Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-07-22
Garfield on MARGINS.

Life is almost wholly made up of
margins. The bulk itself of almost
anything is not what tells. That exists
anyway. That is expected. That is
not what gives the profit or makes the
distinguishing difference. The gro
Ger cares little for the great bulk of
the price of his tea. 1t is the few cents
between the cost and selling price,
which he calls the margin, that particu-
larly interests him. Is this to be great
or small? is the thing of importance.
Millions of dollars change hands in our
great marts of trade just on the ques-
ton of margins. The same thing is all
important in the subject of thought.
One mind is not greater than another,
perhaps in the great bulk of its contents;
but its margin is greater, that's all. /
may knowj ust as much as you do about
general details of subject, but you
can 60 just little futher than l can.
You have greater margin than 1.
You can tell me of some sin gle thought
just beyond where l have gone. So
must succumb to your superiority.
A good way to carry out the idea,
and better illustrate it, is by globes.
Did you ever see two globes whose
only difference was that one had
half an inch larger diameter than the
other? This larger one, although there
is so little difference, will entirely en-
close the other, and have quarter OF
an inch in every direction to spare
besides. Let these globes be minds,
with living principle of some kind at
their centers, which throws out its
little tentacle-like arms in every direc-
ton as radii to explore for knowledge.
The one goes certain distance and
stops. It has come to stand-still.
1t can reach no farther. 1t has
reached it's maximum of knowledge in
that direction. The other sends its
arms out, and can reach just a quarter
of an inch farther. So far as the first
mind is able to tell, the other has gone
infinitely farther than it can reach. II
goes out to its fartherest limit, and
must stop; the other tells him things he
did not know before. Many minds
you may consider wonderful in their
capacity. They may be able to 60 only
quater of an inch beyond you. What
an incentive this soould be for any
young man to work to make his margin
as great as, if not greater than, the
margin of his fellows!
recall a good Illustration of this
when I was in college. A certain
young man was leading the class in Lat
in. couldn't see how he got the star
of US all so. TO us he seemed to hav
an infinite knowledge. He knew mo {
than we did. Finally, one day, asked
him when he learned his Latin lesson
"At night he replied. l learned mine
! at the same time. His window was no
far from mine, and could see hin
from my own. had finished my lessor
the next night as well as usual, and
feeling sleepy, was about to 60 to bed
l happened to saunter to my window
and there I saw my class mate still
bending diligently over his book
''There's where he gets his margin OF
me-" I thought. "But he shall no
have it for once,'' resolved. viii
study just little longer than he doe
tonight. So took down my book
again, and opening to the lesson, wen
to work with renewed vigor.
watched for the light to 60 out in m,
classmates room. In fifteen minute
it was all dark. ''There is his margin,
thought. 1t was fifteen minutes NOR
time. TWAS hunting out fifteen min
utes more of rules and root derivatives
How often, when Il lesson is we'll pre-
pared, just five minutes spent in per
fecting it will make one of the best i
the class. The margin in such cas-
as that is very small, but it is all-im
porant. The world is made up of lit
tie things. Gen. Garfield.