2 0 1918
3
MAY
8
The ChemawaAmerican
P r in t e d a t C h t m a w a , O re g o n , a n d D e v o te d to th e In te r e s t » o f In d ia n E d u c a tio n
Vol. XXI
Wednesday, November 13, 1918
PROCRASTINATION
We have a calendar, each of us, that is more or less
full of sins, or faults, whichever you prefer to call them.
There is no doubt but with many of us the worst fault
or habit is one of procrastination. Our younger read
ers may wonder what procrastination means—its defi
nition. It means to delay, to put off, to be lax, to be
dilatory—never doing today, or now, what may by
any means be put off until tomorrow.
We may see certain things which our minds suggest
should have attention at once, but we put it off—we
hesitate, we delay. We observe often something that
should be done at once in order to save some particu
lar thing or object from practical or partial ruin, but
so strong has become the habit of delay that we pass
it by and put it off. In the majority of such instances
we are the losers—not the other fellow.
Sometimes we see something that we want done for
ourselves—but we let it go or take it out in “ think
ing,” never reaching the point where we get in
action. We may observe a button off of our clothes.
We wish that button was on, not off, but we procras
tinate and the button stays off, many times until the
garment is worn out. Our jacket or shirt may have a
rip in it, but regardless of the old saw that “ a stitch
in time saves nine,” we conclude to “ let’er rip” and
she does—rips wide open often and if we sew it up at
all the job is many times as large as it might have
been.
A farmer observes a picket or board off his fence.
He “ fools around” and delays the task of nailing up
the place, which after all was but the work of a few
minutes. Later on the hogs discover that hole in the
fence, pass through, and in a short time have “ rooted”
up the garden vegetables, maybe with the result of con
siderable damage. Maybe a crop is in this way ruined
as the result of procrastination. So often we delay to
our own loss or disadvantage. Why is it so? We
find the habit easy—there is no excuse.
REGGIE WRITES AGAIN
A few days ago Supt. Hall received a letter from
Reginald Downie. Mr. Downie is now on active ser
vice with the American Expeditionary Forces some
where abroad—his letter does not make his location
No. 6
clear. We are all of us glad to hear from him, as he
was, and is, a printer—a product of this shop and
school, and we are proud to claim him. His letter
follows:
For the past few years, at just about this time of the
season, I used to find myself wending my way back
to Chemawa. And, somehow, I always found it the
most enjoyable part of my vacation. But that will not
happen this year. Even so, I find my mind wander
ing that way, and that, too, every day for at least a
few minutes. In my mind’s eye I can see you all and
the whole school at a glance.
You could class Oregon with California, comparing
it with this country. Rain! It knows no stop.
And the nights are nice and cool.
This is a great life here—much to hear and more to
see. Surely I am drinking it all in.
You know what Sherman said about war and often
I quite agree with him. But when things get like
that I turn about and whistle “ Smile, Smile, Smile,”
or something like that. Of course things change
immediately.
I t ’s alright in the rain if you can console yourself
with the saying, ‘ ‘Behind the clouds the sun is still
shining.” However, I find it impossible to fool mv
own mind and conscience.
I send very best of good wishes to all of my Che
mawa friends.
HOLD TOUR LIBERTY BONDS
Some get-rich-quick concerns are endeavoring to
persuade patriotic Liberty bond holders, whom they
know will not sell outright their Liberty bonds, to
turn over their Liberty bonds to these companies as
security for a loan and with the money thus borrowed
purchase stock in their companies.
A Liberty loan bond is the safest investment in the
world, and a prudent man will very carefully investi
gate any effort to induce him to exchange it for a less
safe investment. This lending one money on Liberty
bonds as security to purchase stock in the lender’s
company is in many cases only a thinly disguised
method of exchanging stock of doubtful value for
Liberty bonds of unquestioned value.
It is good business and it is patriotism to hold your
Liberty bonds.