The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-07-01

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE,
CLOSE OF THE COLLEGE YEAR
ADDRESS BY REV. A, d. MAYO,
OF SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
From the Ohio State Journal, June 2ad.l

The buildings OF the ONO Agricultural
College being nearly three miles from
the Capitol, drenching rain storm abou
two o'clock yesterday afternoon made a
rather discouraging outlook for the clos
ing exercises of the year, so far as public
attendance was concerned but there wal
suspension of the deluge, and at three
o'clock there was very fine audience in
the lecture room of the College The
Cadet band welcomed the visitors will
good music, and those who arrived in
advance of the time for the address
found pleasant entertainment in music
and a rowing inspection of the building
and'grounds.
At three o'clock the exercises were
opened with prayer by Rev, L. Taft, after
Which President Orton introduced Rev
A. D. Mayo, of Springfield, Massachu'
SETS who proceeded to deliver an adj
dress on the adaptation of the study oi
English literature to the necessities o.
the farmer and mechanic, Mr. Mayo
expressed his happiness at the knowl
edge of the association of literature with
agriculture and mechanics, on account Of
his lack of practical knowledge OF farm
ing,and mechanical matter. He pleas
antly alluded to his limited experience
in the Lay field when small boy, and
saidhis only attempt as mechanic had
been the manufacture of hasty pudding
stick, which had been hung up in the
pantry as terror to all young inventors
Mr.. Mayo said there was something OF
more importance to Ohio than agriCul-
ture and mechanics, viz, the men and
women engaged in them. He drew a
picture pertinent to New England life
wears ago-of the literary societies of the
6reside of the farm home and workshop,
when the means of education had not
reached their present breadth. He held
that out of these family readings and
talks, no less than through churches and
schools, came a culture which was Of
great importance to the American people.
Out of them came the people who settled
the west-and statesmen, and soldiers,
and the grand women of these times,
Mr.. Mayo gave a broad definition to
literature, and declared that through iJs
open door science went forth to be the
heritage of mankind. He discOur ;ed
elegantly on the value of good reading,
and elected an enthusiastic demonstra-
ton from the audience when he declared
that the clever school girl, reading in the
backwoods, might gain more valuable
knowledge Of art than many women who
were yawning under the dome Of St.
Peters at Rome. He advised men and
woman MOTTO be labashed by the solemn
pretenses Of a clique of professionals.
The great world of men must carry on
theworld of affairs the world could not
pause while Tyndalla ashivered' on the
brink of the unknown. Literature should
be the hope of the men and women who
learn to do the work of the present age.
He would not depreciate the highest
point of learning, but eloquently extend
ed encouragement to all in telling how
every one could now obtain access to all
that was most valuable, in his own
tongue.
Mr. Mayo argued that the aim ofschools
should be to produce graduates capable
of self cultivation, and saw no reason
why children in the common schools
should be confined to the platitudes Of
the reading books English literature he
regarded as the summit study. He de-
clared that few educated men read on as
high level as they should, and that
multitudes read books which were the
offspring of people. weaker than them
selves. The world of journalism inclu-
ding periodical literature, was nursery
of literature, \ The golden rule was to
know where to stop. Edward Everett
never did a better thing than to write a
year for Bridget's paper the New York
Ledger. Probably many who were thus
confronted by real merit never wandered
back to the sloughs of Sylvanus Cobb. jr
and kindredlwriters. The crown of our
American journalism, in the speakers
estimation, was the weekly paper, which
contained the distilled essence. OF the six
dailies. e'''' ''''"
In speaking of public libraries, Mr.
Mayo said snine-tenths Of the demand
would be for novels and sensational
books s1of travel; but he advised the
managers Of such Libraries not to be dis
couraged, but to keep good books mingled
with the others on their shelves they
would gradually work themselves into
the hands Of the readers I .tl
This report does not give even an alb
stract of Mr.. Mayo's, address, which was
eloquent, sensible, and to the point. 1t
was vigorous and convincing, and the
audience which was not one Of the kind
which enthuses on small provocation,
several times burst into applause that
had that peculiar indescribable ring
which denotes the sincere appreciation
of body of intellectual listc Hers. 1t was
an excellent address, and was especially
valuable to the students of the Agricul-
tural College. qqif sae,qs-r,,
The address was not without that Gle.
ment which nay produce laughter. 1t
seemed a little strange that a lecture
which was SO full Of sound advice, and
which emblazoned so many solid truths
in truly eloquent language, should con-
tain about a paragraph that would SUBJ
tract about fifty per cent Of its value in
the estimating of a. Sciota valley farmer.
The speaker alluded to a newly married
couple Of his acquaintance who went to
the Far West and who, after desperate
struggle with the loneliness Of their new
situations found .panacea for all their
ills in the mingling Of profitable reading
with the r pioneer labor. He then elo
quently drew a picture of the husband
on theBeat. of moving machine, with
hia .a.ala h.l h;n a; 4. - IL. ~ - - lIlaL