Mower County transcript., 1871-07-13
Guess Work and Real Work,

II GUESS that will work." says 4. 81
will try it and see" "This will work.
says i" provided that in my reasoning
have not omitted any element essential rs
one of the premises upon which 1 build
my reasoning and calculations. l will try
it and see whether I have omitted any cs-
sential."
A represents large class, and B a
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 unccr
tainty, a feeling of insecurity that is never
alayed except by final results In blum,
dering along, they expcnd money and
time, which frequently are more valuable
han what they can hope to obtain by any
success they can achieve. They WAn,i. T.
Oft int" by-palhs, and finding they are
wrong, guess another is right, e.!d St" keep
ON guessing through life, sometimes guess
ing right, sometimes wrong, sometimes
reaching that which they sought, but
Oftcncr tain to content themselves with
something they did not contcm plate in
the outset of their career.
They arc the men who cxpcnd all their
capital in erecting factories, without know
ing where the money will come from for
stock and machinery. They are the men
who, when an invention is only half COM
plctcd, stake their all upon its success, re.
gardlcss Of future contingencies for which
they can fOrcsce no provision. They arc
tho men who give credit without good Sc
cnrity; i'll short they arc the men who
Sf frf.1U t1,lAS = ~ :A1
wrecks, broken up and helpless; to be
piiitd, but never repaired
1t is a pleasure to turn from this sad pic
ture to another and brighter phase of hui
man character, to the class, b, the mem
bcrs OF which never count 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 revolutioniZcd the
worlds industry, the men who have dc
vclOped 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 no fools paradise. No
false haloes cluster around the realities of
lifc to blind them. No superstition is ac-
ceptcd by them as a substitute for belief
founded upon facts and reason. BY them
every proposition is scrutinized with rigor,
and nothing bearing the semblance of
truth, but false under the surface, is al
lowed to pass unctall"ngcd.
They arc men who, Knowing truth may
exist in human lite AMI character, are not
suspicious without reason, but who newer
thcl' rs arc seldom deceived. Their faith
in truth is no. destroyed by their own
hlscncss. They seek truth Er its own
sake, AMI search for it eagerly and long,
early and late, but never guess at it, Their
search is thorough, systematic aud organ.
lied. They arc slow to assent to anything
laid down as Il general principle, but once
asserting, are stra'!t;'st in their adherence,
for their belief is founded upon knnwl-
edge, not guess work.
The age is at present prolific of this class
of men, and their lahOrs are preparing the
way for the final Emancipation of the race
from giant superstitiois, and the strong
chains Of ignorance. The generality OF
mankind think the world very far adj
vancrd in civilization. Indeed, popular
hut superficial writer has recently asserted
that the world is suffering from over CIV
iiZntion; but 'he class of men we have de-
scri',cd, guessing at nothing, see hat nriy
the twilight has dnwncd upon the civiliz"-
,i"n # tl,e ages to come. knowing that
their evrs Sla'! never hrhold that brilliant
sDoch In the history Of mankind, hey still