Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-08

as we'll as i'm property-and went to
work TO make a living from q piece of
rented ground. A few years later, about
1871, he bought a small place not far
distant which had been owned by fam
lily that sent to the war nine sons, not
one of whom returned. Unworked for
ten years. ii had grown up in weeds and
brush; it was like going into the wilder
ness to begin life by clearing it up.
With cotton at and cents this meant
the hardest sort of work all the time to
earn a bare living.
1T was under these circumstances
that 1 grew up as a boy. Schools were
few and far between. In fact, there were
none except such as were taught inter-
mittently in the neighborhood by some
noble women who earned less than a
fair living from it. 1t was here that l
got in a limited way the rudiments of
reading and writing
THE FAMILY MAINSTAY.
When l was fourteen years old my
fathers health broke down completely;
it devolved upon me to take hold of the
farm and keep it going, and this 1 did
for four years. There came to me an
opportunity for six months of schooling
i'm the academy at Villa Rica. 1 took
il, and there 1 got the best and almost
the only schooling I had in all my life.
Then / had an opportunity to go to St.
Johns Academy in Augusta, and through
that the doors of life seemed to open to
me, only to close again.
1--WE talked it over at home long and
earnestly. My father, with the old ante
bellum ideas of education, could not see
the necessity for 1t, and did not want
me to go. My mother, one of the sweet
est and gentlest of women who had
found IL necessary even to work in the
field to help out, did want me to go, was
willing to make any sacrifice that
might have this opportunity. The upshot
of il was, under the conditions and cir
cumstances that confronted us 1t was
decided I should remain at home-and
/ did, continuing to take care OF the
farm until l was eighteen years old,
studying as I could at night with the
help of my mother.
Then 1 had an opportunity to come
to Atlanta. / was offered a position as
stock clerk in the drug store OF Mr.. Asa
G. Gambler at $25 a month. 1 accepted
it and took hold with determination
to work for a year or two and save
enough money to spend year at col
lege. A year went by; I had saved some
money but very little out of that sal
airy. When two years passed and L
found had not been able to save money
enough for one years college expenses,
had been doing, to read and study at
home at night. But my time had gone
by; henceforth there was before me
only the making of a business career
with such meager facilities as 1 had at
my command.
HOPED AND DREAMED.
1T was then that 1 began to hope
and dream of being able some day to
do, not for boys but for just one boy,
that which 1 had been unable to do for
myself All my life since then that
thought and hope have grown, they have
grown stronger as / have been thrown
into positions where absence of educa-
ton was a positive embarrassment to
me- In my later career as advertising
manager of the Coca-Cola company, and
more particularly as president Of the
Associated Advertising Clubs of the
World, / have had many speeches to
make, often in the company OF distin-
guished men. 1 have never approached
one of these without the fear of some
blunder in English, of some error that
might make me appear ridiculous. Study
as 1 would, 1 could not overcome that
feeling. When 1 wrote my speeches, 1
would take them to Julian Harris. then
with Uncle Remus Magazine, and ask
him to see that they were correct from
a standpoint Of good English.
"One of the most important things
with which have ever had anything to
do was the introduction of the educa-
tional work into the advertising clubs at
Omaha in 1916. This work has grown
until not only are there study classes
today in connection with every advertis-
ing club. with a combined membership
of about thirteen hundred men, but
thirty-one colleges and universities
] he hQWa
special chairs of advertising as a part
of their course.
"That is aside from the Immediate
question, but will serve to indicate the
lines along which L have always been
thinking because of the opportunity
did not have. 1t will be comparatively
easy, l think. for those who have en-
joyed the advantages that l missed to
appreciate my viewpoint, my hope and
| determination TO do something to help
some boy or boys to get that which was
| denied TO me.
OPPORTUNITY CAME.
THE opportunity came I'm the estab-
lishment here of Greater Emory. / had
made a few fortunate investments, not
large as modern investments go, but
sufficient to enable me to see my way,
I had begun to give my own boy the ad-
vantages had lacked. And all the time
I thought more strongly than ever ABOUT
the other Sam Dobbses who have no
more opportunity today than had then.
Mrs Dobbs and 1 talked the matter
over. We live simply and modestly. We
have no eXtravagant habits or desires.
We felt the time had come when, if we
were going to do this thing. il should be
done. 1t is a large amount of money,
IL is true, and II involves some sacrifice,
but we reached the conclusion that ii
was a sacrifice well worth the making.
I'VE decided to do it. 1 took the mat
ter up with architects and had plans
prepared. The cost went considerably
beyond what l had anticipated, but !
wanted it done right. l wanted to make
a place for these boys where they would
feel more at home and more comfortable
than in any club or other place they
could go to. 1 wanted to make it so
pleasant for them that they would rath-
er be there than be upon the streets,
or hanging around some hotel lobby.
'If l shall have done that, l shall
feel that I have accomplished some
thing. That is why 1 am building this
dormitory. That is why l feel it is the
I l..