View Full Version : Message to Garcia
TJR1070
04-13-10, 09:26 AM
I just read a comic at ****************** that mentioned "A Message to Garcia". I had a Warrant Officer (Widdelsey?) that anytime he would give you a task to complete if you asked just one question he would hand you a soft cover version of "A message to Garcia" and then without another word would expect you to complete the task he had ordered without further direction. I was just wondering if anyone else had any experiences with NCO's, SNCO's or Officers requiring their Marines to read it.
The only thing I got out of reading that book (several times) was not to ask questions. :D
I just read a comic at ****************** that mentioned "A Message to Garcia". I had a Warrant Officer (Widdelsey?) that anytime he would give you a task to complete if you asked just one question he would hand you a soft cover version of "A message to Garcia" and then without another word would expect you to complete the task he had ordered without further direction. I was just wondering if anyone else had any experiences with NCO's, SNCO's or Officers requiring their Marines to read it.
The only thing I got out of reading that book (several times) was not to ask questions. :D
It was given to us in Bootcamp. I'm not exactly sure why, since it's not like we had time to read it then. I had actually read it before I left for bootcamp but from time to time, I still pull it out and read it. At least the actual letter. Most 'books' you get have 50 pages of prologue and then 3 pages of the actual letter.
echo3oscar1833
04-13-10, 09:43 AM
Hahaha I love ****************** :D
Hell yea I read message to garcia. It was on the mandatory commandants reading list. Cpls had to read at least two books a year off the list.
Message to Garcia is what??? 40 pages. Hell yea I'll read that one. Seriously are you gonna read sun tsus art of war 200 plus pages or 40 pages about a guy that got lost wandering around in france. We all opted for the 40 pager.
I also enjoy terminal lance. I don't check it every day but when he puts something new up it is always good.
Hell yea I read message to garcia. It was on the mandatory commandants reading list. Cpls had to read at least two books a year off the list.
Message to Garcia is what??? 40 pages. Hell yea I'll read that one. Seriously are you gonna read sun tsus art of war 200 plus pages or 40 pages about a guy that got lost wandering around in france. We all opted for the 40 pager.
I also enjoy terminal lance. I don't check it every day but when he puts something new up it is always good.
Actually, now that I think of it, we were NOT given A Message To Garcia in boot, it was Rifleman Dodd, which I believe is the book you're referring to, Sgt.
I don't know if I got me or got you Hanzo. Yea it was rifleman dodd that wandered all over france. Now I'm drawing a blank on what message to garcia was about besides it was a short book.
I don't know if I got me or got you Hanzo. Yea it was rifleman dodd that wandered all over france. Now I'm drawing a blank on what message to garcia was about besides it was a short book.
Yeah, Message To Garcia was about a guy in a jungle (Phillapines maybe?) who was given a letter to deliver to a guerilla leader named Garcia. His orders were simply "deliver this" without any information about how to find him. He didn't question it, just took off into the jungle and found a way to accomplish the mission he was assigned.
temarti
04-13-10, 11:19 AM
Hahaha I love ******************
:thumbup::thumbup:
Socal2361
04-13-10, 11:36 AM
It was in the jungles of Cuba where it transpired. My gunny made all of us read the book and write a paper on it. The moral of the book is instant obedience to orders without hesitation, and to think outside the box on your own to get a task accomplished.
Wyoming
04-13-10, 11:41 AM
It was in the jungles of Cuba where it transpired. My gunny made all of us read the book and write a paper on it. The moral of the book is instant obedience to orders without hesitation, and to think outside the box on your own to get a task accomplished.
Exactly!
:thumbup:
That reminds me of an old joke, I don't remember it exactly, but I'll do the best I can.
A Marine officer, Army officer and Air Force officer were all tasked with erecting a flagpole.
The Air Force officer put together a committee to research the history of flagpoles and an engineering crew to determine if the ground was solid enough and then priced out independant contractors to bring in the survey equipment and erect the flagpole.
