The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-25

NOrr IOic Shihner troduced and re-
peated when eloquence is unleashed
at the banquet table.
The magnificent story OF the Lost
Battalion Is familiar to every child,
while scores of equally heroic expe-
riences and deeds far more vital in
results, are lost forever. The name
OF Alvin York, rated as the first
among our war heroes, Is known
throughout the land, while that of
Joseph Oklahombi given second
place. because. according to Marshal
Petain. he captured III Germans
single handed, is never alluded to,
even though he resides 80 near us
on small farm in Oklahoma.
We are a people that permit few
outstanding acts OF history to take
hold of us, be celebrated over and
over, talked of and written about,
while other striking acts, just as
noble, just as commanding, we en-
tirely overlook.
II Is but luck o. war, luck o.
chance, that some names live and
other names die. some deeds are pre-
served TO glory and others We permit
TO be entirely forgotten.
An act is performed worthy to live
for all time and be told to all gem
erations to come, 10 stand as an eX-
ample and a stimulus for future men
to copy. II lives only II It happened
to be performed where some eye
could see, some eye that could re-
count it with mighty adjectives and
trembling voice, recount II In a
manner to appeal to the sensibilitfes
of the public, or to catch the atten-
tion of a gifted editor or master
poet It dies If luck has not played
the kindly part. dies to a single
paragraph of cold facts set down
with no embellishments in a volume
of dry history,
All the world worships hero. We
love TO be able to put our figurative
finger on a man and say "he" did
this, he did that. But life is too
short for us TO be bothered with too
many of them, so we acquatpt our
selves with some one or two In this
line, one in that, and one in the other,
and we are never embarrassed by not
knowing who the speaker OF the eve
ming refers to when he scars into
realms Of liquid oratory, or what the
answer in the guessing contest is
when we're invited out to sewing
bee.
Last fall read a protest in pa
per against the prevalence of the
public TO make reference to only one
feature of our early colonization by
eternally alluding TO the Mayflower,
and forgetting that such ships as
the God Speed and the Susan Gem
stant existed; and also of the ten
dency to repeatedly fire young
minds with the romantic. story OF
Paul Reveres Ride, and ignore other
heroic rides under far more peril
GUS dangers, by John Jouett of Vir-
ginia, Edward Lacy of South Caro-
lima, sam Dale of Mississippi, Ruth
Sewer OF Tennessee, Agnes Hobson
OF Georgia or Emily Geiger of South
Carolina, all OF whom aided in
American victories over the British
by a heroism spectacular enough TO
satisfy any lover OF romance"
It might be suggested here that
had the history teacher desired a
subject to occupy the entire time
or her pupils this summer she could
have requested that they bring in
short sketch next fall Of the life Of
these men and women, and tell of
the incident that made their names
deserve to live with Paul Revere's.
The mere effort OF finding anything
about them would have taken all
their vacation.
About me at the time was disposed
three of the latest and most complete
encyclopedias of the day. I looked,
searched under innumerable head
ugs, but not In one of them could l
find any of their names. Also. sur
rounding me was what II thought to
be a splendid library OF southern
history, hut in not n book could |
find mention of them or their exploit
OF valiant service--saye that, In Tho