Graham guardian., 1922-10-24

Once arrived safely in Washington Rowan re-
ported to the Secretary of War, Russell A. Alger
and introduced his personihed information" to
the commanding general of the army, Gen. Nelson
A. Miles. This officer wrote to the secretary Of
war:
recommend that First Lieutenant Andrew 5.
Rowan, Nineteenth infantry, be made lieuten-
ant colonel of one of the regiments of imInunes.
Lieutenant Rowan made a journey across Cuba.
was with the insurgent army under Lieutenant
General Garcia and brought most important and
valuable Information to the government. This
was a most perilous undertaking, and in my judg-
ment Lieutenant Rowan performed act of hero
Ism and cool daring that has rarely been excelled
in the annals of warfare. Very respectfully.
NELSON A. MILES,
Major General U. S. Army"
Lieutenant Rowan was made captain, sent to
the Philippines (where he won further commelda-
ton for bravery)-and then-forgotten.
Colonel Rowan's comment on his belated award
is this:
"why, never thought deserved any special
reward 1t was only my duty. did only what
was commissioned to do-what was paid to do.
It's just the same as If there is a squad of men
In a trench. The shell comes from the enemy.
Someone dashes out, picks Il up, casts 1t aside
and saves the squad. That individual ID doing
only his duty"
Though the War Department may have forgot
ten the man who carried the message through
Cuban swamps, fever and the Spanish lines and
returned with the information desired, the world
did not For Elbert Hubbard made his name q
household word
Elbert Hubbard In 1899 was conducting a much
discussed periodical called the Philistine. II was
lively sheet and Its readers were many. SO he
proceeded to print an editorial In the Philistine
about fellow by the name Of Rowan" who
LANDED off the coast of Cuba from an open boat"
and disappeared in the Jungle" He began his
editorial with the words: by the Eternal this 10
a man for the agesl"
This editorial by Elbert Hubbard has been
produced In most civilized languages. II was
estimated In 1913 that over 100000 copies Of
the story had been circulated.
Looking Il over, one Is instantly struck with the
remarkable fact that Hubbard's conclusion. though
written In lS99 Ats almost exactly the present
conditions Indeed. It sounds as II Il might have
been written today. so In keeping Is 1t with the
present hour. II reads:
"Have put the matter too strongly Possibly
have; bur when all the world has gone a-slum-
ming wish to speak word Of sympathy for the
man who succeeds-the man who against great
cdds has directed the efforts Of others, and hav-
ing succeeded, finds there's nothing In it-noth-
ing but bare board and clothes.
81 have carried a dinner pail and worked for
DAYS wages and have also been an employer
of labor and know there is something to be
said on both sides There Is no excellence, per So
In poverty; rags are recommendation: and all
employers are not rapacious and hlgh-handed, any
more than all poor are vlrtuous
my heart goes ost to the man who does his
work when the boss is away, well when he
Is at home. And the man who when given a let
ter for Garcia, quietly takes the misslye without
asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking
intention of chuckng 1t into the nearest sewer.
or of doing aught else but deliver II, never gets
laid off nor has to go strike for higher wages
Civilization is one long, anxious search for
just such individuals Anything such man asks
shall be granted. He is wanted In every city,
town and vllage-ln every office. shop, store and
factory. The world cries out for such; he Ia
needed and needed bady-the man who can
Garry a Message to Garcia"