Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-21

he kept the brass scales for Weighing gold,
and the money scoop. II am afraid of any
measure of this kind for this reason, he
said, 'sI should dread the effect of the deceit
which would, 1 fear, become q common
practice" This story had deep impression
on me. When Maine was the only prohi-
bition State a gentleman, wanting cork
screw on board a railway train In Massa-
chusetts, stepped out in the aisle and in
quired in loud voice, "Is there anybody
on board from the State of Maine?" feeling
sure that he could get pocket corkscrew,
provided any of his fellow passengers hailed
from the prohibition State. DR.. Collyer
does not question the desirability but the
feasibility of prohibition. Bacon assumes
that SIT is not the lie that passeth through
the mind, but the lie that sinketh In and
settleth in it that doth hurt" and it is un-
truth of this sort which DR.. Collyer seems
to fear, particularly in great centers of COM
merce and trade, where vast numbers of peo-
pie of all nationalties congregate.
In speaking of the strong stand be-
ing taken against the use Of tobacco, as well
as intoxicants, DR.. Collyer grew jolly, and
with q droll mirthfulness of expression, he
said: 81 don't believe have much to say
on that subject. You see man don't speak
of his vices until he is about to make finish
of them, or wants to make capital of them,
and in my case don't want to do either,
The truth is, most of us have some little
pet vices. am often reminded OF the old
Scotch professor who, while he himself took
snuff, had strictly forbidden the boys to
smoke. Coming in one day, the lecture
room was so dense with smoke that he could
not see the boys, although there was. not a
cigar in sight This was too much for him,
and he delivered a sharp and threatening
lecture on the Viciousness of the habit of
smoking, which was we'll emphasized by
frequent, long-drawn pinches of snuff"
VALUE OF EARLY TRAINING.
To deplore the lack of so-called early ad-
vantages when they have not been enjoyed,
and to conclude that if person has distin-
guished himself, not having received schol-
astic training, he would have risen to much
greater eminence had he been so trained, is
common conclusion, However, whether or
not this conclusion is correct is q question
which the apostles of the "new education"
which includes industrial training, would
be likely to answer in the negative. In
speaking of this to DR.. Collyer, asked him
if he did not think that his splendidly sus-
tained strength, both Mental and physical,
which, under the weight of his 63 years,
shows no sign of abatement, was not due to
the fact that his vitality had not been i'm
school life? He said that he had thought
he was better satisfied that his life had been
what it was in its earlier as well as later
days.
In this connection he told me of preach
ing in Detroit very soon after he lett the
forge when he was "full of force and burli-
ness to his very finger tips" He said: "I
laid it down to them with great deal of
force, and when I had done, one of my
hearers, who had lost both health and
vitality in striving for college honors, came
up to me and said, Out upon college any
way; if you had been through college you
could never have moved us all as you did. ;
There must be some plan evolved" con-
tinued DIR. Collier, "by which the mind can
be stored without loss either of force or
vigor. think we are working up to that
industrial, with very little educational.
They are reviving that now, but they will
get it just right after time. When was
a factory boy always managed to read a
bit, although when the great bell rang in
the morning I used to be so tired that l felt
as if I would like to throttle it once for all.
When was across, short while ago, / was
at dinner with the managers of that same
factory, and was telling them how used
to hate that bell. They told me they were
going to take it down, and I begged that
when it was broken up they would send me
piece. To my surprise they sent me the
whole bell, and I sent it up to Cornell Uni
versity; where it now is"
HIS CoRDIALITY.
'sThe proof Of the pudding is in the eat
ing" and, as I looked at DIR. Collyer, so
sturdy, strong and vigorous, showing no
trace of the passage of years, save in his
whitened hair, which is silvery at the tenn
pies and slightly tawny at the crown and
very abundant, that the training which pro-
duoed such manhood was worthy the consid-
Grafton of educators.
As arose to go inquired of DR.. Coll
yer if he was to preach the following Sun
day in the Church of the Messiah, as had
expected to hear him the previous Sunday
but had been disappointed. EYES," he re-
piled, II shall surely preach, unless it hap
pens with me as it did with DR.. Gay, of
Hingman. He, you know, was looking over
his sermon on Sunday morning when he
was seized with a sudden illness and in an
hour he was dead. There is always last
time. But, come, guess you will hear the
old man preach, and then come to dinner
with us. 1t is always favor if our friends
come to dinner with US on Sunday" Then,
with merry laugh, "You see we always
have more than we can eat, and hate cold
meat on Monday; SO come" and taking a
cigar from his pocket he prepared to light
it, saying, "You would 60 now, anyway,
wouldn't your"
Plain, practical, even homely, with g
habit of fronting the fact squarely and with
scant favor for finely wrought theories, DR.
| Collyer is yet not utilitarian, but, as have
the prophets, seers and philosophers
throughout the ages, he listens to "tht
voices" which the material ear hears not
and touches with the creative power o.
poetic inspiration all that he undertakes
Eloquence, which is the handmade of music
and of poetry, is the servant and the, power
of this man who moves great audiences BY
the force of his utterances. However, wher
he does write poetry, which he declares ht
does only under the prod Of earnest request
it is so full of music and meaning that it ii
almost matter of regret that true poe
has been lost in great preacher, ever
though he be so strong, yet tender, that ever
his Socratic satire is ever less than wit be
cause it never passes the approach to NAL
ice, and whose deep sYmpathies quicker
into visibility and action the sympathie
of all who come within the sound of hi
! voice.
A. VAN HoEsEN-W
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