The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-05-19
YOUTH AND OPPORTUNITY

Time is approaching when a large
number of young men and women Of
Brookings county are leaving school
days behind them and are now taking
a peep into the cold world ahead and
wondering where the greatest oppor-
tunities lie. 1t is a common opinion
generally shared by present day
youths that the young man of today
has not the field Of opportunity that
his father and forefathers had. No
new continents to explore and develop,
no new towns to build up, the whole
field seems to be taken up already,
But in contradiction to that, quite the
opposite condition exists. The field
of opportunity for the youth of today
is wider and broader than I've be-
fore. Hard work and brains are in
just as great a demand as ever. OPP
%portunities are even more thickly
strewn along the path.
One Of the commonest fallacies
among youth is that distant pastures
are greener, that there is no opportu-
nifty for a young fellow at home, that
he must go away somewhere to a big
city probably for the real big opportu-
mites. Edward w. Box, for thirty
years editor of the Ladies Home Jour
nal, the question, Shall |
stay in my own community or try my
luck in the big city," for all young men
and women in an article in the Ameri-
can Legion Weekly as follows, IF |
had my life TO live over again | would
unhesitatingly choose the smaller
American community, both for work
ing and living. There is no compare
son when it ONE to rational living.
| can imagine no more fortunate man,
no man to be more envied, than he
who, born in a moderate sized COM
munity, has grown with its people and
history and is today the president
Of its leading bank, the proprietor OF
its most recognized newspaper, its
foremost attorney or its recognized
merchant. | believe a young man has
a better chance to make his way in
the smaller community than he has in
the large city, despite all that has been
said to the contrary"
South Dakota today offers opportu'
mites to young men equal to the Cali
fornia gold fields in the days of 40. 1t
stands on the eve of a great period of
advancement and development. South
Dakota needs a new set of pioneers or
the same indomitable spirit and hardy
fortitude as the generation Of pioneers
that are now rapidly dying out, who
changed this state from a wilderness
and desert prairie to the great golden
field of opportunity for the young men
of today to develop There are thou
sands Of acres Of rich land to be re-
claimed by drainage on the one hand
and irrigation on the other. There are
vast Of gold and other min
erals to be developed. There are oil
wells to be dug. There are coal mines
to be developend into useful purposes.
There are millions of horsepower in the
Missouri river to be ~harnessed. Thou
sands of miles of road are to be built.
Endless indeed are the fields Of oppor-
tunity to the youth Of South Dakota.
Opportunities to do great things, to
get riches, to gain great fame, to live
lives of service, to cur the best Of
health, happiness and contentment.
The pioneer settlers of South Dakota
are challenging the youth of today.
I'VE have given o this great state
20 full of ~undeveloped and
80 inviting to improvement and devel-
bpment for you to spend your energies
ind talents in carrying on the work
We have begun" We believe the youth
,f South Dakota have the vision and
ire made of the kind of stuff that will
accept that challenge.
low. s. So
a.