Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-11-26
From the American chronological journal.
Pleasant EN- plOymen:.

To YOUNG MEN.-Anothcr bountiful harvest
has been gathered up, and the season for moral
and intellectual culture approaches. All our
schools and institutions of learning will soon
open, to quicken and develop the MIND. This
is well. But, says one, 81 am poor mechanic
and must work for the support of myself and
dependent friends. How am to cultivate my
mind?"
By reading, attending lectures, and by con-
versing with those better informed than your
self. Books are cheap. By economy, few
dollars may be saved yearly, and paid out for
such works as will feed the mind and keep it
in growing condition. When too tired to read
let a sister young brother read aloud for an
hour. In this way you may acquire a know
ledge of all the great subjects now engaging the
attention Of the learned and scientific men of
the world. Many of our greatest, most brilliant
and successful men are self educated. In fact,
we have come to regard this Home Education
far better than the most fashionable college edu
cation. 1t is estimated, that out of every hun
dred college graduates in this country ,torty.fre
die prematurely, or retire to private life with
out being able to make any public use of their
professions. The reasons are obvious. While
keeping the youthful brain on strstShuG
nanun tini3v is pennisssA
e1e,tsSe, to decline and become so debiitatsd,
that when the diploma has been obtained, the
student is a used up man." the hopes of am
bilious parents forever blasted and the
doomed invalid drags out short life of pain
and anguish
Not so with those who nork their way up in
the world. The brain is relieved while the
body is active and growing, and the body is
resting while the brain is expanding. Thus,
the nhole man of the porkcr is well developed.
In most Colleges, the habit of smoking or
chewing tobacco is exceedingly prevalent, and
most destructive it is to these young men. Di-
gestion becomes impaired, the appetite is lost,
medicines are swallowed, no mother or sister
at hand to watch over him, and he sinks away
before the mornings sun opened or liumined
his youthful mind. Then can all wise Proyi-
dence" Is charged with his early death, while
these causes are overlooked. The same indul-
gence in the use of tobacco by the laboring man,
though Arrays pernicious, is less injurious than
to the student, whose habits are sedentary and
who breathes only vitiated confined air
In view of these truths, is it not better to
obtain small library of choice books at
small expense, and read and study them at
home?
With library at home, every member of the
family may be benefited, while the student in
College is alone benefited or injured. Look at
Elihu Burritt, the learned Blacksmith, master
OF more languages than any college educated
man In America. He read and studied books
home The same is true of thousands of others
who now fill the most important places in life
Then buy books-work and study-study
and woodwork at your trade, on the farm, on
lake,river or sea. Work and study-study and
work. and your body and brain will become
developed and enlarged, and your mind cult
waited and expanded. Now is the time to
begin