The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-07-06
Guess Work and Real Work.

a GUESS that will work" says 4. 81
will try it and see" This Will work"
says B, provided that in my reasoning |
have not omitted any element essential as
one Of the premises upon which | build
my reasoning and calculations. | will try
it and see whether | have omitted any es-
sential"
A represents large class, and B
smaller class, OF men, which together
make up the entire group OF humanity.
individuals Of the first class sometimes
blunder upon successful inventions, some
times by lucky hits, make fortunes, some
times entertain correct views. But in all
that they do there IS an element of uncer
tainty, a feeling Of Insecurity that is never
allayed except by final results. II blum
dering along, they eEpend money and
time, VIII IN frequently are more valuable
than what they can hope 10 obtain by any
success they can achieve They wander
off into by-paths, anG finding they are
wrong, gu 3, another is rig hi, and 50 keep
ng "qhGtn, bthehhe lite F9 HmFe gf Gn Its
reaching that which ley sought, but
oftener tain to content themselves with
something they did not contemplate in
the outset of their career.
They are the men WAC expend all their
capital IN erecting factories, without know
ing where the money viii come frofn for
stock and machinery. They are the men
who, when an invention is only half COM
pleted, stake their all upon its success, re
gardless of future contingencies for which
they can fOresee no provision. They are
the men who give credit without good Sc
curity; in short they are the men who
strew the shores of LIES great sea with
wrecks, broken up and helpless; to be
pitied, but never repaired.
1t is pleasure to tlirh from this Sod pic
ture to another and brighter phase Of hui
man character, tC he class, b, the mem
bers OF which never co-nt chickens in the
shell; to the men who never guess but
reason, step by step, to their conclusions,
the men who have invented the machines
and processes that have revOlutionized the
worlds industry, TIE men who have de-
veloped science and art. Wherever they
are found, whether in schools, pulpits,
counting houses, or workshops, they are
doing the real solid brainwork Of the
world.
They live in 10 fools paradise. No
false halOes cluster around the realities of
life to blind them. No superstition is &C
ceptcd by them as substitute for belief
founded upon facts and reason. BY them
every proposition s scrutini2ed with rigor,
and nothing bearing the semblancc of
truth, but false under the surface, is al
lowed to pass unchallenged.
They are men who, knowing truth NAV
exist in human Fife and character, are not
suspicious without reason. but who never
theless are seldom. deceived. Their faith
in truth is not destroyed by their own
falseness. They seek trLth for its own
sake, and search -ur it eagerly and long,
early and late, hut never guess at it. Their
search IS thorough, systematic and organ
lzed. They are sow to assent to anything
laid down as a general principle, but once
asserting, are stead.ast in their adherence.
TOR their belief is founded upon knowl-
edge, not guess work.
The age is at present prolific ofthis class
Of men, and their labors are preparing the
way for the final emancipation Of the race
from giant surerstltiOus, and the strong
chains of ignorance. The generality OF
mankind think the world very far ad-
vanced in civilization. Indeed, a popular
but superficial writer hiss recently asserted
that the world is suffering from over civ
ilization; but he class OF men we have de-
scrlbed, guessing ut nothing, see that only
the twilight has daWned upon the civilizs-
ton of the ages to come Knowing that
bLCiA DIS Shall iISNtA DCutlNt tL-L uEltIldIl
epoch in the history of mankind, hey still
labor for the generations TO come, blessing
the present g nerauOn as well.
Well will 1t be when all men are no
longer content with guessing, but strive to
klow, not in the sense of passive accept
ance of creeds ard formulle, framed or
thought out by others, but thought out by
each individual For when all men really
thi k for themselves and act upon their
conclusions, there will be an end to the
poverty, drunkenness, crime, and most of
the diseases which row curse the human
race.-Scientifc Ame-:ccs