Fifty years ago Aaron Drucker was born in a small Russian village far inland. His parents were so poor that they were often on the verge of starvation, and when Aaron, at the age of ten, started out from home to make his own way in the world there were apparently no objections from his people. The little lad wandered from one place to another, often finding it extremely difficult to supply his few wants. At the end of two years he returned to his home. One of the few exciting experiences which came his way was the sight of a soldier in a smart uniform. To Aaron Drucker, without education and often without the necessary things of life, it seemed that to be a soldier must be a very fine thing. Then one day some man--no doubt some one who had friends in the United States--told him that America was a wonderful place; a land of great opportunities. “Can a common man get on there?” Aaron asked. “Why, a common man can soon become a general in America,” said his informer; “wild Indians are being put down, and young men are needed. No education is required.” From that day the greatest ambition of Aaron Drucker was to get to America; how, he did not know; but get there he must. He was at that time just twelve years of age but he started out to walk to America. He wandered here and there; doing odd jobs, and living on as little as he could. After much hardship he arrived at Odessa. From there he sailed to Constantinople only to be discovered by government officials, deported to Odessa, and then ordered to return home. This would have been enough to discourage most boys, but not Aaron Drucker. Some one told him that he could best reach America by going through Germany and he promptly started to tramp in that direction. After some weeks of exciting and very often discouraging experiences he arrived at Memel in Germany with very little money in his pocket and with hardly the faintest idea of where he was and in what direction America lay. He obtained employment at a hostelry that catered to Russian emigrants. One day he assisted a woman to the steamship office. She needed small coin and giving him a thousand-ruble note asked him to change it for her. He was gone longer than the woman expected and she became excited and called the police, but there was no need of their help, for Aaron Drucker just then appeared. He had become hungry and had stopped to eat. The officials of the steamship company were surprised and pleased at his honesty and offered him a position which he eagerly accepted.