St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-04-12
GEOMETRY.

UEONL R1s
Now, boys. let us have a little talk
about geometry. You know it has been
a famous study for boys for many ages.
Euclid was an old Egyptian, who lived
about three hundred years before Christ.
His treatise on geometry has been the
foundation for all modern works upon
the subject. Plato. who live1 century
earlier, founded noted academy a.
Athens, and it is related that over its
entrance he placed this celebrated in
scriution: Let no one Ignorant OF ge-
ometry enter here" This branch has
been considered an important part of
good education for two thousand years.
Yet 1 hear many boys in these days
saving: - don't like geometry. l
wonder what good it will do me- l
once heard a very interesting story
about Abraham Lincoln which may
nelp YOU to understand the "good.
Before Mr.. Lincoln was candidate for
President he made tour through New
England and lectured in many cities
and towns. Among other places he
spoke in Norwich. Conn. A gentleman
who heard him and was struck with his
remarkable logical power rode the next
day in the cars with Mr.. Lincoln to
New Haven. During the ride the fol-
| lowing conversation took place:
Mr.. Lincoln, was delighted with
your lecture last evening""
..Oh, thank you, but that was not
much of lecture; can do better than
that
Il have no doubt of it, Mr.. Lincoln;
| for whoever can do so we'll, must inev-
itably be able to do better"
We'll. you are a good reasoner, aren't
you? That is cute"
but that reminds me-" continued
the gentleman, ..to ask how you ac-
auired Your wonderful logical power.
have heard that YOU are entirely self
educated, and it is seldom that find a
self-educated man who has a good sys-
TEN of logic in his reasoning. How did
YOU acquire such an acute power ol
analysis?'
..Well, Mr.. G., will tell you. Itwas
my terrible Encouragement which did
that for ne."
"Your Encouragement - what dc
you mean?"
..You see," said Mr.. Lincoln, "tha
when I was about eighteen years of age
l went into an Office to study law
Well, after little while / s::w that :
LAWYERS business was largely to prove
things. And l said to myself: Lin
coin, when is thing proved2 Tha
was a poser. / could not answer th'
question. What constitutes proof
Not evidence, that was not the point
There may be evidence enough. bu
where consists the proof? You remem
ber the old story of the German whit
wasKtried for some crime, and the.
brought half a dozen respectable mel
who swore that they saw the prlsone
commit the crime. 'Well,' he replies
.yot of dat? Six men schwears dot de,
saw me do it; I brings more nor tw,
tozen goot men who schwears dey di'
not see me do it So. wherein is tn
proof? I groaned over the question
and finally said to myself: .Ah. Lincoln
YOU cant tell Then thought: 'Wha
use is it for me to be in law-office II
can't tell when thing is proved? 5
gave it up and left the office. an
went back home, over in Kentucky"
$50 you gave up the law?"
"Oh, Mr.. g., don't jump at your col
clus;ons; that isn't logical. But. really.
i. did give up the law, and ! thought
should never go back to it. This was
the fall of the year. Soon after n
l turned to the old log g-cabin fell in wit
3 a COPY of Euclid. l had not the Sigh
: est notion what Euclid was. and
: thought would find out. l found on
but it was no easy job. l looked int
the book and found it was all abol
4 lines. angles. surfaces and solids; but
could not understand it all. therefor
, began, very deliberately. at the begi
I ming. / learned the definitions ar
; axioms. demonstrated the first pro
4 osition; said, that is simple enough.
( went on to the next, and the next; al
before spring / had gone through tn
}, old Euclid's geometry, and could der
onstrate every proposition like boo
Iknew it all from beginning to end. II
:. could not stick me on the hardest
= them. Then, in the spring, when l hi
got through with it, l said to myse
one day: .Ah. do YOU know now whit
i q thing is proved?' And answer
q !, right out loud: Yes. sir, 1 do The
you may go back to the law-shop;' al
Thank you. Mr.. Lincoln, for tn
4 story. You have answered my questio
# l sec now where you found your logic
|: acumen; you dug it out of that geor
b etry."
y :Yes. I did, often by the light
d pitch-pine knots. But l got it. Nothil
r but geometry will teach yon the pow
" of abstract reasoning. Only that W
q tell you when thing is proved. !"
n Said Mr.. e.: II think this is
8 markable incident How few m
3 would have thought to ask themselv
the question: When was q thiI
a proved? What constitutes proof? Al
r how few young men of eighteen wou
"a have been able to master the whole
If Euclid in single winter, without teac
d er. And still fewer. after they had do
II go much, would have realized and {
" knowledged what geometry had do
"a for them; that it had told them wi
It proof was"
m So, my young friends, you may I
- by this incident what geometry will
for a C1nqregdtsono!iss.