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Show An open letter to the men at the B. and M. mill and to men and boys everywhere. First let mo thank you for tho way all of you got together In a convenient con-venient corner of tho mill to cat your lunch whllo I told you about my work and my plans. I was uncertain about your being willing to do that. That was Just what I liked. Twenty-five years ago I went Into a factory with seventy-two men nnd boys to work as ono ot them and cam money to go nway from homo to study medicine. All of those men nnd boys know moro than I did nbout many things, but I knew something they did not know and which thoy needed to know. I wanted to start a night school for some of them, but I lacked tho nervo to do It. Had I known then what I know now I could havo learned moro from them than I did and also have been moro useful to them. This noon I could not have stood up before you tho way I did If It had not been for some talks I gavo to groups of men aud boys, women and girls In a big store a year ago. A year ago I could not have talked to thoso groups it It had not been for some talks I gavo two years ago to a group of very lively young people lu ono ot the smallest churches in the world. If it bad not been for that quarter of a century ago desire to work, not only ln tho fnctory but In a study room with the men and boys, I might not have been able to stand up ln that bright little church. After leaving you this noon I wondered won-dered If I said anything you did not believe If I did plcaso write me your vlow of it. I tried to mnko you understand that I believe that tho mechanical worker has a better chanco to enjoy this world and the world to come than tho commercial or professional worker. Had I known whllo working In that factory what I know to-day about food, clothing, bathing, exercise, reading, read-ing, writing, working and growing, I would havo moro monoy-muscle-mlnd to-day had I remained nt work In the factory. Ono of tho greatest men in history In my mind Is the blacksmith who was nblo to translato a wilt which collcgo professors could not read. He had an Inclination for and had devoted de-voted his spare time to languages. But greater than translating a difficult diffi-cult wording Is to bo ablo to enjoy your work and beconio a llttlo more skillful to-day than yesterday. |
