Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-08-28
Give Your Bow
aChance
BY EDWIN F. BOWERS, M. d.
Of The Vl0lontes

interesting story the other day.
It seems that once upon time, long
before the Mullah Of the Hohenzollerns
went mad-and shattered up the world
there lived panhandler who was
even more useless and no-account than
the average bum of his species.
This panhandler was practically H.
literate, totally Incorporate and utter
~ hopeless in the job of being man.
One fine day, while laboring under
the uncorrelating influences of ''hang-
over' from large evening the night
before, this poor derelict was shaken
from his precarious perch on the brake
beam of freight"
When the trackmen picked him up,
he was minus left hand-alsO right
hand and arm.
Something occurred while he was In
the hospital, something that brought
about a rebirth in this tramp worth
possibly dollar and half day from
his neck down, and nothing from his
chin to his scalp.
Automatically 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
se1f-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.
quered-like the ancient Pistol, who
vociferously insisted that 1.-THE world
was his oyster"
Finally our hero-he was q hero by
this time, although he himself never
suspected Unqualified for q college
course, took his B. A., studied law,
hung out his single, 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 q 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 little catch in the throat. /
tell the story as Captain Samuels told
# tn ma hooauSo Somo of thu hovo xuo
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-
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 a cause os high and noble as
ever enlisted the lance Of a Bayard or
a Galahad.
Fl this rehabilitation is not possible,
they'll need to know how to do some
thing else that will make them self
supporting 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.
ordinating with a central agency at
Washington, "curative workshops for
the treatment of those crippled in war
will be established-together with a
complete system of providing food,
shelter, clothing and pay for the SOL
diers during the period of their re-edu-
cation.
After the boys are trained-re-
educated to their old trade or else to
one adapted to their capacities-they
will be provided with Sob"
Those who show enough gold to the
pan from the neck up will get "posi-
tion." Here there is no limit to the
possibilities. It's up to the man him
self. From his neck up he may be
worth 100000 a year:
Practically every big employer of
A0OOA III LAC SOuAUA1Ly Is cullSLCu Ill
the good cause to help the handicapped
boy get all that's coming to him. Which
is all that any boy of real spirit could
expect, or would accept.
There's no charity in this PROPOSE
tion-merely an honest, sincere effort
to make every man-no matter in what
condition he may be-most useful to
himself, his family, and to the eco
nomic needs of his community.
Woman's Help Is Needed.
Now, here's where we need the good
help of women-the mothers, 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 once more fitted to earn liv-
ing.
The very greatest injury you could
possibly put upon your physically In
tured boy would be to turn him into a
psychical cripp1e-to suffocate him In
maudlin sentimentality.
Don't for the great love you bear
him, don't take him home. and make
him dependent. That you are willing
to toll and slave for him is. most
praiseworthy in you. But your we'll
meant efforts may transform self-re-
specting earnest man into an idler-a
handicap to you and terrible enemy
to himself. It may put the reverse
English" in the little story Captain
Samuels told me.
In Germany, they are using from IS
to 80 per cent Of all their disabled