The Chemawa American, April 18, 1923, Image 1

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P r in te d
MAY 8
a t C h e m a w a , O rego n, a n d D e v o te d to th e In t e r e s t s o f In d ia n E d u c a tio n
Vol. X X V
W ednesday, April 18, 1923
W H Y NOT “STICK'
No. 26
you, that enables you to succeed where others fail,
Boys and girls of Chemawa, you who have remain­ that gives you a reputation for being capable. Polite
ed here throughout the year and who will finish the persistency plays a large part in the success of many
whole year with honor to yourselves and your school, a business man or woman.
it seems to us that we cannot emphasize too strongly
It is the person who can stick to a disagreeable job,
the great necessity of having pluck enough to continue do it with energy and vim, the one who can force
on with your good work. That which surprises us himself to do good work when he does not feel like
the most at Chemawa, and which is also true of other doing it—in other words, the man or woman who is
schools, both in the service and out of it, is the large master of him- or herself, who has a great purpose,
numbers of young people who every year start to and holds himself to his aim, whether or not it is agree­
school and drop out, go home, give up their chance, able, or whether he feels like it or he does not feel
upon the least provocation. It is just this lack of like it that wins. It is easy to do what is agreeable,
sticking that fills up our lower grades. Everywhere to keep at the thing we like and are enthusiastic
will be found boys and girls in low grades who are of about; but it takes real grit to try to put our whole
sufficient age to be in high schools. Many claim they soul into that which is distasteful and against which
have no chance. This is all pure “ bosh.” They our nature protests. Clear grit is always more than
have, in 99 cases out of 100, a chance, and have been a match for any obstacle and has achieved all the
urged to avail themselves of it. There exists first and great things in the world’s history.
last a lamentable lack of tenacity to stick through each
We have talked with many a boy who complained
term and finish a grade each school year. It is just he had no chance, that he had no one to help him, no
this dropping out process that spells failure; it is just influential friends to push him along. These young
this propensity to dodge the responsibilities connected
fellows should study the story of E. H. Harriman’s
with an education that keeps the lower grades so full
remarkable career. Suppose young Harriman had
and the higher grades with so few.
said, as thousands of American boys are saying today,
It is said, “ When genius has failed in what is at­ “ Whatchance have I, a poor country boy, with no
tempted and talent says impossible;’ when every other relatives able to push me along, with no way to get a
faculty gives up; when tact retires and diplomacy has higher education, to do anything worth while? My
fled; when logic and argument and influence have all father is a poor man—what opportunity is there for
done their best and have retired from the field; gritty me to rise?”
persistency, bulldog tenacity, steps in and by sheer
But young Harriman was made of better stuff than
force of holding on, wins—does the impossible. ’ * Ah,
what miracles tenacity of purpose has performed! this. At the age of fourteen, with practically no edu­
cation, he went to work with nothing to back him
The last to leave the field, the last to turn back, it
persists when all other forces have fled. It has won but a vigorous resolve to improve himself, a desperate
determination to educate himself and work at the
many a battle, even after all hope was gone.
same time. This grand resolution was his only cap­
The man or woman, boy or girl, whosticksat a job,
ital. He began as an office boy and through sheer
who stands his ground with suavity of manner, with
grit and tenacity climbed, step by step, until he be­
politeness, with dogged persistency, also is certain to
be successful. A person who combines a gracious came a power to be reckoned with in the railroad and
manner, suavity, cordiality, cheerfulness, tenacity of financial worlds. It is said that his reorganization of
the Union Pacific railroad was one of the most colos-
purpose, who never gives up, is very fortunate indeed.
It takes grit to persist when others drop out; to keep al feats ever attempted by a business man. The road
working to an aim when others give up in despair; had long been in the Government receiver’s hands.
but it is just this ability to stick and hang, and yet There was a general belief that it was hopelessly in debt.
not suffer your good sense or sound judgment to fail
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