The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-25
What is The Use of II. Any wa,.

In the April number of Harper's Magsz ne
Charles Dudley Warner writes as follows:
Now two OF the vulgar notions of this lat
itu6e ere that we need "bracing up" and
that snow is useful product consequently
that the more severe weather we have and
the more snow, the better Off we are. And
people go on believing this 10 their deaths
every year. AS TO snow, there's a sentimsn
tai notion of its beauty as we'll ss of its
utility. And good deal can De said Tor it
from an artistic point OF view. But We are
not placed in this stern world merely 70 in
dulge our sensuOusness. We are put here to
make the most OF orr powers in view of
hereafter; and long life is duty. besides be-
ing in the Old Testament view, a reward OF
virtue Ii is probably necessary to have
snow ct the poles Ia order 20 keep the poles
cool and insure proper circu-
lation aud change OF air around the
globe, just as Ii is necessary to keep the equa-
tor 30 hot that it is IS uDpleasant TO sit on il
as on a Kitchen stove. Snow, indeed, might
do little harm IN land where the sun never
shcDe. But in this region, where the suu
does shine, where half the winter days are
clear, the only effect of the presence of snow
is 10 I'LL the atmosphere with chilling moist
nre, lung fever, pneumonia and that sort CT
thing The pleasenter the weather, the more
sunshine We have; with snow on the ground,
the worse is our condition. And yet il is in
vain 10 argue this with people. They are
welded to traditional ideas and full OF pre-.
judices. aud it seems impossible to convince
them that snow in this region is harmful. It
does no coed to demonstrate to them that
but for snow we should have royal winter
elm ate. On q small scale we see occasion.
ally what il might be. There we're such days
in January last. The snow had disappeared.
the sun shone with the light but not the heat
like an electric lamp of May, and the air
was pure, exhilarstiDg, but not damp and
grave like. 1t would have been perfect but
for the chill that came down from the vast
snow-felds of Canada. where cold and snow
are worshipped snd feted all winter. And
yet, after such experience, people, con WINGED,
go back to snow. The ignorance of this
scientific age is discourselng. The other
vulgar notion is that hand to hand struggle
with extreme cold for N Onths does psrsoB
goOd-braces him up.
It must be admitted that up to a certain
point any struggle or trial is invigorating to
The moral and intelligent nature. Bat we
see what too much INDULGENCE in this leads
to. The EsQuimaux is but little raised above
the polar bear and the seal. His whole ex-
istence is Just an effort to keep alive, TO get
blubber and skins enough to generate and
keep In his body vital heat. He can think
of nothing else; he has room tor no other
mental effort. We see the same thing in the
diaries and accounts OF the polar exploration
fanatics. 1t would be the most painful read
ing in the world If il were not go monoton-
Gus. Each one tells exactly the same story
the story OF his physical story to keep alive
with the Thermometer fifty degrees below
zero. Soon the mind has no other occupation
than this struggle. IL almost ceases to work
in any other direction. This is interesting
to us at first as a study OF the capacity of the
human organism to resist the unrestrained
attacks of nature. The experience of a per-
son who should in this latitude, in winter,
! retire to an ice house, with Ratchet and q
supply of frozen hash, q whale oil lamp. aud
q fur oVercoat and body-bsg, aud sit on the
ice in the darkness. and record has feelings,
the gradual Covering of the vital powers, the
concentration of the mind upon the numb
ness of his legs, would doubtless have a
physiological interest. But the second ex-
perimenter would not interest bis readers so
much as the first with his narrative.