The Army officer grabbed 5 Staff Sergeants and told them to erect a flag pole being sure to fill out all appropriate paperwork and submit SITREPs to him every three minutes, which would be easy, because he was going to supervise the project.
The Marine officer saw a Corporal walking by and says "Hey Marine, build me a flagpole", and walked away.
Wyoming
04-13-10, 12:16 PM
That reminds me of an old joke, I don't remember it exactly, but I'll do the best I can.
A Marine officer, Army officer and Air Force officer were all tasked with erecting a flagpole.
The Air Force officer put together a committee to research the history of flagpoles and an engineering crew to determine if the ground was solid enough and then priced out independant contractors to bring in the survey equipment and erect the flagpole.
The Army officer grabbed 5 Staff Sergeants and told them to erect a flag pole being sure to fill out all appropriate paperwork and submit SITREPs to him every three minutes, which would be easy, because he was going to supervise the project.
The Marine officer saw a Corporal walking by and says "Hey Marine, build me a flagpole", and walked away.
Exactly!
:thumbup:
X 2
-Never heard of ther book think maybe when I went to boot camp not to many could read. The Corp didn't want us to look bad by asking us to read something thant long 40 pages you said ?
Dragonscript
04-14-10, 07:01 AM
My reserve Company does a book study every quarter and last quarter's was Message to Garcia. The idea behind the story has less to do with instant obedience to orders and has more to do with dependability and accepting the fact that while you may not understand your mission, that mission is important to the war effort as a whole. It's about doing what you were asked without supervision and trusting that your superiors have a good plan. At least that is what our squad got our of it.
This quarter's book study is Starship Troopers.
echo3oscar1833
04-14-10, 07:05 AM
My reserve Company does a book study every quarter and last quarter's was Message to Garcia. The idea behind the story has less to do with instant obedience to orders and has more to do with dependability and accepting the fact that while you may not understand your mission, that mission is important to the war effort as a whole. It's about doing what you were asked without supervision and trusting that your superiors have a good plan. At least that is what our squad got our of it.
This quarter's book study is Starship Troopers.
Isn't that sorta the same thing, not nit picking, just saying brother :D:D
This quarter's book study is Starship Troopers.
Starship Troopers is awesome! When I was in MRP at Camp Pendleton they put us on phone watch all day, every day, so needless to say, I did a LOT of reading. Most of it was from the Commandant's reading list. Ender's Game is pretty sweet also.
Dragonscript
04-14-10, 01:10 PM
Isn't that sorta the same thing, not nit picking, just saying brother
Yea, pretty much.
Hanzo:
I've read the book several times, Heinlein is one of my favorite authors. I've read quite a few of his other books as well.
FattyTheFerret
04-14-10, 05:43 PM
It's such a lousy story, too. I understand that the theme on the surface is instant willing obedience to orders...but a deeper look shows that it glorifies bad leadership decisions.
For a simple task that doesn't need further explanation, of course the idea works. However when there's something important at stake and the accomplishment of the mission is more important than anything else, it seems absurd for a superior to keep crucial knowledge from a subordinate tasked with accomplishing said mission.
In the example provided in the story you're asked to "Summon any one and make this request: "Please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Correggio"." Seems fine until you get to this line: "Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your "assistant" that Correggio is indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, "Never mind," and go look it up yourself."
How the hell is that wise?!? It's nothing more than lousy leadership. If you have an important piece of information that will help the subordinate do the task assigned and it's something that any individual could easily overlook, why deny him that information? All it's going to do is delay the process when simply pointing out "By the way, it's under the C's." could save precious time.
If my GySgt tells me to do something that I know how to do or I reasonably judge that I can figure out on my own, I'll do it without question or hesitation. If Gunny tells me to do something I've never even heard of, I'm going to ask for just a touch of guidance on the matter. Why waste time trying to figure out just where to begin when a simple ""You can find the information on how to proceed here" would save time and result in a better chance that the task will be accomplished properly?
