Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-11
MODERN ROMANCES OF "GETTING ON
Many of the Struggle Up Fame and
Fortune Show That the Old Tales of Success Under
Difficulties Are Still New
BY CHARLES H. BIGELow


THERE'S no doubt about it, America is
L still land where fame or fortune or
both reward the ambitious boy The hero
tales of a generation ago are being repeated
In actual strife for success. ~The romance
of getting in the world is by means
dead
In the early part of the year a young
woman who speculated in stocks had in her
possession 1000 shares of Baldwin Locomotive
common stock. On March 3 she needed
money badly. The situation was serious
that she could not wait longer, though it was
plain that the stock would rise in value. She
could have obtained loan from her bank
on the stock, but she knew that she could
not secure it's full current value. Finally
she asked a very prosperous young man of
her acquaintance to take 1t off her hands
at 27.
He hesitated, for he saw only fair invest
ment. He figured, however, that he wouldn't
lose, and saw an opportunity to be Good
Samaritan.
Shortly after he bought the shares they
began to rise in value, and when the big war
orders started to pour in the stock rose by
leaps and bounds. The holder of the thou
sand shares of Baldwin clung to them until
few days ago. when he sold them at 124
Then he found that he was $4,000 in pocket
above his original investment. His acct
dental entry into the stock market brought
him fortune in about six months.
In Cabinet and Congress
This, Of course, was an accident, albeit one
of those accidents which manifest a remark
able preference for occurring in America, the
land of opportunity.
Public life yields many examples of the
achievement of success by long and hard
struggle such you find described in boys
books designed to show the young reader
what others have done and what he, there
fore, may also accomplish The Presidents
Cabinet contains a majority of such exam
pies, Franklin X. Lal.e, Secretary Of the In
terror, a clerk in California store at
three dollars week before he got the oppor-
tunity of sweeping the Office floor, washing
the inky rollers and distributing the type
of a country newspaper. Getting under the
surface of things has been one of the char
acteristlcs of William B. Wilson, Secretary
of Labor. He literally began that excellent
habit when only nine years old, for at that
early age he had the strenuous task of SHOW
cling coal into little cars away down in a
mine.
McAdoo, OF the Treasury, began his career
selling newspapers. After that he was a
farm laborer. Secretary Redheld's father
was wealthy until a fire came and made
1t necessary for the young man to shift
for himself. Daniels learned the printing
trade. Bryan thought out his first political
speech while driving a moving machine.
oh, but Bryan isn't in the Cabinet. Another
former Secretary Of State often went hungry
while studying law. That man was Elihu
Root.
one time in his life fed livestock and chopped
wood to pay for his board. Senator Reed,
OF Missouri. worked on farm as a young
ster and did pretty heavy work for a young
ster OF seven. Senator Newlands, Of Ne
vada, was forced to the extremity OF pawn
ing his watch TO meet his board bill. Senator
Smoot, of Utah, was once a wooden mill
worker. Senator Norris, OF Nebraska, was
obliged to leave home as a wage-earner at
the age Of ten. Senator Sherman, OF Illinois,
a "favortte son" among presidential possi-
bilities, walked TO college with all his money
in his pocket-seventeen dollars Senator
Cummins, Of Iowa, earned his college ex-
penses by working In a carpenter shop and
on farm. Senator Vardaman, OF Missis-
sippi raised money for studying law by cut
ting ties on railroad.
A Variety of First Jobs"
Gallinger OF New Hampshire, was taken
out Of school and indentured to a village edi-
tor in Canada when he was a small boy. He
earned eight dollars during the first year
La Toilette began work at the age of four
teen, carried on a farm OF 14o acres, taking
care Of a large family and providing the ex-
penses OF a college education. While at coll
Iege he was heels over head in work and
almost broke down from the strain. Senator
Bristow, OF Kansas. entered upon married
life In a one-room house The list OF sup
from-poverty'' Senators might be further ex-
tended.
Charles Warren Fairbanks. former Vice
President. onoe worked a carpenter at
Sl.s6 a day Myron +. Herrick Ex-Governor
OF ohio and former Minister 70 France. ped
dIed dinner pals for farmers. A brick mason