The Cauldron No. 6
Sixth in the series titled “The Cauldron” – the circa 1930’s and 1940’s musings of Nelson Douglass Jr. aka Granville Douglass. Enjoy his views and insights of yesteryear, laced with humor, honesty, and sincerity.
Nelson Douglass Jr. was my paternal Grandfather. A man I never met on the physical plane but know intimately through the wealth of writing, notes and stories he left. I am working on a book about a small segment of his life, which you can read about on my website dedicated to this work.
The Cauldron No. 6 by Granville Douglass
He drew a circle that shut me out –
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout,
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in. –
Edwin Markham
A Thought for Today –
Life is motion, action and energy. When we do not advance, we fall back. If we stop, we are beaten and ultimately outdistanced. If we are silent, we are soon forgotten. We cannot stand still.
Debt –
The worst foe of mankind. Grinding us down, it fills our time with haunting fear and makes of our work a futile struggle. Most always we go into debt on impulse or to relieve a pressing problem, only to find that the pressure of repayment is far greater, and that in addition to principal and interest, we repay with our freedom.
Reflections of a Bachelor –
When a girl brags to you about being open and above board with men, look out for some other fellow.
Selective Service –
The first registration for selective service in the American army during the last war was on June 5, 1917. Out of the men registered in the first, second and third calls, approximately 3,200,000 were examined and about 700,000 were rejected by reason of physical disabilities. The records indicate that the men from the middle western states made the best showing. The mental tests given those examined brought out some rather disturbing information. The average “mental age” was that of about fourteen years. Of the twenty-four million odd men registered about 700,000 could neither read nor write…….. It will be interesting, when the final figures of the present draft are compiled, to see how much educational progress has been made in America in the past twenty-four years.
China –
In following America’s position in this World war, it will be well for us to concentrate our attention on developments in the Orient. There is some high powered statesmanship going on in our relationship with both China and Japan. There is a lot at stake. My guess is that when the world has once again settled down into peaceful living, great opportunities for American capital and enterprise will exist in China. It is a land of vast opportunity and strange customs. Those who understand China and its ways should do well…….. Speaking of China, did you know that the average life of a ricksha man is about ten years, once he has taken up that work? And did you know that, with few exceptions, a Chinese has no interest in saving the life of another? If he does, custom decrees that he must care for the one he has saved for the rest of his life. And the one saved rather expects it!
Things I Don’t Like About People –
The habit some folks have of reading your newspaper over your shoulder. The studied habit of others who never seem to have cigarettes of their own. The persistence of the present day interventionists, who are too old for the draft, have no relatives who are, know nothing of the penalties of war and have nothing whatever to lose themselves.
Miscellaneous –
The world would be better off today, if the game of chess were more popular than poker or bridge…….. It was in 1789 that the doctrine of the “Rights of Man” received its first sanction by law in Europe. In that year the National Assembly of France proclaimed, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. The aim of political association is the conservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. The rights are – liberty, property, safety and the resistance of tyranny.” And look what happened to France 150 years later…….. I still think window shopping at the pawn shops on Main Street is one of the most interesting pastimes. If you have any imagination, you can get an awful kick out of the hundreds of things you see there. What a story each item could tell. There is more life represented in pawn shop windows than you’ll see anywhere else.