Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-15
WORK|NCMEN ARE
. GIVEN GOOD TALK
DAVID EDSTROM TELLS OF JOY
OF LABOR 70 LARGE CROWD
AT M. e. CHURCH..
FULL OF ADVIC E
Experiencing the Things He Discussed
the Noted Sculptor Shows Need
For Value Of
Effort.

There is Joy in labor. How much
of this joy may be secured depends
upon the amount of effort Whlcn the
workers puts forth for 1t.
This is David Edstrom's idea of it.
The noted sculptor, who Is now
guest in his old home town. Ottum-
wa addressed one of the largest gath
erings of men ever held in the city,
Sunday afternoon at the First Metho-
dist church under the auspices of the
Y. M. @. A.
The meeting was under the direc-
ton of J. Royce Brown, general sec
rotary of the association, and Mr.. Ed
strom's talk was preceded by short
song and prayer service. During this
period an organ solo was played by
Mrs. John Ellmaker, daughter Of Jo-
names Schiewe, the man who started
Edstrom on his career which has
brought him international fame.
Practically every factory and plant
in Ottumwa was represented at the
meeting. Business men, professional
men, doctors, lawyers, city, county and
state officials, bankers, ministers and
scores of other occupations We're rep
resented by the 600 men who had gath
cred to hear David Edstrom.
There is one thing which Is self
evident" said the speaker, that is
that no one can escape effort We all
must work Whether it be the dirty
tramp or the gilded millionaire, We
must put forth some kind Of an eff.
fort if we are to exist.
There can be no existence without
exertion on the part of the one who
Is to live, whether 1t be butterfly, a
flower or weed. We all live and
move through effort.
1--WE must work every minute. AS
long as we live we work. 1t Is the in
cessant labor of force which We call
life It is that which makes the lilies
bloom and keeps the stars above in
their places.
We must recognize this first; then
come to talk about the joys Of labor
and how they may come to laboring
men if he will but look for them.
Look at the human anatomy. 1t is
the most marvellous piece of construc-
tive work to be found on the earth. It
is stupendous mechanical achieve
ment that God accomplished when he
created a walking man on two feet.
Then look at our sense of taste, hear
ing, feeling and seeing.
Labor Is the keynote, the funda-
mental principle, which keeps us
alive, the same as the hearts pump
ing keeps us able to breath. We must
also work our minds. 1t is just as i'm
portant to exercise this function as
the body If We could not what dull,
wasteless, hopeless grind our days
would be-
But, we can make them round of
joy If we Just will. The loafer in the
box car and the one in the rich home
both look weary. Tired of nothing to
do. Laziness Is an effort to buck up
against the laws of nature. Is it
worth while?
1.-THE next hardest thing to fight is
the man who works but only does be,
cause he feels that he must to keep
alive.
mo one will ever enter the king
dom of God without labor. The
weary, hopeless labor of the man who
is trying to cheat the laws Of nature
is not going to get into the kingdom.
The pale cheek and the sly winking
eye will not find 1t either.
Life is hard. l know the anguish
that overwhelms when the weeks
wages do not come up to standard.
do not stand before you to mock your
hardships with silly platitudes.
know what it means for l have been
through it all.
: Let me tell you though what you
can find. However hard, however OBJ
noxious, however wearisome the work
may be, there is sane, natural, sci
entific attitude, which we can take to-
ward our labors to develop Joy for it.
l want to tell you how you can get
more fun out of your work.
III you want to get joy out of labor.
reverence for your body comes first
In a great degree it determines your
capacity to enjoy work. 1t is just a
simple, direct attitude of appreciation.
What appreciation do we have for
what we can do. We can walk, talk
and see.
THE most depressingly exhaustive
existence is that of the loafer. He
who hates his job. I want to say
something that will help them to ge:
more fun out of their jobs. We have
agreed that we must work and we
have a fine machine given us to work
with, our body. Why can't we take
care of it?
"The possibilities out Of which we
produce constitutes the tasks in our
life We make use of the elements
and we ought to make use Of our
bodies.
THAT which can bring Joy instead
of sorrow, strength instead of weak
ness is the point of attitude from
which we start. The material, from
which We create the necessities of life,
is the whole, the everything outside Of
us.
THAT man is a maniac who CANDLES
and drinks; he takes terrible task
upon himself, when he misuses his
body. 1t was made to rum to sing, for
joy and happiness, to be used with
good flowers, birds and books. The
material out of which we hew the state
of our lives is in the whole Of our sur
roundings.
zone of the most important items In