The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-22
DON'T LEAVE SCHOOL.
A LETTER TO THE AMERICAN
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.
stirred by War Unrest, Tired OF Daily
soutine. and Tempted by High
Wages TO Desert the MonotOny OF
shc school for the Fascination of
Money Making.

Last spring the Chamber OF Com
nleree. through It's president. secretary
and chairman OF the educational COM
uittee. began a campaign for the
conservation OF our educational re-
sources. Many agencies elsewhere
have been engaged In the same ac-
tivity.
A few days ago superintendent Ed
munds received a letter from DIR.
smith. the president OF Washington
and Lee University. stating that he
was sending a series OF letters TO the
high school students i'm some schools
that he had selected and requested a
list of the names OF the boys in the
high school. This list was sent immc-
dfateiy and already the high school
boys OF Sumter have begun to receive
thsss letters.
In order that these letters may be
eiven q wider publicity. The Item In
>poblishing the one that follows:
N Washington and Lee University,
Lexington. Va.
To The American Schooi-Boy:
Never have lessons seemed so un-
interesting and daily school routine
90 uresoms as now. Our country Is
sfAme with the war-spirit: your old
or brothers and many boy friends
are wearing khaki. and their letters
homo make school,life seem duller
than ever; every business is short of
workers and every week you hear of
splendid positions paying unheard- of
wnses. open to boys Of your age. You
never had before and may never have
again such chance to make money.
shall you keep on grinding over dry
textbooks shut up I'm school every day
IKE q convict In a penitentiary. when
i'm and Tom and Aleck no older than
you have left Latin and Math. and
senooi-room tyranny behind them
ana are out In the world leading q
mans life. getting n mans pay. and
ureing you to follow their example ?
TX the other fellows keep on leav-
ins. and the chances to make money
keep on caliing.and you quit studying
and keep on begging. your parents
wii probably give way and let you
leave school. SO the decision is real
" up to you. 1t is probably the mos,
important decision you have ever been
called upon to make. You stand a,
the fork OF your life's highway. Which
road will you take? The first mile or
fvo Of the non-trained, non educated
road Is. freely admit, very attrac-
tive just now. Offering liberty. nov
city and ready money: the first stages
or the education-road are the same
on srind-tedious. rocky. uphill, and
uhattractive.
tcfet remember. II is the whole long
rSad. through 40. so. or so years, you
ws now choosing, not the first few
miles alone. Your boyhood's choice
d'c,ees your manhood's destiny. 1t
~ your business. therefore, to decide
THIS question like a man, not like a
boy. The child looks only at the
present. the man studies the future
also. With the child. present gratifi-
cation rs always the controlling mo-
i've; he cannot resist attractive bait.
however sharp and deadly the steel
neck which he takes with II; the now
ana the here. however shallow and
snort-iived. always prevail with him
over the long future. Before YOU ex-
ehange trained brains and educated
manhood for a brief boyhood period
o' 'money-making. ponder these facts:
4. III you leave school and enter
business now. IL In almost certain
that your high school work will never
be resumed or completed.
z. With this decision vou tbaro.
fore' lose your chance OF college
training and OF entering any OF the
great professions. Without a high
school training you cannot enter any
college or university: the doors of
our great schools of law. medicine.
electrical. civil. and mechanical engi-
neerins architecture. Industrial chem
istry. commerce and business admin
htration--all these. and other great
openings like them are swung shut in
your face.
y. You thus practically throw
away your chances OF gaining in
huence. prominence. and leadership i'm
tho herce competition OF twentieth
century American life. which is too
complex for the unframed to under
stand. far less to lead.