The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1878-06-30

knowicige. aud the responsibility of
the world upon the rising generation.
The leading spirits Who yesterday stap-
ed the destinies of nations. TO morrow
Will be forgotten and their work be de-
Nolyed upon the school boys of to-day.
But the real significance of this silent
revolution. springs from the important
fact that while We inherit the duties
and responsibilities Of fathers they can
not bequeath 10 Us their skill aud wis
dom. All the art and culture of past
ages must either be cOmpasscd by the
a%spirants for future honors, or mus. per-
ish with those who are putting off their
NANTES and be lost; forever.
1t is for these reasons that to every
individual, to every organization and to
every community, the subject Of mental
culture is of paramount importance. 1t
is for these reasons that We have COM.
mon school, aud uniyersiti $. the birth
places of genius, the conservatories OF
literature and art and science. 1t is for
these reasons thut Masonry has embed.
led in her Touching the elements of nat.
ural mathematical and intellectual
science and enrolled herself among the
promoters Of public cducatiop and self
improvement.
In her capacity as Instructor, Mas
oury has formed tho ~loftiest cuncep.
;iSn and graspcd the essential princi.
pie OF all true culture AID mental dis,
cipline. Her Office has been to propa.
gate a love OF knowledge for its own
sake rather than to impaTt the details
OF any art or science. By n highly
wrought and beautiful system of sym
bolis:n she has exposed some of the
sparkling jewels which lie buried with
i'll the temple of science; she has furu-
ishcd the key which uuioeks the hid
den mysteries of nature, and pointed
out the steep and tor;uous path by
which the earnest toiler may reach the
highest pinnacle OF fame and honor.
In This love Of wisIom, this desire 10
draw the boundary between the known
and unknown lies tie secrs- OF every
social, moral o: po!i.islI rs.o-al,iou
since time bsgiz- Without !: noas Of
the grand schemes G5- human eulight,
eminent were svsr conceived; withou,
it the barbaTisa OF prehistoric age.
would have beea prepetuateI and the
boosted civilization of this nineteenth
century would have been a hopeless,
impossibility, as it is now q bright re
atty.
This thirst for knowledge was tn.
Inspiration of Newton in his invcstign
tim Of the law Of gravitution of Galile,
as he travelled through space IA cx
plored the heavens; Of Harvey in hi
discovery Of the circulation Of blood
OF Franklin as he subjected the force o
electricity to human will; and Of .
countless throng OF natures nob!emc,
whose works are the monuments whicl
have rendered their names immortal.
Thus in mental culture We have dis
covered the vital principle upon wh:ol
depends the progress and perfection o
human society; il is an admirable pro
vision Of nature that the means and op
p%ortunitics for its attainment are furn
ished ready ut our baud. II is II mis-
taken idea that tho culture of tn,
schools is the only culture and that til,
volumes OF the savaut are the only re
positorics of knowledge. The worl,
of nature is u school from which III,
oldest and the wisest will never graGu
ate, and natures works fora u boo.
whose preface VIC shull never who'll,
comprehend. The artist at his ease
and the blacksmith at his forge; TIA
merchant in his cOunting.rcom or til
weaT or at his loom; the author in hi
library or the tyPe.settcr at his case
the chemist in his laboratory or til
miner underneath the ground; thcs
and all Of us are amply endowed will
materials for the mechanism of ideas
WnrdswOrth's conception of this though
fouad expression in ihcso beautiful
lines:
"wlslom Il onimos ucaror when we f,oop,
Than when We SOAR
TO me the mcanosi flower that blooms can 81,
Thoughts that do ofiimcs lie TOO Gcfp f.
tears"
1t is to mo incomprehensible that nj
intelligent being, who for n longe
or shorter period, has hchcid the star
oil heaven moving On and on through
infinite space, IN silent andharmoniou
accord; who has teheld tho dmknoss O
night fade away into broad daylight
who has listened TO tie tidal rulse. ben
OF n great ocean or TO the d~cafenin,
roar OF a mighty cataract; whose ey,
has boon glGddcned in the Spring tim,
ty the ftcsh green OF budding leaves o
the bright.hues Of the opening flowers
whose soul has been enr0p;ured by tn,
glorious spectacle Of an Autumn land
scape: from the range Of whose vision
Is never removed the morning and even
ing Of human life; I say IL is iincompre
honsiblc to me that such q being en-
dowod by the Supreme Architect Of ia,
Universe with tho power Of discriminat.
ing between the pcrfoc. and tho impor.
feet, between the mental elevation nnd
moral degradation, should not yiold a.