I think the basic idea behind Message to Garcia is a good one. Do the job, don't question why you're doing it or ask to have your hand held. But it needs to be pointed out that a leader who intentionally keeps his people in the dark for reason other than he doesn't want to be bothered doesn't seem like he's doing his job.
my two cents, for what it's worth. maybe I'm wrong
ABrevik
04-15-10, 01:48 AM
Young Marines nowadys question orders on a daily basis. Even if they read Message to Gracia, I don't beleive that will fix that problem.
HOWARDROARK3043
04-15-10, 06:22 AM
leatherneck= barracks rat
terminal lance = a threesome in vegas
Dragonscript
04-15-10, 06:56 AM
Young Marines nowadys question orders on a daily basis. Even if they read Message to Gracia, I don't beleive that will fix that problem.
I don't think it is a nowadays problem, it has always been that way. In my experience, when orders are questioned it is due to not having trust in the chain of command. The chain of command can easily lose trust if it looks like they don't know what they are doing. A simple example of this is when a company formation is called and you stand there waiting for half an hour or more, waiting for the CO to show up. The CO is a busy man, and while it is his right to make you stand there and wait for him, it just makes the Marines grumpy. A better use of time would be hip pocket classes while waiting for the CO.
I hated hip pocket classes.
Dragonscript
04-15-10, 08:33 AM
We have a variety of classes, the last couple were about door breaching, detainee restraint, how to change your oil and skating. We had an EASing Cpl and a particularly good lance coolie give helpful tips.
It's such a lousy story, too. I understand that the theme on the surface is instant willing obedience to orders...but a deeper look shows that it glorifies bad leadership decisions.
For a simple task that doesn't need further explanation, of course the idea works. However when there's something important at stake and the accomplishment of the mission is more important than anything else, it seems absurd for a superior to keep crucial knowledge from a subordinate tasked with accomplishing said mission.
In the example provided in the story you're asked to "Summon any one and make this request: "Please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Correggio"." Seems fine until you get to this line: "Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your "assistant" that Correggio is indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, "Never mind," and go look it up yourself."
How the hell is that wise?!? It's nothing more than lousy leadership. If you have an important piece of information that will help the subordinate do the task assigned and it's something that any individual could easily overlook, why deny him that information? All it's going to do is delay the process when simply pointing out "By the way, it's under the C's." could save precious time.
If my GySgt tells me to do something that I know how to do or I reasonably judge that I can figure out on my own, I'll do it without question or hesitation. If Gunny tells me to do something I've never even heard of, I'm going to ask for just a touch of guidance on the matter. Why waste time trying to figure out just where to begin when a simple ""You can find the information on how to proceed here" would save time and result in a better chance that the task will be accomplished properly?
I think the basic idea behind Message to Garcia is a good one. Do the job, don't question why you're doing it or ask to have your hand held. But it needs to be pointed out that a leader who intentionally keeps his people in the dark for reason other than he doesn't want to be bothered doesn't seem like he's doing his job.
my two cents, for what it's worth. maybe I'm wrong
While I certainly see your point, I don't believe that particular part of the book was intended to literally be done, but more as an example of what would happen. When tasking someone to go look something up, the point is that the author is betting that they won't simply set off for the task, but rather ask 100 questions first. Could more information be gained by asking? Yes, but the idea is simply that you were given a task, just do it. In the example you're speaking of, it was to look up a name in an encyclopedia. This is not a difficult task and really doesn't require any further clarification. The author's point was to use this as an experiment to show that the subordinate would ask a large number of questions before attempting to accomplish the task.
FattyTheFerret
04-15-10, 09:17 AM
While I certainly see your point, I don't believe that particular part of the book was intended to literally be done, but more as an example of what would happen. When tasking someone to go look something up, the point is that the author is betting that they won't simply set off for the task, but rather ask 100 questions first. Could more information be gained by asking? Yes, but the idea is simply that you were given a task, just do it. In the example you're speaking of, it was to look up a name in an encyclopedia. This is not a difficult task and really doesn't require any further clarification. The author's point was to use this as an experiment to show that the subordinate would ask a large number of questions before attempting to accomplish the task.
