But it is the scaling of these heights, or the tunneling through them,
or the blasting of them out of their way and out of existence, which
makes these strong men strong. It is the overcoming of these obstacles
day after day and year after year, as long as life lasts, which gives
these mighty ones much of their power.
What is it you so admire in men whom you think fortunate--what is it
but their mastery of adversity after adversity? What is that which you
call success but victory over untoward events? Do not, then, let your
resolution be softened by the hard luck that keeps you out of college.
If that bends you, you are not a Damascus blade of tempered steel; you
are a sword of lead, heavy, dull, and yielding.
Next to Collis P. Huntington, the railroad man of the last generation,
whose ability rose to genius, was President Scott of the Pennsylvania
System. He thought, with Mr. Huntington, that a college training was
unnecessary; and his own life demonstrated that the very ultimate of
achieving, the very crest of effort and reward may be reached by men
who know neither Greek nor Latin, nor Science as taught in schools,
nor mental philosophy as set down in books.
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