Lazy Young Men: The Root of Ely’s Indolence

In early 1908, Ely, Minnesota, was abuzz with the idle chatter of young men who seemed more interested in lounging around than living up to their potential. According to Peter Schaefer, publisher of The Ely Miner, these young men were a sorry lot, shirking their duties and doing the bare minimum for their wages. They were more concerned with getting by than getting ahead.

Schaefer pointed out that this lack of industriousness was a far cry from the values espoused by the parable of the faithful servant, who is rewarded with authority over ten cities for being diligent in his work. But instead of striving to be faithful servants, these young men were more focused on emulating the likes of Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Morgans.

However, Schaefer warned that this get-rich-quick mentality was a fool’s errand. These young men were squandering their hard-earned money in the hopes of striking it big someday, rather than putting in the hard work necessary to achieve true success.

As the New York Weekly aptly asked, ‘How many young men nowadays pay any heed to this?’ The answer, unfortunately, seemed to be none. And as a result, Ely’s young men were failing to live up to their full potential.

Schaefer’s words of wisdom should serve as a reminder to the idle young men of Ely that true greatness can only be achieved through hard work and dedication. Anything less is simply not worth the effort.

It remains to be seen whether these young men will take Schaefer’s words to heart and start putting in the effort required to succeed. But one thing is certain: the consequences of their inaction will be felt for a long time to come.