The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-05-19

generous Kentucklans.
Hon. Robert O'Neill, an old pioneer,
died at Mendoza last Wednesday at the
age Of rs. He was of Irish parentage
and came from Canada to Minnesota in
1850. Shortly after the treaty with the
Sioux Indians he pre- empted the tract
of land which has remained his home
to the time Of his death.
CHATS WITH YOUNG MEN.
Last week.. my friends, presented to you
some solid chunks Of information which you
may have not dig ested yet. and this week
shall give you only q few suggestions for fear
may overload your literary dread basket
and bring on a case Of mental dyspepsia
TX
You may tell me that you don't care about
reading and thatyou have not time anyhow.
lfthat be SO lam sorry for you. You must
cultivate 81 taste for reading and use all the
fragments of time at your disposal. Get an in
teresting biography Of some great man, say
Ben Franklins for instance. You can buy it
for dime, and the readiug will stimulate you
to get biography of some other great 1nan-
4 soldier, traveller or navigator as the case may
be. You have plenty of time once your inter-
est is awakened
~
Hugh Miller used to lie down before The fire
and study while his com pstiions where Willing
away their time in Idle jest and stories. Aliilers
name is remembered while his companions are
forgotten as they ought to be. Cobbett learned
to write with chalk on q bellows while he was
soldering in Canada and he afterward became
a great and vigorous writer, being the author
of Cobbett's Reformation which you Can pro-
cure in the Crusaders Library. He wrote first
class text books on grammar both in English
aud French and theyhave never been eXcelled
ry later productions. Some inen carry manu-
ais or wade nlecums'' and read whenever they
get a chance. Why can't sou do the same?
*
and as have spoken OF grammar in con1ec~
ton with Cobbett would urge eyory one OF
you to acquire practical acquaintance with
the art OF speaking aud writing CORE city. 1t
crates harshly on cultivated eArs to hear gram
iuatical plumbers from men Who are otherwise
read untlerstaaldingly without q knowledge OF
grammar for you are ignorant OF the prope r
construction Of sentences. You would be as
!soished at the mistakes committed every day
in grannar by men WHO imagine themselves
nfa,iible in speech and composition. The best
writer's occasionally err III this respect, but you
ought to be able to know whether you have
spoken or written correctly, aud this you cam
not know unless you study grammar. Go TO
work then AND learn it as we'll as YOU chn.
and take my word for it you will soon know
cnougn of it to paddle your own canoe through
the miracles OF English literature.
*
OF course, you ought to be able to spell ordi:
nary everyday words Don't bother yourself
with the spelling Of big words that you may
never use in writing. and don't learn oral spels
ing for it amounts to nothing except at spell
lug matches. The best way to learn spelling is
from @ book, magazine OR newspaper. Copy
off a few paragraphs every day and then com:
pare with the printed page. Learn spelling
from dictation or from copying. A misspelled
word STAMPS YOU as being imperfectly edu'
Gated You are not at I'LL expected to Write {
GOOD hand, but you sre expected to spell cor
raatly every word yon write in correspon
deece.
~
on penmanship will say few words ant
then ] aul through for this week. Learn to
write good hand. II you ever apply for :
clerical position good hand will be much IL
your favor You certainly stand g far better
chance of securing tn g position it you write a
good business hand. Better it is that you
write long hand we'll than to spend your time
ON shorthand which is all the rage With young
men nowadays.
*+t*
Asregards shorthand. it is fine accomplish
mnnt to know it practically, but very few eve
master it thoroughly for they lack the patience
and perseverance necessary to acquire the art
Don't begin to study il unless you're resolved
in spite of all obstacles to know it we'll. ASH
Yourself. what will it prof: me to know it
what use can make IF it? lttakes years anc
continued practice to become an expert 10
shorthand, and there are many who can neve1
become proficient in the art. II your educator
is poor and you write miserable scraWl IL
long hand would advise you to let shorthand
alone Don't believe the professors who tel
YOU it can be learned in few months. Yhe
principles can, and that's about all. Keep your
$50 they ask for three months course. ant
reflect seriously before you begin studying il
| There is hrrdly one professor out of twenty
who is competent to take verbatim repor
Of 8 speech or q sermon, though he may
be teaching for years and turning out hun
dreds of graduates. They talk Of writing 20-
/ words minute; when not one in hundred
of professional stenographers ever attain tina
| speed. It's not necessary, however, as the
average rate Of speaking Is only 120 words pc
minute Cont wish to discourage any youn:
man from, studying short hand. II is a tascinat
/ ing study aud 4 very useful one in every wa;
but don't believe every thing the professors
| tell you about it. Be sure you learn some
good system of photography if you take VI
| the study at all. It is possible that you cal
/ with hard work Obtain sufficient mastery o
| the art in six months to enable you to act
an amanuensis, but it takes almost as man man.
years to become an pert sphonog rapher fo
IIleporting 81; a at meetings