Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-06
'Dauis, in His Book, Takes
Role of Modern AesOp
The Iron Puddler' Dravs Great Lessons From,
Incidents in His Life-Once Bootblack,
NOlU Member of Cabinet
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
STAFF Correspondent Evening Public Ledger
Copuyipht, 1879, by Public Ledoer Com mann

AT sixteen he was master puddier.
AT eighteen he went to Pittsburgh and
got furnace OF his own. Hard times,
and he drifted about tho country seeking
work and landing in n peonage cnmp In
Louisiana. Thence he went to Indiana
and obtained work in tin plate mill.
In that place he became head Of the
we're members. And from this he made
an excursion into politics, becoming
city clerk Of Elwood, Ind, and then
County Recorder.
BY this time he began to have money.
He lent It TO friends going into busi.
ness and $50 many Of the ventures
thrived that by the time / was forty
was rated as n prosperous young
man."
Elected Head Of Moose
About this time he Joined the Loyal
Order of Moose,a fraternal organization,
was elected its supreme organizer and
grew rich. lie is commonly rated as Il
millionaire today.
From bootblack to millionaire and
Cabinet member. that Is the kind of
career to which we point as illustrating
the opportunities which this country
affords.
II life is n great educator Mr.. Davis
had n great education. He knew pow
erty. work at eight. regular job at
eleven. drifting about the country seek
ing employment, the harsh experiences
of pconage camp. strikes, labor lead
crship, politics. mixing with men ms n
successful organizer of fraternal or.
der. business from the point OF view OF
n capitalist and affairs as member
of the Presidents Cabinet
60 f,, 1T full nf
adventure. He writes about it. not
with gusto. perhaps, nor with humor,
but with approval, as Of m experience
| in the best Of all possible worlds.
"a land where n boy can enter the
mills at eleven. learn two trades, ac-
quire a sound business education and
make competence in his thirtics Is not
such a bad country as the hot headed
Reds would have us believe
One Of the best passages in the book
describes his boarding house. 81 left
the Greasy Spoon and went to the Pie
Boarding House. Life in the Pie
Boarding House was never ending
delight. You never knew when you sat
down at the table what kind of pie
would be dealt out
"Some Of the fellows hnd been there
| half year or more; they had seen
| fifty seven varieties and we're expect
ing new ones at any meal. 1t was made
up Of the pic copnoisseurs of Milltown.
Word was passed around among the
wiscst fellows to move to this boarding
house and get a liberal education in
pie. So It was selected and we'll
behaved crowd. They did not want to
start any rumpus and lose their places
at this attractive table"
And tho inavitablo lesson
"From this | learned that the better
| manners you have the better fare YOU
will get in this world. 7 had steadily
risen from the Bucket of Blood, through
the Greasy Spoon to a seat at the cher
| ished pie table. Here the cups were
SO thin that you could not break a
mans head with them. was steadily
rising In the social world
Occasionally Grows Lyrical
He occasionally grows almost lyri-
cal about this life that has taught him
SO much that every one accepts, al
ways by special revelation, "by this l
learned"
1.-The iron that I made is civillza .
tions tools. | ride by night in metal
bedrooms. hear the bridges rumble
underneath the wheels and they are
part of me. I see the tall cities look.
Ing down from out the sky and know
thnt l have given a rib to make these
giants ! am part Of all l see and life
takes on an epic grandeur"
Carl Sandburg might have written
that as free verse about Chicago.
The explanation of Mr.. Davis rise
from bootblack to Cabinet member Is
not that he learned. as he thinks, great
lessons upon the hard school of life. "
1t Is rather contained in ex-Speaker
Cameron's introduction to the book
Divis when a young man: with your
enthusiasm and the sparkle which YOU
have in your eyes. am sure you vii.
make good"
The marvel OF Mr.. Davis is not 80
great as he thinks. 1t all comes down
( to robust good health, energy, cnthusi
asm, industry, q gift of speech and good
luck.
What life taught Mr.. Davis is worth
examining because it Is the education OF
two important types In American life,
the public man and the labor leader.
Public Men of His Type
Our public men are all more or less
of the Davis type. Their chief quail
fcation for Office Is success. They have
been, like the Secretary Of Labor, edu .
Gated by life. Underlying their reaI
education there may have been some
training at college, some contact with
the Latin and Greek that he despises
They may have passed through the
' i,nnu ,I,oorist that Was,,, s,oI
n,, Am.%,, on ,,Tba Iron pnId,or = ~. NJ.
I'M. ,inam ai say m,,ds wsre made ~ ,ho nor "'
.Ir ,nn'' a'"' IIo 10 ,ha m,h,,n - ,nn ,nn WY
H,oI H'a va y" h;s iowost farms ps'''~ N'"" '''
VT" W ~ ~" .,ccossf,, ro", mam 70, NINA. ho,o
~ u o1 ,ha. oocant. VII, S',. Sou mus t, INV