The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-05-16
WHAT GEOMETRY DID FOR A BOY

WHAT GEOMETRY DID FOR A BOY
Now, boys, let us have a little talk about
geometry. You know it has been famous
study for boys for many ages Euclid was an
old Egyptian, who lived about three hundred
years before Christ His treatise on geome-
try has been the foundation for all modern
works upon the subject. Plato, who lived
century earlier, founded a noted academy at
Athens, and it is related that over its entrance
he placed this celebrated inscription Let no
one ignorant Of geometry enter here.
This branch has been considered an import
ant part of good education for two thousand
years. Yet hear many boys in these days
saying, 81 don't like geometry. l wonder
what good it will do me-"
once heard very interesting story about
Abraham Lincoln which may help 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 was in Norwich, CT Agentleman who
heard him, and was struck by his remarkable
logical power, rode the next day in the cars
with Mr.. Lincoln to New Haven. During the
ride the following conversation took place;
g Mr. Lincoln, was delighted with your
lecture last evening"
"Oh, thank you, but that was not much of
lecture, can do better than that"
We'll, we'll, you are good reasoner, aren't
you? That is, cute"
"But that reminds me-" continued the
gentleman, /" to ask how you acquired your
wonderful logical power. l have heard that
you are entirely self-educated, and it is sell
dom that find self-educated man who has
a good system of logic in his reasoning. How
did you acquire such an acute power of anal
ysis?"
"Well, Mr.. G., I'll tell you. 1t was my ter
rible Encouragement which did that for me-"
Your discouragement-what do you
mean ?"
"You see," said Mr. Lincoln, that when
I was about eighteen years of age went into
an Office to study law. Well, after a little
while I saw that a lawyers business was
largely to prove things. And I said to my
self, Lincoln, when is thing proved? That
was poser. 1 could not answer the question.
What constitutes proof2 Not evidence, that
was not the point. There may be evidence
enough, but wherein consists the proof?
g You remember the old story of the Ger
man, who was tried for some crime, and they
brought half dozen respectable men who
swore that they saw the prisoner commit the
crime. Veil, he replies, vat of dat? Six
men schwears dot dey saw me do it. Iprings
more nor two tozen goot men who schwears
dey did not see me do it,
$50, wherein is the proof? 1 groaned
over the question, and finally said to myself,
All, Lincoln you can't tell. Then thought,
What use is it for me to be in law Office,
if I can't tell when thing is proved?' So
gave it up, and left the Office and went back
home, over in Kentucky"
$50 you gave up the law"
"Oh, Mr.. g., don't jump at your conclu-
sions. That isn't logical. But, really, did
give up the law, and I thought should never
go back to it, This was in the fall of the
year. Soon after I returned to the old log
cabin fell in with copy of Euclid. I had
not the slightest notion what Euclid was, and
I thought would find out. found out, but
it was no easy job Hooked into the book and
found it was all about lines, angles, surfaces
and solids. But I could not understand it at
all. therefore began, very deliberately, at
the beginning. l learned the definitions and
axiom. I demonstrated the first proposition.
I said, that is simple enough. I went on to
the next and the next. And before spring /
had gone through that old Euclid's geometry,
and could demonstrate eyery proposition like
book
az knew it all from beginning to end.
You could not stick me on the hardest of
them. Then, in the spring, when | had got
through with it said to myself one day, All,
do you know now when thing is proved?'
And I answered right out loud, Yes, sir,
do Then you may go back to the law shop
And went"
"Thank you, Mr.. Lincoln for that story
You have answered my question. see now