, 1886-12-12
WHAT is THE USE,


WHAl Is HE USEI
A Protest Against Some of the Things
Taught in schools.
What's the use of making n mans talk
so ornamental that You don't know what
he means when he's don't speaking
What's the use of forty pounds of orna
mcnt to n carriage except to make it
heavier to draw
What if the sun is ninety odd millions
OF miles from the earths Who is the
gamer or loser by it, What state would
n mans mind be in were it thought
necessary, in order to be educated, - to
know how far we are from 10000 other
stars Would life be worth living if we
had to keep posted on the distance of
every star as soon as the astronomer had
calculated i'll What do we learn things
for, anyway To have them in case
they're wanted; Would you carry
IA pump in your trunk because you
thought you might want it some time or
other. Or learn all the ropes in n ship If
you never expected to go to seaY If you
are going to New York you study the
route to New York. You don't care,
then, to study the route to Omaha. When
! went to school | learned things | never
had any use for. They put pumps. in my
trunk to pack about all my life. Is any
body the happier for knowing that Column
bus discovered America in 1892 VIII the
knowledge of this get you into society or
a government office or credit for n weeks
board; Is it ornamental Does it polish
you or venecr or make you more respect
able Well, where is the good of it, any
way l would pause for n reply if the
train could wait. / have pondered over
this problem for years.
The fact seems to me to be about rs
valuable us IA pump in my trunk packed
about for fear | may find myself in some
place where they ave no pumps. What
did they educate me forl To think !
could get no water unless ! had n pump,
though the Mississippi flowed past my
door and bushels of tin dippers were lying
along the banks, What profits ii to mt
that Tennessee is pounded on the north
by kentucky Has this fact made my
morals or digestion better or worse'
They told me, when Il child at school,
that | should find out the use of these
things when l grew up. Well, ! grew
up. But | never found out; | think nov
they lied. | don't believe they knew
what they were talking about. spent
three years of my boyhood learning what
states were at the top and what We're AT
the bottom of each other. l think nov
the time was better spent when l played
hockey and fshed in the otter pond.
Why was taught in the ''speller and
definer'' that the meaning of 'illus
trious'' was famous, and when | asked
the meaning of famous l was told il was
to be illustriousS Was this fair? Wa il
any wonder that a good boy should turn
his book into n nest of dogs ears ant
catch flies for n living in school wheI
treated thus? What moral garbage they
used to sweep into our heads in those lit
tie odoriforous red school housesl On,
incentive given lis was that any hoy
might become the president of the United
States. Now the position is hardly re
spectacle and net near as profitable rs
hat of a bank cashier or u New YORK
alderman. The president is only boss Of
the rotary office machine. Were not WI
taught that we should be beggars if We
didn't get our %lessonsf Didn't the boy who
wouldn't get his lessons ald couldn't
turn out the richest man when he grew
upy Didn't he as n rum swil
Ter and end by filling an honored con
CHEESEMAN'S gravef Isn't the smart boy OF
the school, who did get his lessons, ant
went through college and became n pro
~fessor, o starving in a publishing hous,
making more school books on $40 pei
week. Isn't life hard enough and heavy
enough without packing the burden o
such a lot of lies on u poor boys back Il
trot through the weary world with
Prentice milford in San Francisc,
Chronicle.