and harmful; things |
wanted to shun but was willing to
indulge in for the sake of holding
the friendship of those false friends.
Remember that the friend who in
vites you to drink, gamble and ca
rouse is not the kind of friend with
whom you can associate and hope
to make good. These things always
create lack of ready cash ard are
conducive to dishonesty. Further
more, if the authorizes know that
you are an ex-prisoner. and they
see you hanging around with such
company. they are going to keep an
eye on yon, and You will find your
self coming into contact with them
very often, and. finally when they
get you dead to rights" you will
probably say you failed to make
good because of police persecution,
forgetting that your own acts have
kept you constantly before their
eyes.
Another thing l want to mention
is this: When you go forth, do not
expect to drop into a bed of roses
or the open arms of host of friends
for you will be sadly disappointed.
Remember that for a time you will
be looked upon with suspicion by
many of those whom you meet A
few of them will take especial de-
light in proclaiming your disgrace
to all who will listen to them. A
few will openly shun you and make
it plain that they want nothing to
do with you, but do not let all this
discourage you, for there are many
who want to be your friends who
are only holding back because they
want to see what efforts you are go
ing to make toward the rebuilding
of your character. and as you press
onward and upward day by day de-
spite all opposition, you will find
your circle of real friends growing
larger and larger and your enemies
disappearing one by one, and almost
before you are aware of the fact,
you will find that you are being
pointed out as a model citizen, and
a man whom many are proud to call
frierd. Why2 Because you have
been man enough to fight your fight
for rehabilitation despite the jibes
and jeers of former lntimates. They
have seen that you have cast off all
companionship with those W b o
would only cause you to return to
former ways. When you are will
ing to make the fight and make it
right, fallnre il well nigh impossible.