Understandable. I believe a large number of unnecessary questions is certainly a problem, however I don't believe there's anything wrong with getting at least a little guidance when tasked with a mission you have no idea how to do. If the most important goal is mission accomplishment then would it not be better for subordinates to ensure they have a proper understanding of the orders so things get done properly and efficiently the first time?
Understandable. I believe a large number of unnecessary questions is certainly a problem, however I don't believe there's anything wrong with getting at least a little guidance when tasked with a mission you have no idea how to do. If the most important goal is mission accomplishment then would it not be better for subordinates to ensure they have a proper understanding of the orders so things get done properly and efficiently the first time?
Absolutely. There is definitely a fine line that has to be walked and I think that line varies based on the circumstance. In some situations one should just do it themselves and figure it out. In other cases, the 70% solution is ideal, and in others, absolute clarity is necessary.
I guess I'm a little biased towards the idea of Letter To Garcia because since coming to the 2nd CivDiv, micro-management is rampant and it annoys the **** outta me.
Never heard of it when I was in. In fact it was my son who told me about that story. It was mentioned quite often at the USNA where he did his undergrad.
Wyoming
04-16-10, 01:01 PM
1899
A Message to Garcia
By Elbert Hubbard
In all this Cuban business there is one man stands out on the horizon of my memory like Mars at perihelion. When war broke out between Spain & the United States, it was very necessary to communicate quickly with the leader of the Insurgents. Garcia was somewhere in the mountain vastness of Cuba- no one knew where. No mail nor telegraph message could reach him. The President must secure his cooperation, and quickly.
What to do!
Some one said to the President, "There’s a fellow by the name of Rowan will find Garcia for you, if anybody can."
Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How "the fellow by the name of Rowan" took the letter, sealed it up in an oil-skin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, & in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, having traversed a hostile country on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia, are things I have no special desire now to tell in detail.
The point I wish to make is this: McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, "Where is he at?" By the Eternal! there is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing- "Carry a message to Garcia!"
General Garcia is dead now, but there are other Garcias.
No man, who has endeavored to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, but has been well nigh appalled at times by the imbecility of the average man- the inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a thing and do it. Slip-shod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, & half-hearted work seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes other men to assist him; or mayhap, God in His goodness performs a miracle, & sends him an Angel of Light for an assistant. You, reader, put this matter to a test: You are sitting now in your office- six clerks are within call.
Summon any one and make this request: "Please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Correggio".
Will the clerk quietly say, "Yes, sir," and go do the task?
On your life, he will not. He will look at you out of a fishy eye and ask one or more of the following questions:
Who was he?
Which encyclopedia?
Where is the encyclopedia?
Was I hired for that?
Don’t you mean Bismarck?
What’s the matter with Charlie doing it?
Is he dead?
Is there any hurry?
Shan’t I bring you the book and let you look it up yourself?
What do you want to know for?
And I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered the questions, and explained how to find the information, and why you want it, the clerk will go off and get one of the other clerks to help him try to find Garcia- and then come back and tell you there is no such man. Of course I may lose my bet, but according to the Law of Average, I will not.
Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your "assistant" that Correggio is indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, "Never mind," and go look it up yourself.
And this incapacity for independent action, this moral stupidity, this infirmity of the will, this unwillingness to cheerfully catch hold and lift, are the things that put pure Socialism so far into the future. If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all? A first-mate with knotted club seems necessary; and the dread of getting "the bounce" Saturday night, holds many a worker to his place.
Advertise for a stenographer, and nine out of ten who apply, can neither spell nor punctuate- and do not think it necessary to.
Can such a one write a letter to Garcia?
"You see that bookkeeper," said the foreman to me in a large factory.
"Yes, what about him?"
"Well he’s a fine accountant, but if I’d send him up town on an errand, he might accomplish the errand all right, and on the other hand, might stop at four saloons on the way, and when he got to Main Street, would forget what he had been sent for."
