The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-12-05
CHE Urlbulle.
NTSs'LE.

few words under the above heading may
prove interesting Certain it is too little
has been said by the newspaper press in
regard to the necessity of a thorough
physical organization, which a man must
have If he wishes to succeed, either in
professional life, as mechanic, or as a
farmer. 1t is rapidly being found out,
however, that the American people,
trusting too much to their inventive
genius for means of doing their labor, are
becoming effeminate and positively sick
ly.- People ,9ho live in cities must have
the street car PASS their very doors, and
the downtown clerk or book-kecper with
a salary of a thousand per annum calcu-
lates among his expenses at least $50 for
rides on the same, preferring lazy fellow
that he is-to pay six cents rather than
walk half mile. No wonder he ''must
see the doctor about his liver" every two
! or three months, no wonder his hair turns
gray and that he turns into his final rest
ing place ten years ahead of time.
Examine the life of the infant Young
America. At the tender age of four
years he is hurried off to school s'to get
him out of the way Ee quickly learns
to read, for he must do something, and
then he is crowded into mathematics,
ancient history, and other studies which
tax his young brains to their utmost ca
pacity, but nothing is done in the mean
time to cultivate the sinews of his arm.
Ifhe feels desire creep over hln 70 have
a romp in the woods and fields he is in
stantly reminded that he has not learned
his grammar lesson-as though it was
more important for the boy to have his
nouns and verbs agree than to have a
system which could resist the insidious
hand Of disease Not long since re-
porter visited school room and here is
part of his account of the visit: ''In a
third room | saw the most advanced
scholars, boys from twelve to fifteen.
Here [ found melancholy sight. A
tall, slender boy, with sunken temples
and prominent blue eyes, who was called
up several times to explain to his class
difficult problems in square and cube
root. He did it with the air of a,profes-
sor. and did it well : but I could only see
the short nervous breathing and the
quick dilation Of the pupils of his eyes.
The teacher explained to me with pride
that this boy had broken down in conse-
quence Of too hard study, had been out
Of school one year, and was now merely
going over old ground which was easy to
him. Another boy was pointed out to
me who had not for FIVE years had sin
gle discredit, and for year had stood at
the head of ali his classes He was thir-
teen years old. | have seen children Of
nine who were physically far better de-
veloped than he. His large dark eyes
We're sad, intense, anything but child
like, aud heavy circles under them told
the story Of the overwrousht nervous
system. At every question which was
asked, his excited desire to answer was
painful to see. Both of these boys will
probably die of consumption before they
are twenty, and their parents will weep
over the mysterious dispensations of
Providence
Now these are not isolated cases. We
are as natitn ic: c:~rio-',:rS. Too much
attention, by far, is given 10 money ma
kin and too little to the cultivation of
NJ SOLE. In fact every thing but healthy
exercise seems to engross the attention
which is wrong; all wrong We would
not say one word against education far
from 1t. 1t is the best thing in the world
to start young man with, after you gre
him o good sound constitution! We
would not deprecete the accumulation of
wealth. When a man has health and
education riches enable him to enjoy him
self and confer great benefits on his fell
low men, but this idea that health should
be the last thin, thought Of, in fact actu-
ally sacrificed willingly too-for the
attainment of that which the possessor
may never live to enjoy, is the most
egregious folly of which the American
people have ever been guilty.
What can be done to bring abou5
change? 4 great deal; the rising ycne--
ton should not be made te study them
selves to death they should be allowed
to ran and romp to their heart content;
they should be taught gymnastics as soon
as \ B G, and the work which they arc
set to 40 should be deprived of its wcari-
ness as far as possible by mingling it with
play they should be taught to swim in
summer and skate In winter they should
be taught to endure heat or cold with pa
tience and fortitude From infancy far
more care should be taken to infuse
health into the system than gold into the
pocket aye. or knowledge into the brain.
Let this be the case aud soon we will see
a people which will not only excel in mus
cular attainments but will excel in mind
and heart, for good health is the surest
road maa ever travelled if not to wealth
at least to purity and happiness.
Seriously, we ask what has Weston
achieved that justifies all the fuss made
over him Has he exhibited anv more