Milford chronicle., 1941-02-07
James E. West
The Man Who Gets Things Done
THEODORE ROOSEVELT, JR.

/ age Of twelve last year became
L Scout. The Scouts are an America
. institution so firmly imbedded in ou
national life that it is hard to re
member that they were not alway
here. Yet thirty years ago, the Bo
J Scouts of America was but one o
seven boys organizations, all weak
all fumbling, all uncertain OF thei
future.
From that day to this, one maj
has planned and directed this amaz
ing growth. Thousands Of men hav'
helped, but to him goes the creates
share of the credit. When the frs
modest steps were taken to organ
ize the Scouts, James 70. West was
persuaded TO promise to act as sec
rotary for six months. The chore he
planned to finish SO promptly be-
came a great career. Three decades
later, he still is on the job, the
Chief Scout Executive.
Into his work he mas put an amaz-
| ing amount of drive and energy.
Yet always he has been handicapped
physically; he uses cane and
sometimes crutches to get around.
And speaking of handicaps, the man
who leads and inspires a million ac-
tive boys spent his own boyhood in
an orphanage in Washington, d. c..
Because he was crippled, he was put
in with the girls-to learn to sew.
have known him long and inti-
mately. When l saw a boy of Scout
age, around the White House, Jim
West was friend of my father.
Jim's father died before he was
born. Destitute, his mother became
a seamstress, going from one to an
other of the Sewing rooms" that
homes had in those days. But al
though she had plenty of courage,
Mary West possessed neither health
nor strength. BY the time Jimmy
was six, she had to be taken to a
hospital, and the boy to an orphan
asylum. At that time he was
healthy and straight, and full of life.
Mary Vests death came unexpect-
edly. Like most victims of the
White Plague, she was confident
that presently she would get better.
She made no attempt to get in
touch with her relatives; the baby
was forever separated from his
kin.
The orphanage in which Jimmy
West was placed was bare and COM
fortress. The children were not fed
as well as prisoners are fed today.
The matrOn and her assistants did
not eat with the children; they had
far better food.
At the orphanage Jimmy didn't do
so we'll. He began to limp. He said
his leg hurt His limping was par
ticularly noticeable when the chill
dren were put into formation. The
orphanage authorities decided he
was merely pretending-to avoid
being treated like the other children.
So when he continued to limp, he
was whipped. But his leg got no
better.
Then Mrs. Harrison Dingmah, one
of his mothers former customers,
visited him. Horrified to learn what !
was happening, she arranged for an
examination. Jimmy was |
found to have tubercular hip, an |
intensely painful thing. For nearly
two years lie was in a hospital, much
Of the time strapped fiat OH his
back.
One of the doctors, who had a
laughter suffering from the same
finally decided that it might
De greatly improved, by an opera
ion. Jimmy was wheeled to the
operating room. Everything was
'eady. There was an audience of
loctOrs. One of them said in low
one, why doesn't he operate on his
'wn child?" The doctor heard him,
topped proceedings and sent Jimmy
'ack to bed. Shortly afterward he
vas pronounced incurable. {
The hospital told the orphanage to
AXE him back. The orphanage re- :
used to accept him; he was a Grip s
lie. Finally the hospital authorities
ent him to the orphanage without I
office, leaving him and a cloth bag
nat held his few belongings on the s
So lame he couldn't do the work a
ssigned to the boys, Jimmy was c
ut with the girls and taught to sew.
was here that Mrs. Ellis Spear, I
mother woman who had been 4
lend of his mother, found him. L
he brought him a toy oxcart, the a
rst present he had received since G
Is mother died. and invited him to il
er home and play with her own c
lildren. il
1t was momentous visit, opening h
} whole new world-a world fl
Orth working for, world worth Il
riviDg to the uttermost to attain.
Mrs. Spear gave him a book for in
Iildren that she had written. On Sc
e next visit she asked him about to
e story: What character in the re
ok he had liked best, and why? nj
was the first time anyone had
ven him a chance to tell his opin- pt
4, to express himself, and explain ht
~ he liked something. Mrs. 81
ear had written other stories; she te
We him one book after another. on
ere were more visits, more I'll
ances to give his opinion, and talk re
ely. He expanded like plant re
ening to the sun. oV
Most of the orphanage children "a
re apprenticed out as soon as nv
" were old enough. Because he ial
s cripple, no one would take M
lmy West. Presently he found
nself the oldest boy still re- 81
lining at the institution, and began eu
help the matron, Mrs. Wright, aia ail
h the care and direction of the sao slV
niger children. He also helped ~ ~
h the laundry work. He was ~, ~
~ =. sl'en sinai l,S 9",ny' ~ sis