Show jy y ss ig r ya brilin GE GETTING ING A START am by NATHANIEL NATHAN IFt C FOWLER jr YS Y S 24 copyright 1915 by the mcclure newspaper Newe paper syndicate EDUCATION FOR A SPECIFIC PUR POSE the passing generation will recall the days of the old red schoolhouse which by tho the way wa was seldom painted red when academic education was primarily confined to two distinct in tho the common school which ald did not then begin with a kindergarten but plunged the pupil immediately into In the 3 Rs Hs ot of learning and the college which confined itself to the classics in those days only a very small percentage of boys entered college and there was no higher institution ot of learning open to girls than the seminary with a curriculum similar to that of our present high school the young man who desired to enter a technical trade or to perfect himself for any vocation had to learn this business trade or profession at the last so BO to speak even the buiu lawyer read freaa law in a law office and the dentist entered a dentists office as an apprentice today educational conditions have changed and there are innumerable technical schools as well as those teaching some one concrete profession tile the young man then may learn his trade either tn in the old way by entering it or by attending some eoma in tn in the vocation which als he la to follow welchs the better way both I 1 say if ono one to la to take up a technical trade requiring a scientific or other special knowledge lie he would better spend a few years in some institution which teaches one this vocation or those allied to it and then finish his education in the workshop or the office of a concern devoted to it it Is abilo obvious ahat that the factory or the office cannot as easily impart the tun fun mental da principles of at a vocation as can awa a well equipped institution while at work the apprentice Is obliged to do many things which are not directly contributing to hla his education n ile ho obtains experience I 1 it la Is truo tb 1 but he bo la Is not allowed to have that broadness of view which would come to him in school the atmosphere of a schoolroom la Is conducive to efficiency one has noth ing else to think about and the thoro ro tore fore can devote his entire time to obtaining a better knowledge of the iba work he Is to do for or a living in recommending the technical schools I 1 am aware that many of them altogether are too theoretical or academic and that they are perlin perhaps its too broad instead of specific but tor for all that the well equipped technical school places before its pupils the great fundamental principles which it if rightly understood and ap applied pled are of untold benefit certain lines ignos fio however wever cannot be taught in school but a fun fundamental fundament damen tal knowledge of the majority of technical trades can bo be imparted in the schoolroom and laboratory practically all of our best technical schools including institutes of tech cology are are managed by experts who fortunately are composite men not only understanding science but having the ability to impart its principles A graduate of one of these institutes while he bo may begin close to the bottom of at the ladder and while he may work tor for a year or more alongside of the young man who has not been favored with hits his op ties will eventually all things bell being 1 g equal advance more rapidly than w will III on ne s who entered the trade as an apprentice pren tico without good technical school training white this school training does not wholly give the experience of the he workshop it will teach one first tha he fundamental principles and secondly ly how bow more easily to apply them GUMPTION gumption consists of at common sense rational t reasoning attention to details and persistent observation that one may seo see more clearly and act more mora intelligently telli gently gumption nice like common souse sense becomes a habit to somo some extent it may be inherited but tile tho brand ot of gumption alon that is good for anything that may bo be applied to tho ilia affairs of life la Is largely acquired and nd comes to ono one because lie he makes an all effort to got get it ask the successful business man what appears to be the tha mattor matter with many of his employees and lie ho will say that the inefficient ones lack gumption are uninterested inattentive uni un i ambitious and as it a rule fault they do not make nn an effort to use what nature has given them they waste their time and their talents they are indolent they perform tho duties prescribed but avoid ability they do not lovo love their worn work and they do what they have to do as automatically mati cally as machines few of them think intently and most of thorn them are not amenable to reason they are always looking at the clock seldom realizing that aut automatic omatto action in itself does not stand for promotion or for more than ordinary accomplishment because they do not make strenuous effort because they do not do their best their ability oven even though it mai maybe great Is below par in every market they begin as clerks and remain dorks clerks seldom rising above su bordi nate positions allowing others ot of no greater ability to supersede them it Is obvious that ability Is not distributed tri buted equitably or at any rate does not appear to be and some men arg are undoubtedly able to do things which others cannot accomplish but it Is nevertheless an indisputable fact that those who try and try hard even though they may possess only ordinary capacity out outpoint polut those at 0 greater ability who plod along dissatisfied isfried with everything save themselves the man with gumption thinks while lie he works every effort he bo makes teaches him to do the same thing hot bet tar next time tie lie Is faithful but more than that lie Is energetic and looks upon his capacity capac whether it be great or small as a commercial asset to be used as any an other commodity every man Is a salesman of himself unless ho he considers his ability a mar as he would a sack of 0 flour or a keg of rails nails to be sold at an adan advantage tage he be Is not likely to rise above a mediocre state but probably will remain at the bottom or near to it a plodder not a pacer got get gumption you can have gumption jf you will perhaps not as much of it as can be obtained by greater ability but enough of aitto it to lift you beyond the ordinary and place you in the rising class YOU are master of yourself oven even though you have a master it la Is tor for you not the man for whom you work to say whether you will stay stai down or go up |