THE BATTALION.
55
placed in responsible positions; but if
they realized what was best for then
own welfare they would refuse these flat
tering offers and begin work at the bottom
and work up in order that they might
become thoroughly familiar with every
detail of their chosen profession. Thus
if each man has occupied the various po
sitions of axeman, rodman, chainman,
levelman, and transitman, by the time
he has been advanced to chief of party
he will know exactly what each member
of Ids party ought to do, how much he
ought to do, and how he ought to do it.
The objection often urged to starting at
the lowest round of the ladder is that a
great many never have an opportunity
to get any higher. The answer to this is
tnat all human experience goes to prove
that good and faithful work in any voca
tion will not fail, sooner or later, to be
come known and to receive adequate rec
ognition. No one can deny that it is
infinitely better to start at the bottom
and go to the top than to start at the
top and be compelled to go to the bot
tom. Recently a college graduate (not
an A. and M. man) was by some means
other than merit placed in the responsi
ble position of assistant engineer on one
of our important railroads. Owing to
lack of experience he was entirely incom
petent to meet the responsibilities of the
position. After making a number of
very serious and expensive blunders, he
was advised by his superior to take a
position as rodman. but he refused to
act upon this advice, on the ground that
it would be disgraceful to take a lower
position. There was therefore nothing
left for him to do but to sever his con
nection with the road.
In civil engineering, as in all other
vocations, the surest and quickest road
to true success is not feverish haste to
rise, but patient, painstaking and per
severing effort.
If, however, man is a reasoning being,
he is also a free moral being; a being
who can only attain to that normal per
fection which is his greatest good, to that
self-satisfaction or blessedness of which
he is capable, by means of effort.—Krug.
The best and richest treasure of a city
is that it have many pure, learned, in
telligent, honest, well-educated citizens;
for these can collect, preserve, and prop
erly use whatever is good.—Luther.
Studies serve for delight, for orna
ment, and for ability. Their chief use
for delight is in privateness and retir
ing; for ornament, is in discourse; and
for a'bility, is in the judgment and dis
position of business.—Lord Bacon.
Infinite good comes from good habits,
which must result from the common in
fluence of example, intercourse, knowl
edge, and actual experience—morality,
taught by good morals.—Plato.
For a man to write well, there are re
quired three necessaries;—to read the
best authors; observe the best speakers;
and much exercise of his own style.—Ben
Jonson.
The memory preserves the impressions
which the outer and inner senses have
received. If this faculty is not developed
to a certain degree, any culture of the un
derstanding is almost out of the ques
tion; and all the other mental powers
must suffer.—Niemeyer.