The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1940-04-11
April 18th, 1910
TO: John Q. Public
FROM: A. Businessman
RE-: The Average Mon

10: John ". FuDnc April 18th, 1910
FROM: A. Businessmen
RE: The Average Mon
The Average Mon is probably the most talked of mon in
the world today.
Now that the Forgotten Mon hos been revealed as the
Little Mon Who Wasn't There. the Average Mon has moved
into the spotlight Of world attention. He is the mun Of the hour.
He hos caught up with his destiny: Hei is spending his duy in
the sun.
The Average Man today is up there on a turning pedestal
tor oil the world to ee. to store at. dd to study. And while
he revolves slowly in the center of q colossal classroom and
clinic. let the rest of us average men without the capital let
ters) think about him just q little.
The Average Mon won his capitol letters in major bust
ness competition: Never q str and never q sissy, he never
mode the heodlines or granted interviews to the press. The
boil omd never did any of the kicking. But he ploYed every
blocking, the ~tackling, provided the interference, ond opened joe
up luge, holes for the housekeeping, tustmoving men who
Gradually it began slowly to down on q few, and then
rapidly on a greot many, that it didn't seem to mutter too
much who octudlY carried the boil as long as the Averoqe
boil were r. al alw Serl interesting re gt 10 ~ wach, Of cougSeE ea5nyan eou uld
run like the wind. others could talk like it. some could pour on
ens P ioTge t ReSs' so %sls n @aIs m nnit5B II hs a 35S1Sn e tea; b Bgt bz
me Is, AyeIo GEM Mon nc nor tH on opponents OPP drive unless he first
number VI" on the 'front.' Of their shirts ond i "Hero" wr rHe
across the back, but the number and the name began to fade
tors were undble to identity the hero without his udvertsing.
The crowd took a long time to get around to approaching
the Average Mon but when they at lost did, they soon made
up tor lost time. They hoisted him upon their shoulders ond
cGried him in triumph right up TO the uforesoid pedestal.
placed him on it, looked at their "discovery" ond said: Yes,
sir; thots him-our hero-the Average Man-the greatest lit
tie guy on eorth."
So there he stands. blinking in the imelight, and not q
little embarrassed. even as you or I would be beorinu q
faint resemblance TO each Of US dnd looking exactly like none
of us.
The Average Man is business, if we describe him with
understandable approximation, is probably what we have
called the Middlemon-the man in the middle of our econo-
mic system, the mon who is at once both the agent of the
producer and the representative Of the consumer. He is the
retoil merchant. the local agent, the on-the-scene independent
business mon.
The Average Mon in business would be the first to be
modest about his own position, ond humble about his own
wus od back ogoin. q man who hos won ond lost ond won
again he'd be the first to recognize dnd rechfy uny public
feeling that did not stort with the promise that profit dnd pro-
gress ud the forward morch resulted only from coordination
ond unity omd the best efforts Of every mon und every group
working oil the time ond at the some time.
But this presents preoccupoion with the Average Mon is
good. he deserves his chance on the stage of public opinion.
The world will do well to study him carefully. Because if it
dnd appreciates the Average Mon-The Middle
mont will understand itself. It will understand the "everv-
hos mode possible the extraordinary onrush of our civiiza-
ton. our ddvdnce, our woY Of life. It will know just how und
where we get the fortitude. the will, the heritage Of initiative,
enterprise und inspiration for our uncedsing drive upward.
Let America look well at the Average Mon od the Mid
dlemon. So that when he steps down from the pedestal he's
now on ond ruefu[Y removes those capital letters ud be-
comes just ON average mon like you und me. perhops the
world will know the difference between the BACKBONE thot
hos mode America dnd American business whut it is toduy
dnd the WlSHBONE Of colecivst thinking that seeks to moke
America q companion in the misery and the isms that exist
in so munY places on this ecrth.
Sincerely yours,
ub-pdp (Signed) A. BUSINESSMAN