River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-04-10
Value of general Information.


to be held in Ellsworth next week.
Value of General Information
[The following essay was read by Miss Lizzie
Kaye, before the Teachers Association, held il
Maiden Rock last winter 1t is worthy of
careful reading, and its suggestions are especial
ly pertinent tor the younger portion OF our com
mun1tles-Ed.
General Information, or knoWl
edge of what is going on around AS al
the present time, as well as of past
events, will, if carefully studied,
make us more logical. strengthen the
memory, lessen self-conceit, enable us
to be more useful and make us capa-
bic of self-support. What then can
be of greater value to usl
First, let us consider how great
amount of General Information may
be obtained. 1t is not necessary that
the mind should become filed or bur.
dened with mass of knowledge that
will never be of any use to us or bene-
fit to those around us. Rather store
it with that which may be of Judic-
ious use. We might store our minds
with knowledge that might at one
time have been worthy of our most
careful study and closest attention,
but on account of neglect or ill-use
has become as worthless as clogging
dust. While if this dust had been
mingled with moisture it might have
been moulded into some beautiful de-
sign.
We have been told that an ounce of
dust composed of SCOT mixed with
clay and little sand and water, il
allowed to remain in state of per-
feet quiet-"The sand becomes an
opal, the SCOT diamond, the clay a
sapphire and the water snow. Thus
for an ounce of shine we have an opal,
diamond and sapphire all set in a
star of snow.
So it is with knowledge its value
depends on how it is acquired, stored,
and made use of.
Information must be gained by
careful observation, reasoning, and
practical application. Was it not by
this that all our great inventors
achieved such grand objects?
rs 1t not due to this that some are
successful in their various pursuits,
while others fail so utterly because of
this lack of information which might
have been so easily obtained and thus
have made them happy and prosper
ousl
Large fortune may come to us by
chance or inheritance; but the crown
of knowledge awaits the worthy
William Smith, called the father of
English geology, was poor farmer
boy who began his acquisition in
learning by the keen observation of
common things. Then why cannot
we gain this information as William
Smith did, or by the use of the ency-
clopedia which is a collection of the
hard earned knowledge of others?
If we have not this to turn to the
country is flooded with cheaper read
ing that is within the reach of every
one. All that is needed on our part is
little careful study to obtain it. Are
not our papers filed with all the inn
portant questions and leading events
of the day, the conditions and rela-
tions of the different countries and
our own country! Indeed we may
say that some, if not nearly all of our
best reading appears first in orr peri
odicals or magazines and, on that &C
count, is ignored by many. Place the
same in very expensive book and
they would be willing to pay large
sum for the same information which
might have been obtained at much
less expense. OF course we must not
confine ourselves to one paper, for
each editor will present the subject as
it a, pears to him. No party in poll
tics is right except his party, and
nothing is literary unless written by
his favorite authors. | suppose to be
sound in judgment one needs to refer
to the inscription written over the
courthouse in Gouda, ''Hear the 9TH
er side Again we must not think it
necessary to read every item, only
those which are of some Importance
or will be of some benefit to us.
We have all known people who
would sit and read the papers for
hours at time and when asked what
the news was, would say, sob! moth
ing Again if you wish to gain in
formation from what you read you
must not pick up the first paper you
come to, or subscribe for the first one
that is presented to you merely be.
cause it is cheap. You should try and
obtain those which are most likely to
inform you on what you need to
know.
1t would not show good sense for a
person in Wisconsin to take no paper
except the Boston News, or New Yor
Herald. We laugh when we think
how long our alchemists searched for
the philosophers stone, but when we
think how many grand discoveries re.
suited from this, we cannot think
their labors were in vain.
Close observation, well-trained
memory and a good use of SO many
precious moments worse than wasted
in wishing for something to do, OIL
thrown away in gcssipping or foolish
reading, might be so proftably EN-
ployed in acquiring that information
which might act as shield against
helplesSness and dispair or lay solid
Foundation for prosperity. Sometimes
| we meet those who seem to have &C
| cumulated a vast amount of this Gen
eral Information and yet have not The
keenness to apply it where most needed
/ When in Paris the great obelisl
was being lifted to its place the strain
ing ropes seemed ready to give way a
any moment. We are told that 0nl,
one man in the crowd cried ''Wet TIN
ropes" though hundreds knew wha
the effect would be,
knowledge which has been crowded
on the mind and kept there will
closed doors is more hurtful than ben
elicial. Rivers must have an cutie
else the waters become stagnant. s.
with our mind it needs an outlet il
human activities.
1t is Lot so much what we know a
the power to apply where most need
ed, which makes us most useful an