Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-10-21
"Picked-Up" knowledge.

FROM INC OptCLohOAs
How can everybody know everything?
And we may observe, in fact, everybody
does not know everything. 1t came out,
upon the LaboucheIe-Lawson triab that
Lord Chief,J ustice COleridge had never
heard OF Mr.. Corney Grain. His llvelier
predecessor frequently betrayed some
what surprising ignorance OF things that
@ere, so to speak, in the air. Mr.. Gar
lvle, who was very iond OF referring to
Morison's pills, never succeeded IN spell
ing the name correctly. 1t may be
noted, when distinguished man dies,
that the funeral sermons are, many OF
them, full of blunders-not mere mis-
takes, such as anyone might make, but
downright bad shots, which show that
the preachers did not know how to take
aim. These prove ignorance, but they.
often prove besides that, on account oil
some irreceptivity OF mind, true know
ledge was impossible to the speakers;
they have "crammed" all OF a sudden,
and have shown the texture OF their
faculties in doing so. The judges are,
"a q rule, wonderful fellows, but, in spite
of the peculiar habit OF "Cram" which
belongs to b1rristers, they sometimes
fail in their estimates OF men and things,
for want OF what might be roughly de-
scribed as picked-up knowledge. Not
long ago. Mr.. Gladstone admitted that
he did not know what spruce beer and
mum were. Most OF us know what
spruce beer is, and. journalists have,
perhaps more picked up knowledge than
any other class; but it is to be suspect.
ed that there was much searching OF
heart and turning over OF cyclop1dlas,
before the world was informed, In those
buoyant short leaders of the next day,
what mum was. Spruce is, or was In,
say, the days OF old Weller, supposed
to be wholesome to drink, and good Tor
cuts and coughs, and it was and is sold
in all public. houses: but as to mum,
would Whewel himself have known
what it was?
1t is easy to see that the gilt OF taking
in knowledge as you go long Is very
different thing from that OF examining,
or of study in the higher and better
sense. II goes rather with incoming"
than with stupidity. 1t is different
from the gilt, natural or acquired, which
Houdin, the conjuror, possessed, and
conveyed to his son by process which
he has in a well-known stock quotation
described. And though 1t goes with
incoming" it by no means follows that
all who take life easily should have 1t,
If they own in addition certain amount
of ability. For example, Lord Palmer
ston did not possess this gift. lie would
certainly have known what spruce beer
was, but some of his speech displayed
lust the sort OF inaptitude that never
exists along with the kind OF reCepuvlty
We mean, and his pensioning Poet Close
stamped the ultimate character OF his
mind. II q man has the faculty in
question, ii does not matter how busy
he is, or whether he is great minister
ira mere clerk-whether he dwelIs IN
marble halls or in small lOdgings-some-
how or other he knows things and puts
them together.
We constantly hear that WON en- are
more Quick 10 observe than men. But
more Quick 10 observe what? Discurslve
receptiyity is not specially faculty OF
women; they have fortunately, less OF
il than men. Nor have they, In general,
the scientific receptivity, or faculty oil
observing and combining, which stands
at the pole opposite to theirs. Making
every allowance for the pecullarltles OF
the lives led by most OF them, We ma
that, with all their faculty OF observation
aud their sensitiveness OF temperament,
thew are not remarkable for picking up
miscellaneous facts. Nor are scientific
men, nor administrators, if you take
them off their beat Nay, sdministra-
tors and high officials are often curious,
" ignorant Of matters on their beat, and
Iust for want oil this very gift OF mis-
ceIlaneous receptivits. There is many
a lively journalist, with hall the brain
iorce OF, say, Colonel Henderson or Sir
William Harrourt, who could tell either
of them things on his own line which
he would get on all the better tor know
inv