The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-30
DICKENS ON sELF-TAUGHT MEN.


Cheshire held its annual conference and public meet
ing in Manchester, on Friday, Dec. 3.
Mr.. Charles Dickens, on distributing the prizes to
the successful competitors, delivered address, in
the course of which he said But the student OF
the pleasant and profitable history of this Society
does find with interest and pleasure that the Parent
Society at certain stated periods invites the more
eager and enterprising members of the local socie
ties to submit themselves to voluntary examination
in various branches of useful knowledge, of which
examination it takes the charge and arranges the
details, and invites the successful candidates to
come to Manchester, and receive the prizes and Ger
tifcates of merit which it impartially awards The
most successful OF the competitors in the last these
examinations are now among us; and those little
marks of recognition and encOuragemen ent, shall
have the pleasure of giving them presently. 1have
looked over few of the examination papers. They
comprise history, geography, grammar. arithmetic
bookkeeping decimal coinage, mensuration, math-
ematics, social economy, the French language-ln
fact, they comprise all the keys that open all the
locks of knowledge. And yet it is always to be OBJ
served, and seriously remembered, that these ex-
aminations are undergone by people whose lives
have been passed in continual fight for bread, and
whose whole existence has been constant wrestle
with those twin goaers of the daring heart-low
birth and iron fortune Applause l could not
but consider with extraordinary admiration that
these questions have been replied to, not by men
like myself the business of whose life is with writing
and with books, but by men the business of whose
life is with tools and machinery.
Let me endeavor to recall well as my MEM
ory will serve me, from among the most interesting
cases of prize-hoders and certiieate-gainers who
will appear before you, some two three of the
most conspicuous examples There two poor |
brothers from near Chorley, who work from morn
ing to night in a coapt, and who in all weathers,
have walked eight miles night, three nights
week. to attend the class in which thev have at /
tained distinction. There are other two poor boys
from BoingtOn, who began life as piercers at Is.
Is. Cd. per week, and the father of one of whom
cut to pieces by the machinery at which he |
worked, but not before he had himself founded the
institution in which this has since come to be /
taught. These two poor boys will appear before
you tonight to take the second class prize ia |
chemistry. There is plasterer from Bury, six
teen years of age, who took third-cass certificate
last year at the hands of Lord Brougham he is this
year again successful in competition three times
severe. There is wagon maker from the same
place, who knew little absolutely nothing until
he a grown man, and who has learned all he f
knows, which is great deal, in the local institu-
tion. There is chain-maker, in very humble
circumstances, and working hard all day, who
walks six miles night three nights week,
to attend the classes in which he has won
famous place. There is a moulder in an
iron foundry, who, whilst he was working twelve
hours 4 day before the furnace, got up at four
O'Clock in the morning to learn drawing. "The
thought of my lads" he writes, in his modest ac-
count of himself sin their peaceful slumbers above
me, gave me fresh courage, and | used to think
that If should never receive anv personal benefit,
L might instruct them when they came to be of AMI
age to understand the mighty machines and en-
gines which have made our country, England, pre-
at mule frames, who could not read at IS, who ia
now man little more than 30 who is the sole
support of an aged mother, who is arithmetical
teacher in the institution in which he himself was
taught, who writes of himself that he made the
resolution never to take up a subject without keep
ing to it, and who has kept to it with such as
tonishing will that he is now well versed in Euclid
and algebra, and is the best French scholar in
Stockport. The drawing classes in that same
Stockport taught by working blacksmith and
the pupils of that working blacksmith will receive
the highest honors of tonight Well may it bd
said of that good blacksmith, as it written o
another of his trade by an American poet:
''TOling, rejoicing, sorrowing
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning task begun,
Each evening sees its close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned nights repose."
Ladies and gentlemen-tO pass from the successful
candidates to the delegates from local societies nov
before me, and to content myself with instance
from among them. There is among their numbe
most remarkable man, whose history have read
with feelings that could not adequately expires
under any circumstances, and least of all when
know he hears me; who worked when he
mere baby at hand-oOm weaving until he dropped
! from fatigue-who began to teach himself as sool
as he could earn IS. a week-whO is now botanist
acquainted with every production of the Lanca
shire valley-whO is naturalist and has made ant
preserved a collection of the eggs of British birds
and stuffed the birds-who l. now concholist, wit
very curious, and, in some respects, an Origina
collection of fresh-water shells, and has also pre-
served and collected the moses of fresh water an'
of the sea-who is worthily the president of hi
own local literary institution, and who was at hi
| work this time last night as foreman in mill. S
stimulating has been the influence of these brigh
examples and many more, that notice among tn
| applications from Blackburn for preliminary ties
| examination papers one from applicant VIII
gravely fills up the printed form by describing hin
self as 10 years of age and who, with equal grav
ty, describes his occupation ''nursng a litt
chill-" Reverting 80 tbe whole cole
tive audience before me, of the advantages
knowledge have said and shall say, nothing.
the certainty with which the man who grasps
under difficulties rises in his respect and
usefulness to the community, have said and sha
say nothing.