Can such a man be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?
We have recently been hearing much maudlin sympathy expressed for the "downtrodden denizen of the sweat-shop" and the "homeless wanderer searching for honest employment," & with it all often go many hard words for the men in power.
Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to get frowsy ne’er-do-wells to do intelligent work; and his long patient striving with "help" that does nothing but loaf when his back is turned. In every store and factory there is a constant weeding-out process going on. The employer is constantly sending away "help" that have shown their incapacity to further the interests of the business, and others are being taken on. No matter how good times are, this sorting continues, only if times are hard and work is scarce, the sorting is done finer- but out and forever out, the incompetent and unworthy go.
It is the survival of the fittest. Self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best- those who can carry a message to Garcia.
I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the ability to manage a business of his own, and yet who is absolutely worthless to any one else, because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that his employer is oppressing, or intending to oppress him. He cannot give orders; and he will not receive them. Should a message be given him to take to Garcia, his answer would probably be, "Take it yourself."
Tonight this man walks the streets looking for work, the wind whistling through his threadbare coat. No one who knows him dare employ him, for he is a regular fire-brand of discontent. He is impervious to reason, and the only thing that can impress him is the toe of a thick-soled No. 9 boot.
Of course I know that one so morally deformed is no less to be pitied than a physical cripple; but in our pitying, let us drop a tear, too, for the men who are striving to carry on a great enterprise, whose working hours are not limited by the whistle, and whose hair is fast turning white through the struggle to hold in line dowdy indifference, slip-shod imbecility, and the heartless ingratitude, which, but for their enterprise, would be both hungry & homeless.
Have I put the matter too strongly? Possibly I have; but when all the world has gone a-slumming I wish to speak a word of sympathy for the man who succeeds- the man who, against great odds has directed the efforts of others, and having succeeded, finds there’s nothing in it: nothing but bare board and clothes.
I have carried a dinner pail & worked for day’s wages, and I have also been an employer of labor, and I know there is something to be said on both sides. There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no recommendation; & all employers are not rapacious and high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous.
My heart goes out to the man who does his work when the "boss" is away, as well as when he is at home. And the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly take the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets "laid off," nor has to go on a strike for higher wages. Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such a man asks shall be granted; his kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He is wanted in every city, town and village- in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such: he is needed, & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia.
THE END-
pyropinoy
09-26-10, 01:29 AM
leatherneck= barracks rat
terminal lance = a threesome in vegas
I lulz
+100 internets for you sir lulz
MOUNTAINWILLIAM
09-26-10, 10:38 AM
MtG is not a book, it is an essay on one man's observation of duty, the gist being; If you take on a task.......DO IT. If you don't have the "skills" required, stand down, get off your azz and get educated in the discipline required, there will always be someone else capable to perform the task and will take it on without a whole ration of BS. DO YOUR JOB!
One additional comment; LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. (MW)
Following: Hubbard's Essay
1899
A Message to Garcia
By Elbert Hubbard
In all this Cuban business there is one man stands out on the horizon of my memory like Mars at perihelion. When war broke out between Spain & the United States, it was very necessary to communicate quickly with the leader of the Insurgents. Garcia was somewhere in the mountain vastness of Cuba--no one knew where. No mail nor telegraph message could reach him. The President must secure his cooperation, and quickly.
What to do!
Some one said to the President, "There’s a fellow by the name of Rowan will find Garcia for you, if anybody can."
Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How "the fellow by the name of Rowan" took the letter, sealed it up in an oil-skin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, & in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, having traversed a hostile country on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia, are things I have no special desire now to tell in detail.
The point I wish to make is this: McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, "Where is he at?" By the Eternal! there is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing- "Carry a message to Garcia!"
General Garcia is dead now, but there are other Garcias.
No man, who has endeavored to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, but has been well nigh appalled at times by the imbecility of the average man- the inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a thing and do it. Slip-shod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, & half-hearted work seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes other men to assist him; or mayhap, God in His goodness performs a miracle, & sends him an Angel of Light for are sitting now in your office- six clerks are within call.
