For the South African War he paid the expenses of raising a regiment
to fight for the King--and a fine regiment it was, too--of mounted
men, which was called after him "Strathcona's Horse."
Also the Boy Scouts owe him a debt of gratitude, because in the early
days of the movement, when we were struggling to get along, he gave
500 Pounds to me to help to start our brotherhood.
So Boy Scouts owe much to Lord Strathcona for that, and for setting a
real living example of how a man should _stick to it_ in doing
his duty, and in being kind and helpful to others.
From these stories of poor boys who have made successes of their lives
and become rich men I do not want you to think that I look upon money
as the aim of your life. You should only wish to gain sufficient money
to put you in a position where you can live happily into old age if
necessary, and bring up a family without calling on other people to
support you.
And I would tell you just one more story of a poor man who yet made a
fortune other than that which money produced.
This man was John Pounds, and he kept a little cobbler's shop in
Portsmouth, where he worked hard and well, so that people began to
bring their boots to him for repair in preference to any other
cobbler, because they knew that he did honest work and they got a
better return for their money.
Soon he began to gather in much more cash than was necessary for his
modest wants. But he did not buy a big house and set himself up in
comfort. He did a better thing than that.
When he was at his work, idle boys used to come and hang around his
shop watching him busily employed, and while he stitched and cobbled
he chatted with the boys and took an interest in them.
Boys are good fellows, and when they found somebody thought about
them, although they were dirty, ragged urchins, they took an interest
in him, until gradually they came at their own desire to hear him
talk, and began to imitate him in doing steady work. Then he made use
of his savings in a way that was better than feeding himself on good
things, for he fed these boys who badly wanted a good meal.
As time went on, he started a sort of club or school for his ragged
friends, and in the end had a sort of Scout troop of boys who learnt
handicrafts under him and became strong with their good feeding,
became good workmen under his instruction, and saved up money under
his example.
Thus he was able to send out into the world a number of good, strong,
prosperous workmen who would otherwise have drifted into being
wasters.
And from his little effort in Portsmouth sprang up similar ragged
schools and boys' clubs in different parts of the Kingdom.
So he did as much by his thrift as many have done by saving their
millions.
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