Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-06-19
97liseellauGQna.
ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN

Hints to Business Men on Mental
Culture.
BY NJ. B. ANDERSON, LII. D., PRESIDENT OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER.
1t is clear that the number Of young men
who enter business life, after having re-
eeived liberal education, is constantly in
creasing. 1t is clear also that our best and
ablest merchants desire on the part of their
employees higher rangeof intelligence aad
a greater degree of mental discipline, than
was thought requisite in former years. The
evidence for both Of the above statements is
abundant. But my design is not to make
an argument in favor of giving candidates
education Though l believe it to be de-
sirable), bur to point out some practical
methods by which those who have already
passed the period of elementary training
and are already engaged in business can Sc
cure growth, power and breadth of intellect
There is common and somewhat vague
distinction drawn between a trade and a
liberal profession on the ground that the one
requires little beyond manual skill for sue
cess, while the other requires a disciplined
and wel-furnished intellect Now it is evi
dent that this distinction fails in its applica-
ton to individuals. For there are great
numbers of mechanics, farmers and mer-
chants who bring to their pursuits abroad
and comprehensive mind, and so refer al
their thinking to great universal laws that
they became representatives, Of the philo-
sophical tendency and habit Such men in-
vent new processes in the mechanical arts,
contrive and improve labor saving machines,
strike out new channels of trade, foresee and
evade financial crisis, anticipate the result
Of increased safety, cheapness and rapidity
in the transmission of goods and intelligence,
make successful experiments in stock breed
ing, fruit-raising, drainage and manures.
On the other hand, every careful observer
knows that the learned professions furnish
manifold examples of men who preach,
teach, practise medicine and law on princi-
pies as mechanical as those of the organ
grinder 1t is evident that the relative
dignity Of different pursuits among men is
not to be soughtin the pursuits themselves,
but rather in the amount of intelligence
which is brought to bear upon them. All
growth, progress, improvement in every de-
partment of human activity is due to those
who bring to ordinary processes of labor the
action of clear and thoughtful mind-to
those who think while they work. Here
we have an illustration of what gives dig
nifty to labor. The commonest handicraft
may by the intelligence aud culture of him
who exercises it be elevated to the rank of
a learned profession Every learned pro
fessio. II practieed with blind Difference
to ready furnished rules, precedents, and
decisions, without any apprehension of their
ultimate ground in the nature Of things, be-
comes hiere mechanical trade. From these
general considerations, we see the value of
education founded in general principles for
every calling in life. A man becomes a
better merchant, better mechanic, better
farmer in the proportion that he is educated
mp to comprehension If those general
principles which underlie his department Of