The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-09-05
Give Your Boy
a Chance
BY EDWIN p. BOWERS. M. d.
Of The Vtsnonses

Beon ReHsrnib department tod me un
Interesting story the other day.
II seems that nee upon "a time, long
before the Mullnh Of the Hohenzollerns
went midland shattered up the world
there lived II p%anhandier who was
even more useless and no-account than
he average bum Of his species.
This panhandler was practically H.
i%ternte, totally Incorporate and utter
y hopeless in the job Of being n man.
One fine dry. while lnboring under
the uncorrclnting influences Of IA "hang.
over" from II large evening the night
before, this poor dercllct vas shaken
from his precnrlous perch on the brake
beam Of n freight"
When the trackmcn picked him up.
he was minus n left hand-nlso II right
hand and arm.
Something occurred while he was In
The hospital, something hat brought
about n rebirth In this tramp-worth
possibly II dollar and n half n day from
his neck down, and nothing from his
chin TO his scalp.
Anntnmicnlly he was decidedly cur-
tailcd-splrltually he had grown great.
For, provided with artificial hands,
this reborn mar started out to make
something useful and crcditabie of
himself. He sold papers. and became
sclf.Supporting. He hcwed 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 ron
quercd-like the ancient Pistol, who
r~ocifcrously insisted hat 'the world
vas his oyster"
Finally our hcro-he was n hero by
this time, although he himself never
suspected Unqualified for n college
course, took his Is. A.. studied law,
hung out his shlngle, and rapidly be-
came one Of the leading a r1horlties on
corporation law In his section. lie in
terested himself In politics, and devel-
oped an enviable sphere of influence
In his party.
Raised q Family.
Oh. yes-and he married a sweet
Southern girl, and has two beautiful
children. And they all lived happily
ever after.
It's n splendid and inspiring thing
this regeneration Of n man-this
growth OF n soul. II kind Of "gets you"
with a little catch in the throat. l
tell the story as Captain Samuels told
1t to me. because some of the boys we
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, a
spiritual %stiffening In their spinal COL
umns.
Then they'll need some kind Of vo-
c%ational re.cducation-theyrl 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 n cause as high and noble as
ever enlisted the lance of u Bayard or
a Galahad.
II this rehabilitation Is not possible,
they'll need to know how 10 do some
thing else that will make them self
MISUNDERSTANDING.
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.
ordinating with n central agency Mt
Washington, curative workshops for
the treatment Of those crippled in war
will be eStabliShed-togcthcr with n
complete system of providing food,
shelter. clothing and pay for the sol
diers during the period OF their re-cdu-
cation.
After the boys are tralned-re-
educated to their old trade or else tn
one adapted to their capacities-they
will be provided with n lob"
Those who show enough gold TO the
pan from the neck up will get n posi-
possibilities. It's up TO the man him
self. From his neck up he may be
worth 100000 n year.
Practically every big employer OF
labor In the community Is enlisted In
the good cause to help the handicapped
ooy Ecu III thul ''liihS W iiih
Is all that any boy Of real spirit could
expect, or would accept.
There's no charity In this PROPOSE
uon-merely an honest. sincere effort
to make every matter In what
condition he may be-most useful to
himself, his family, and TO the eco
nOmlc needs of his community.
Woman's Help Is Needed.
Now. here's where we need the good
help OF women-the mothersl wives,
sisters and sweethearts Of the boys.
It's going to take a little time to do
this work Of re~-education. Give the
boys this time. Let them stay with
their teachers In these schools until
they are nee more fitted to earn u iiv.
Ing.
The very greatest injury you could
possibly put upon your physically In
jured boy would be to turn him Into n
~psychical cripple to suffocate him In
maudlln sentlmentality.
Don't for the great love you bear
him, don't take him home. and make
min a dependent. That you are willing
to toll and slave for him II most
praiseworthy In You. But your we'll