Hobart Senior High School - Memories Yearbook (Hobart, IN)

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HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL. 11 THE LURE OF THE CITY. FRED W. FRANK. CAREFUL study of the pages of history and the lives of men who have left their mark in the progress of civilization reveals to us many interesting things. One of the facts which forces itself upon our attention is that through all ages, in all nations and races, the same desires have tilled the hearts of men and directed the course of their actions. These aspirations varied a little in the direction they took according to the circumstances from which they arose, but in general they were the desires for wealth and conquest. The desire for wealth may have been simply the selfish wishes of a man for himself ; it may have been the wishes of a ruler for the advancement of his nation; or in a still broader sense, it may have been the longing for the uplifting and enriching of humanity. The desire for conquest has taken a similar course. It may have been the struggle of a savage in the dawn of history for supremacy over his fellows ; it may have been the struggle of a nation to protect herself and extend her dominion ; and it may have been the efforts of far-sighted men to control all the forces of the universe for the benefit of man. If we but glance at the present and analyze the problems which are facing us, we find the same motives continue to control mankind. The poor boy begins as a laborer fighting for his daily bread. When his daily bread comes to him readily he still struggles through force of habit, until he is an inde- pendent business man. But there is still a step higher to which his ambition carries him and before we realize it, he is at the head of an organized trust which is quietly taking the earnings of other struggling men to swell coffers already full. This in a measure is the way business men treat the farmer. Existence is dependent on several things, the most important of which are food and cloth- ing. The farmer raises the grain and meat necessary for the nation’s sus- tenance; he raises the flax, wool, and cotton to clothe the nation. Merchants and manufacturers buy the raw materials at their own price, turn them into finished products and fix the price at which they are to be sold to the consumer. Is it a wonder that the farmer longs to break the bonds which hold him ? A deeper study of the relations existing between manufacturer and pro- ducer reveals the fact that the manufacturer cares only for the pro-

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10 men school annual. waste basket. Then, behind those desks, the teachers’ dear faces appear. When we look through the halls we see the figure of our good friend, the janitor. But this is the present, not the future. An even dozen is what we are. Two boys — noble, energetic boys! We are proud of the boys who have clung to this class to the last. One more hour, such a shor t time, then we shall be ex-Seniors. A feeling of sorrow clings to us, although we are happy. We dread the thoughts that we shall never again have the privilege to enter and leave morning and evening as pupils, and we would gladly remain longer. Pope says, “Heaven from all creatures hides the book of Fate, all but the page prescribed our present state.” Crooked roads, broken bridges, and death dealing storms may hinder us, but we are equipped with strong armor. Not iron, not steel, not gold, but that invincible metal — education! Our shields may be plain, but we go forth with a pure heart, ambition and courage. Yesterday we were nearing the bridge which lies between our school enjoy- ments and the earnest struggle of life. To-day we stand on that bridge. To-morrow we shall have crossed and stand bewildered in a great wide world. May we be not slow to discover the mission for which our education has pre- pared us.

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12 HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL. ducer in a business way, that he cares- only in so much as it may affect his own welfare. He cares not what the producer receives for his labor. lie cares not if the farmer is educated or knows how to utilize barren land. lie cares not whether the laborer has any recreation. He Cares not that the laborer is doomed to unending toil. Indeed, he cares little if the farmer has any common advantages, conveniences or comforts. What must be the effect of this treatment on the farmer? Is he not human and does he not dislike to be pushed into a corner as much as the merchant and manufacturer? The farmer feels the weight of this burden and resents the attempt to hold him in subjection. He longs to break from the isolation and drudgery that is forced upon him. He sees the glare and lure of the city beyond the barrier and recognizes a possible realization of his hope in the beckoning promise. And so the longing arises to be a unit of the center of power and wealth, to be where there are chances of advancement. It is a longing which grows and grows until it ends in a rush to the city, regardless of the many pitfalls and snares along the way, heedless of difficulties and the advice of others who have failed. First, we see him starting out toward the city, the place of his dreams, his heart full of hope, ambition, and plans for success. The country is behind him entirely forsaken. Then, we see him in an attic after a struggle that results in failure. He is a forgotten unit of the throng below and around him. His eyes are turned toward his country home and his former happy life. In the last picture we see him returning along the country road with the city and the spent strength of his life behind him, but his heart is filled with hope — a vision of peace and rest in his childhood home. The courses others have taken and the results they have achieved ought to be a lesson for those who have this longing. But the wealth and glory which may be gained, overshadow all difficulties and lead people to travel the paths where others have failed. The few who have succeeded and risen to the highest positions attainable attract more attention than the many who have failed, who have found to their sorrow that all which glitters is not gold. A great lesson may be learned from the gold excitement in 1849. The lure of gold and the hope of getting rich drew men by the thousands from all the stations of life. Farmers, clerks, merchants, mechanics, lawyers, and trades- men left good positions only to perish in the desert or return empty handed. Gold entranced many and satisfied few. The city attracts many with siren voice only to destroy them, or, what is worse, to condemn them to failure, sin, and degradation. Those who have succeeded in the quest for gold, just as those who suc- ceeded in the rush to California, have been those who have not tried to reach their goal by a single bound, but those who have utilized every opportunity,