Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-06-19
A Great Undertaking.

TUESDAY EVENING. JUNE 10, 1885,
A Great Undertaking.
Major Ditmars left a great work to
DIR. Compton when he confided to him
the task of discovering to children their |
aptitudes in life and starting
them on their rejoicing way therein. |
Major Ditmars was greatly impressed by
the fact that there is 50 defective an
in life of round pegs to round
holes. There can hardly be a question
that every man has a special fitness for
one occupation more than for another
vet it certainly very often happens that
he does not find it out and adapt himself
to it. There are plenty of doctors who
are not naturally fitted for their work :;
and plenty of lawyers who are not adapt
ed to theirs and clergymen, school
masters, merchants, mechanics, artists,
editors, who make very poor work at
their business. In truth the large ma
jority of men are not efficient IN the
duties they assume. The only question
is as to whether they are any better
qualified by nature for other occupations
Many may not be, but many certainly
are. We can certainly say that a large
number of stout, able bodied profession
al gentlemen would better WELD the
pick and shovel than the DETER imple
ments of their more elevated calling
And the class of common labOrers would
be improved by transferring the physi'
cally weak to lighter manual toll. If
Mr.. Ditmars' idea could be carried out
and each citizen be assigned to the
vocation he is best lifted for, it would
seem that a great good would be done to
the state.
But the Lord does not seem to intend
that there should be such a fitness of
things, and we greatly fear that neither
Mr.. Ditmars' fortune nor DR.. Comp
toms zeal will suffice to create the very
desirable revolution proposed. It is
to be noticed that children GO not often
know what occupation they are best
fitted for their parents do not know,
neither do their teachers. The child's
inclination is poor guide to its talent,
and generally there is even no inclination.
There are parents and teachers of sagac-
ity sufficient to detect a child's particular
capabilities, when it has any, but they
are not numerous. If DR.. Compton can
find teachers of such diScernment, and
can then get hold of the children who
will submit themselves to the course OF
sprouts necessary for their development
he may make some headway in his en-
terprise if the heirs let him get the
money for the experiment.
We suggest to the doctor that he had
better start out by selecting one partic
ular occupation to adOrn with its
most proper professors and there is no
better business to select for the improve
ment of its practitioners than the doc
tors own. We submit to him that there
is fearful number of doctors who were
never designed by nature to be in the
profession, on the theory that
Providence has given us physicians
to cure instead of killing us.
The practice of medicine not only i'm
peratively demands a natural aptitude
for it, but that aptitude is one which is
particularly easy of ascertainment by
observation it is, therefore, business
which invites the very first application
of the experiment to which Mr.. Ditma!s
has devoted his fortune. We know that
the genial disposition of DIR. Compton
will he delighted at the opportunity
which is offered it of Illuminating the
medical profession ard Of serving his
fellOwmen. Let Mr.. Dtulars' gift be
the foundation of a medical scales in our
city, wherein may be weighed and tested
the medical aptitude of would be doctors.
If the weighmasters chosen to make the
delicate test are sagacious enough to do
it we'll the experiment will be a success.
The fame of the institution will bring it
plenty of business and from this small
acorn a great tree may grow. Certainly
there could be no greater work attempt,
ed than to put men where they can do
the most good !; and the benefaction of
Mr.. Ditmars has our best wishes for its
success.
c,l E,,y6