Milford chronicle., 1928-07-06
LINDBERGH SOON FOR
GOTTEN? "POSSIBLE"
SAYS WRITER


Will Col. Charles A. LindbergI
within a few months or years drift
into oblivion as have other Ameri-
can heroes and prominent figures
whose names were temporarily on
every tongue?
If not he will be one of the few
exceptions in history since Marcus
Aurelieus wrote "all is ephemeral-
fame and famous as we'll" Begin
ming with this premise, Frederick
L. Collins, magazine writer, opens
discussion in The American Maga-
zine for July, of the future of the
foremost American idol of recent
years.
Under the title, How Many of
These Celebrities Do You Remem-
ber?", Mr.. Collins presents not an
ordinary memory test, but a mod
ern application of the Marcus Aur-
elieus theory; a commentary upon
quick flaming and quick dying Am
erican enthusiasms.
"Is it possible that Lindy, the
unforgettable, will sometime take
his place among the heroes we
have forgotten?" asks the writer.
Perhaps, but l do not think so. His
first achievement, great beyond the
dreams of great men, might save
him. But, like many historic and
epic deeds, it might be forgotten if
it were not for two things. One is
Lindys own personality and the
other his glorious youth"
However, among the list of names
that the average person has for
gotten, Mr.. Collins places Alcock
and Brown, Harry 'Hawker and 1t.
Commander Albert c. Reed, the two
former being the first team to make
a transatlantic flight and the latter
pilot of the American naval planes
which reached Europe via the AZ
ores, establishing the Commander
for the time as "The Columbus of
the Air"
1.-TWO great figures emerged from
the chaos of the Spanish-American
War;" continues Mr.. Collins. "One
was Dewey, the other Roosevelt. OF
the two Dewey had every advantage
of rank, prestige and actual achieve
ment- Moreover, for a brief period
he enjoyed unprecedented popular
acclaim.
again the Inevitable comparison:
Theodore Roosevelt entered the
hero business at an early age.
Month by month he built up the
structure of his popularity just as
he would have done if he had been |
silk stockings or
selling automobile bearings. He |
made himself the best advertised |
article the world has ever seen. And |
what is the result? One of the
questions invariably put to can
lidate for American citizenship is:
Who is President of the United
States? And it is no unusual
hing, even today, to receive the
lnswer, Teddy Roosevelt
Look at Henry Ford. He has
lone much the same thing that
did. Not so consciously
but far more obviously.
Edison stands in the public mind
ar above any other inventor of his
lay not alone because of the merit
u lllO 1nfOllIlOuOg Jul bCCduoC AAo
ace and his signature have spread
lis name and supported his fame
the electric lighted
world.
prominence is like prosperity;
ard to win and hard to keep. And
udden prominence is like sudden
the first to go. Quick
doesn't stick to people any
lore than quick money does. But
9th publicity and money can be
ccumulated line by line and penny
y penny against the rainy day of
he peoples neglect"
Mr.. Collins prepared a list of
cores of names of people who with
/ the past decades were world fam
us or at least notorious. Submit
ng the list to well read friends of
intelligence he found that
ley could identify but a fraction
f percent of the list. Some of
lese newspaper heroes weren't
nywhere near so heroic as we
bought they were at the time Many
them are well forgot" he con-
udes.