The Republican journal., 1918-06-20
DAYS Of Promise.

Time u,as when fond fathers and moth
ara oravely held out to their small boys
the hone of one day becoming president
If the United States, if only they were
faithful to the woOdpile, or washed their
faces and hands regularly before meals.
Az there are constantly something like
five million small boys, and never more
than one president, the chance has be-
come what may be termed "a long shot"
and Young America very soon discovers
his chances and hopes some day to get on
the notice force, drive fire engine, or be
locomotive engineer. While the dignity
and honor which is due all useful labor
belongs especially to these three occupa-
t;ons vet none of them are schools out
of which graduates can Immediately step
into posts of such responsibility, say, as
that considered in the preceding lines.
What can and should appeal to the boy
old enough to have ambitions, and the
Young man who has begun to think, is
the wonderful demonstration of skilled
effort by the big men of the country who
are being called daily to assume charge
of this and that all-essential position of
management, in order that we may win
the war; These men were no less able
few months ago, but they were scattered
geographically, and partly concealed by
the limits of the industry they served
Now they are brought into action in such
manner their numbers become impress
sive, Just as 10000 soldiers, one each in
| 10, 900 towns, are not impressive until
they muster into one mass.
And what an inspiration to the young
man! These men of power are big, not
because of rich fathers, or influence, or
any chance of fortune. They are big men
because they willed and determined to be
such. These men, every one, had they
chosen, could today have been managing
a peanut stand, or a popcorn wagon, in
stead of great departments of the great
est government on earth. Each one would
have had more time to spend in perfectly
harmless ways, which would have left
them where they began. They certainly
would have had more hours for sleep and
pleasure, and infinitely less of work and
worry and discouraging endeavor. But
they always sought more responsibilities
and places higher up, and both came to
them.
Probably never in all the history of the
world has SO inspiring an example been
presented to the young men of any gen.
Grafton: What they are doing, others in
years to come can do. And never was
there time of such promise to young
men of training and ambition as exists
today, and will exist in still larger
measure when the reconstruction period
after the war begins. In our own and all
other countries the demand for young
men who can do things in mechanics and
engineering, farming, finance, and BUSH
ness, will be unprecedented. Those who
have served in the war will have an ex-
perience in self-control and action they
would never have attained in a lifetime
of peace; those who do not 60, owe it to
their country and themselves to make
the utmost effort to train their minds and
hands in useful arts, and selecting some
Big Man as an example, strive in every
way to rise as fully as possible to the
evel he has reached, and even 60 beyond
that. These are the days of large oppor-
tunities, and never before were there so
many stepping stones in the way of
books and schools and teachers. No
young man need 60 without an education
which shall make him proficient in at
least some one branch of endeavor.
Young man, this is your day, and your
opportunity is Just ahead However
small you may be now, are you big
enough to train to be one of the Big Men
then?
It's up to you BY H. H. Windsor in
the July Popular Mechanics Magazine.