the iron puddler-第27节
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earts are in this cause。 They will work as one man until all the iron in the mountains of America is hurled into the belly of the Huns。〃
The war was an iron war。 The kaiser had the steel and the coal that move armies。 France lacked these； and the Germans thought she was doomed。 They cut the French railroads that would have brought the troops and munitions to defend Verdun。 Then the Germans attacked this point in overwhelming numbers。 But the French troops went to Verdun without the aid of railroads。 The Germans did not dream that such a thing was possible。 But America had given the world a new form of transportation； trains that run without rails and with…out coal。 Motor…trucks； driven by gasoline； carried the troops and munitions to Verdun。 And so； after all； the genius of America was there smiting the crown prince to his ruin long before the first American doughboy could set foot in France。
For years the names of oil king and iron master have been a hissing and a byword among the hot…heads in America。 Yet oil king and iron master filled a world with motor lorries。 The blessings these have brought to every man are more than he can measure。 We mention this as one： They stopped the Germans at Verdun and saved our civilization。 It was an iron war and our iron won。
My days were spent at forge and puddling furnace。 The iron that I made is civilization's tools。 I ride by night in metal bedrooms。 I hear the bridges rumble underneath the wheels； and they are part of me。 I see tall cities looking down from out the sky and know that I have given a rib to make those giants。 I am a part of all I see； and life takes on an epic grandeur。 I have done the best I could to build America。
If God has given it to the great captains to do more than the privates to make the plan and shout the order； shall I feel thankless for my share of glory？ Shall I be envious and turn traitor and want to crucify the leaders that have blessed mankind？
I am content to occupy my secondary station； to do the things that I can do； and never to feel embittered because other men have gifts far surpassing mine。
CHAPTER XLIV
A CHANCE TO REALIZE A DREAM
On October 27； 1906； I joined the Loyal Order of Moose at Crawfordsville； Indiana； and a new chapter in my life began。 The purpose of the Order was merely social； but its vast possibilities took my imagination by storm。 For I believed that man's instinct for fraternity was a great reservoir of social energy which； if harnessed aright； could lift our civilization nearer to perfection。
On the night of my election and initiation to membership； the Supreme Lodge was in convention and they requested me to make a talk。 I suggested a scheme to save the wastage of child life resulting from the death of parents and the scattering of their babies； and also to provide for the widows and aged。 This problem had haunted me from boyhood when； as I have told； I was the bearer of death news to the widows and orphans of the mill town。 I felt that the Loyal Order of Moose could cope with this problem。 They elected me supreme organizer and put me in charge of the organization work； and after several years I showed so much zeal that the office of director general was created and I was put in full charge。
The Order was then nineteen years old； having been founded in St。 Louis as chartered in 1888； in Louisville； Kentucky。 It had thrived for a while and then dwindled。 At the time I joined there were only two lodges surviving； with a total roll of some two hundred and forty…six members。 I set to work with great enthusiasm； hoping to enroll a half million men。 This would make the Order strong enough to insure a home and an education for all children left destitute by the death of members。 In fancy I again beheld the vision of long trains of lodge men going to their yearly meeting； but this time； in a city of their own building； and over the gateway to this red…roofed town I saw the legend：
THE CITY OF HAPPY CHILDREN
But alas for dreams！ Any one can have them； but their realization is not always possible。 The men in the Moose before me had fought vainly for these high ideals。 At the end of my first year as director general I had not made one…tenth the progress I had hoped for。 Figuring on the rate of progress I was making； I saw that a lifetime would be too short to accomplish anything。 It was then that I would have despaired； if my Welsh blood had not been so stubborn。 I summoned new courage and went on with the work。 At the end of the fourth year I began to see results from my preliminary efforts。 The convention of 1910 showed that the membership was eighty thousand； distributed among three hundred and thirty…three lodges。 It was resolved to start the actual work of founding an educational institution。 A tax of two cents a week was laid on members and later increased to four cents。 Land was bought； a building erected and in 1913 the school was dedicated by Thomas R。 Marshall； Vice…President of the United States。 There were eleven children established in the home。 Soon the lodge membership increased enormously。 Having passed the hundred thousand mark it swept on to the half million goal。 The 〃Mooseheart idea；〃 as we called it； had caught the imagination of the men。 To…day the city of Mooseheart in the Fox River Valley； thirty…seven miles west of Chicago； is the home of more than a thousand fatherless children and one hundred and fifteen mothers who are there with their children； and several old men whose working days are over。 The dream of the Moose has come true。 In many ways the 〃City of Happy Childhood〃 is the most beautiful and the most wonderful city in the world。
CHAPTER XLV
THE DREAM COMES TRUE
What kind of school is Mooseheart？ That can not be answered by making comparisons； for it is the only school of its kind。 When the Moose committee met to decide what sort of school it would build； somebody suggested a normal school； a school to teach the young how to become teachers。
I objected。 〃The world is well supplied with teachers；〃 I said。 〃Everybody wants to teach the other fellow what to do； but nobody cares to do it。 Hand work will make a country rich and mouth work make it poor。 All the speeches I have ever made have never added a dollar to the taxable value of America。 But the tin and iron I wrought with my hands have helped make America the richest country in the world。 The Indians were philosophers and orators； they could outtalk the white man every time。 But the Indians had no houses and no clothes。 They wouldn't work with their hands。 A race that works with its hands has run the Indian off the earth。 If we quit working now and try to live on philosophy； some race that still knows how to work will run us out of this country。 The first law of civilized life is labor。 Labor is the giver of all good things。 Let us teach these orphans how to apply their labor； and after that all things will be added unto them。〃
And so we established a pre…vocational school where the young people are taught farming； carpentry； cement construction； blacksmithing； gas engine building and dozens of other fundamental trades that nourish our industrial life； a life that draws no nutriment from Greek or Latin。 I am not opposed to literature and the classics。 I make no war on the dead languages。 The war that killed them did the business。 Why should I come along and cut off their feet； when some one else has been there and cut off their heads？ But as an educator I promote the industrial trades； because they educated and promoted me。 I have done well in life； and if you ask me how I did it； I'm telling you。 Industry first and literature afterward。 And if you wish to see that kind of school in action； you can see it at Mooseheart； Illinois。
There is a school with more than a thousand students； boys and girls of various ages； ranging from one month to eighteen years。 Some of the students were born there； the mother having been admitted with her youngsters soon after the loss of the father。 Each lad will get an introduction to a dozen trades； and when he selects the one that fits him best； he will specialize in that and graduate at eighteen； prepared for life。 This education is the gift of more than half a million foster fathers。 The Moose are mostly working men； and so they equip their wards for industrial life； and then place them on the job。
A boy that knows how to build concrete houses will not have to sleep in haystacks。 If every high…school boy in America was a carpenter and cement builder how long would the housing shortage last？ 〃The birds of the air have their nests；〃 says the Bible。 And we know why they have them。 Every bird knows how to build its nest。 Nature teaches them their trade。 But men must learn their trades in school。 I visited a college once and saw how Greek was taught。 They showed me a clay model of ancient Athens and pointed out the house that each philosopher and poet lived in thousands of years ago。 〃Where are the houses；〃 I asked the graduates； 〃that you are going to live in to…morrow？〃 〃Heaven only knows；〃 they said。 〃We'll have to take our chances in the general scarcity； our fate is on the knees of the gods。〃 The luck of the Mooseheart boy is not on the knees of the gods； it is in
