The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-08-02
LIFE AND PROGRESS


Some one must go first, There must
be that courageous individual who
braves eternity and eats the first to-
mato, takes his life in his hands and
gulps the fearsome and so called sue
culent bivalve, sails the wine dark sea
aboard the cookie she'll SANTA Maria
and descends first in diving armour.
We fancy IL is the majority that
progre sses; surges on with a common
impulse. Wrong. It is the valiant
few. We only falter along after them,
commencing ourselves for our forth
tude as soon as we discover that each
forward step is safely taken and
shuddering in suspense II there is the
least doubt.
The inventor Of the locomotive was
regarded as trifling idiot, but we
haven't the slightest apology now that
railroads are safe. We cluck con-
tentedsy and regard ourselves as the
benefactors Of posterity for having
contributed SO literally to the worlds
progress. We didn't progress at all.
Only hung on the tail Of that first
mans kite and we were hoist by il.
Some day we viii be fitting freely
through the air with large and con-
scious self-assurance that we did it.
Nothing for the bold mon who went
into the air when there was some
question about it's utility, and not a
little question either.
Thousands scurry past the f1onu-
ment to the victims Of the Fort Dear
horn massacre. They took the chance.
We didn't. It was they who pushed
on through the forests without a
thought Of returning. We followed
after; when It was safe,
The pioneer is the true progressive
because he doesn't think about COM
ing back. He crosses Rubicons, burns
bridges behind, crosses continents in
a prairie schooner and endures the
scorn Of the safety first multitude.
Langley was right in principle and
we now applaud him, but that didn't
keep us from breaking his heart with
ridicule. We had our tongues in our
cheeks when the gentle old man tried
TO 60 aloft in the airplane we dubbed
HLangley's Folly" we gaped in shame
and Amusement when the Wrights
made the "Folly" take the air like a
bird.
Had the Wright brothers failed we
would have heaped them with our all
too ready sarcasm. But they made
their objective, 50 we take the credit
for advancing the cause Of aviation.
How many Of us would volunteer to
cross the plains to California with
nothing in prospect2 How many with
mountains Of gold and silver uncover
the Langleys and the Nenoess sailors,
ed? We are sure thing race.
We have too little consideration for
the Daniel Boones and the Fultons.
Perhaps Tie sting Of defeat only en-
phasizes the glory Of victory, but II
TALL those upon whom we depend for
the act Of discovery were to be deter
red by the fear Of scorn we should
not get far. The majority is not
progressive.
Men must die in air machines be-
cause only their sufferings win we
achieve ten perfection Of their ideas.
It is difficult to penalize men for the
fault which is incidental to the greater
adventure. Men who take their lives
in their hands, counting no cost to
theK selves, in order that they may
prepare q safe place for the skeptical
majority, should have their reward in
applause for the valorous deeds they
perform and not odium because Of the
details they neglect. :,
Come must go first else we would
never move. Because dozen fail
where one succeeds 1t does not follow
that they are LACKING in spirit or pur-
pose. Their pioneering is as essential
and their motives as ear.-Chicago
Tribune.