"Earlisms"

Horatio “Good Roads” Earle was known for clever sayings that he called “Earlisms.” The following Earlisms appeared in his autobiography:

"A man who is born poor and has to do his own climbing is the one who is the least likely to slide down in failure, and be compelled to climb slowly up to a firm and appreciated place."

"If history of peoples is worth having, then individual history is; and what better character builder could there be than to have before one the written record of his impulses and actions and the results made or marred by them. And then, by gum, if you have built carefully you can say, 'I am the man I am,' without a plea that, 'the man I am, I ought not to be.'"

"Strange, indeed, it is that the people gladly pay the prices asked for the perfect horses, engines, wagons and automobiles; but reluctantly purchase the other, absolutely necessary part of the transporting machine, the good and durable road. Napoleon was asked which should be sent to him, shoes or meat? He answered, “Send me meat; my soldiers walk on their stomachs.” The bullet is harmless, without the powder behind it; and the soldier, no matter how well armed, is helpless unless provisioned."

"All my life I have had to fight for everything—with one exception—I have attained: health, education, business training, and success. The one exception is happiness. I have been happy continuously, and I did not fight for it."

"Well, I have enjoyed success and defeat, and am of the opinion that I won more for my own personal good in the defeats than I would have done had I been successful; for there is real pleasure in being elected to the “Also Ran Organization,” for it is much larger than the other class, and possibly of a higher type."

"I would as soon expect to run a cattle ranch successfully, without a bull; as a manufacturing business without an experimental department."

"Better be defeated candidate than an elected scoundrel."

"Better be tired and well-fed than rested and hungry. "

"The beautiful pond lily grows up from the bottom. So can you. "

"Hang up your goal beyond your reach; it will stretch your ability. "

"Lightening is more effective than thunder; so do more and talk less. "

"One anvil outlasts hundreds of hammers. If you are anvil-like, a little hammering will not hurt you. "

"Don’t be like a meteor, flying high and with no purpose. "