The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-08-23
Give Your Boy
a Chance
By EDWIN r. BOWERS, M. D.
of The T1gRontes

yeOn generdIS department IOlQ me a.
interesting story the other day.
1t seems that once upon time, lon
before the Mullah of the Hohenzollern
went mad-and shattered up the wOrl
there. lived panhandler who wa
even more useless and no-account thai
the average bum of his species.
This panhandler was practically II
literate, totally Incorporate and utter
ly hopeless in the job of being man.
! One fine day, while laboring unde
the uncorrelating influences of a "hang
over" from large evening the nigh
before, this poor derelict was shaker
from his precarious perch on the brak,
beam of a freight"
When the trackmen picked him up
| he was minus left hand-also righ
hand and arm.
Something occurred while he was in
the hospital, something that brought
about a rebirth in this tramp-wortt
possibly dollar and half a day from
his neck down, and nothing from his
chin to his scalp.
Anatomically he was decidedly cur
tailed-spiritually he had grown great
For, provided with artificial hands,
this reborn man started out to make
something useful and creditable of
himself. He sold papers, and became
self-supporting. He hewed out an edu-
cation, climbing slowly and painfully
up from the pit of ignorance he had
settled into by gravitation.
One position after another he con-
qpered-like the ancient Pistol, who
vociferously insisted that "the world
was his oyster"
Finally our her0-he was a hero by
this time, although he himself never
suspected Unqualified for a college
hung out his shingle, and rapidly be-
came one of the leading authorities on
corporation law in his section. He in
terested himself in politics, and devel-
oped an enviable sphere of influence
in his party.
Raised a Family.
Oh, yes-and he married a sweet
Southern girl, and has two beautiful
children. And they all lived happily
ever after.
It's splendid and inspiring thing
this regeneration of man-this
growth of soul. 1t kind of "gets you"
with a little catch in the throat. L
tell the story as Captain Samuels told
n 70 mo booar1ca Gonna of tha hovS Up
are sending overseas will return dis
abled each year of the fighting. Many
of these will be crippled in arms, legs
or eyes. They'll need, first of all,
spiritual stiffening in their spinal col
umns.
Then they'll need some kind of vo-
cational re-education-they'll need to
know, even though handicapped by the
loss of members. how to do the thing
they did before they went over to bat
tie for cause as high and noble as
ever enlisted the lance of Bayard or
a Galahad.
If this rehabilitation is not possible,
they'll need to know how to do some
thing else that will make them self
self-respecting.
In this they are going to receive the
help of Uncle Sam himself, and of the
very best brains the old gentleman can
enlist for this reconstruction service.
In every section of the country. CO.
with a central agency at
"curative workshops" for
~ - 4,oo+,,ox,% of +boca oripn1ad In war
will be tablished-together with a
complete system of providing food,
shelter, clothing and pay for the sol
Tiers during the period of their re-edu-
,ation.
After the boys are trained-re-
educated to their old trade or else TO !
me adapted to their capacities-they |
will be provided with sob"
Those who show enough gold to the |
IAN from the neck up will get posi-
ion." Here there is no limit to the
It's up to the man him.
elf. From his neck up he may be
worth 100000 year.
Practically every big employer of
abor in the community is enlisted in
he good cause to help the handicapped
oy get all that's coming to him. Which
5 all that any boy of real spirit could
xpect, or would accept.
There no charity in this PROPOSE
an honest, sincere effort
} make every man-no matter in what
ondition he may be-most useful to
imself, his family,s and to the eco
omic needs of his community.
Woman's Help Is Needed.
Now, here's where we need the good
clip of women-the mothers. wives,
sters and sweethearts of the boys.
IS going to take little time to do
.is work of re-education. Give the
oys this time. Let them stay with
leir teachers in these schools until
ley are once more fitted to earn liv-
e.
The very greatest injury you could
,ssibly put upon your physically in
red boy would be to turn him into
,ychical cripple-to suffocate him in
audlin sentimentality.
Don't for the great love you bear
m don,t faka him home and make 7