Summon any one and make this request: "Please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Correggio".
Will the clerk quietly say, "Yes, sir," and go do the task?
On your life, he will not. He will look at you out of a fishy eye and ask one or more of the following questions:
Who was he?
Which encyclopedia?
Where is the encyclopedia?
Was I hired for that?
Don’t you mean Bismarck?
What’s the matter with Charlie doing it?
Is he dead?
Is there any hurry?
Shan’t I bring you the book and let you look it up yourself?
What do you want to know for?
And I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered the questions, and explained how to find the information, and why you want it, the clerk will go off and get one of the other clerks to help him try to find Garcia- and then come back and tell you there is no such man. Of course I may lose my bet, but according to the Law of Average, I will not.
Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your "assistant" that Correggio is indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, "Never mind," and go look it up yourself.
And this incapacity for independent action, this moral stupidity, this infirmity of the will, this unwillingness to cheerfully catch hold and lift, are the things that put pure Socialism so far into the future. If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all? A first-mate with knotted club seems necessary; and the dread of getting "the bounce" Saturday night, holds many a worker to his place.
Advertise for a stenographer, and nine out of ten who apply, can neither spell nor punctuate- and do not think it necessary to.
Can such a one write a letter to Garcia?
"You see that bookkeeper," said the foreman to me in a large factory.
"Yes, what about him?"
"Well he’s a fine accountant, but if I’d send him up town on an errand, he might accomplish the errand all right, and on the other hand, might stop at four saloons on the way, and when he got to Main Street, would forget what he had been sent for."
Can such a man be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?
We have recently been hearing much maudlin sympathy expressed for the "downtrodden denizen of the sweat-shop" and the "homeless wanderer searching for honest employment," & with it all often go many hard words for the men in power.
Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to get frowsy ne’erdo-wells to do intelligent work; and his long patient striving with "help" that does nothing but loaf when his back is turned. In every store and factory there is a constant weeding-out process going on. The employer is constantly sending away "help" that have shown their incapacity to further the interests of the business, and others are being taken on. No matter how good times are, this sorting continues, only if times are hard and work is scarce, the sorting is done finer- but out and forever out, the incompetent and unworthy go.
It is the survival of the fittest. Self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best- those who can carry a message to Garcia.
I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the ability to manage a business of his own, and yet who is absolutely worthless to any one else, because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that his employer is oppressing, or intending to oppress him. He cannot give orders; and he will not receive them. Should a message be given him to take to Garcia, his answer would probably be, "Take it yourself."
Tonight this man walks the streets looking for work, the wind whistling through his threadbare coat. No one who knows him dare employ him, for he is a regular fire-brand of discontent. He is impervious to reason, and the only thing that can impress him is the toe of a thick-soled No. 9 boot.
Of course I know that one so morally deformed is no less to be pitied than a physical cripple; but in our pitying, let us drop a tear, too, for the men who are striving to carry on a great enterprise, whose working hours are not limited by the whistle, and whose hair is fast turning white through the struggle to hold in line dowdy indifference, slip-shod imbecility, and the heartless ingratitude, which, but for their enterprise, would be both hungry & homeless.
Have I put the matter too strongly? Possibly I have; but when all the world has gone a-slumming I wish to speak a word of sympathy for the man who succeeds the man who, against great odds has directed the efforts of others, and having succeeded, finds there’s nothing in it: nothing but bare board and clothes.
I have carried a dinner pail & worked for day’s wages, and I have also been an employer of labor, and I know there is something to be said on both sides. There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no recommendation; & all employers are not rapacious and high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous.
My heart goes out to the man who does his work when the "boss" is away, as well as when he is at home. And the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly take the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets "laid off," nor has to go on a strike for higher wages. Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such a man asks shall be granted; his kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He is wanted in every city, town and village- in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such: he is needed, & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia.
-THE END-
:iwo: