The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-08
Whatever the defect, there is but little
sign at present of the approach Of the
millennium.
HOBBIES.

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HOBBIES.
In his sparkling address to the Chica-
60 Press club, Chauncey NJ. Depew
proved his keen and comprehensive OBJ
servation OF some Of the weaknesses and
foibles OF himself and his fellow men.
1t is, he declared, popularity of every
individual that he wishes to be thought
distinguished for something other than
that upon which he had made his repu-
tation. It requires but little reflection
to substantiate the allegation. There
was Gustave Dore winning laurels for
himself by the exercise Of his brush, an
acknowledged king in the realms Of art,
and yet he seemed to take positive
pleasure in pooh pooling his claims to
distinction in that branch Of art. His
special weakness was desire to be
thought great sculptor, and he was
quite content to waste time, labor and
material on pursuit for which he real
" and truly displayed no special apti-
tude and had enjoyed no special train
ing. But there was no surer passport to
Dores ill-will than to venture to sug-
gest doubt Of his proficiency in the
use of the chisel. The weakness is as
prevalent in literary circles as in those
OF art. Thomas Hood, who worthily
ranks high amongst our humorists, had
a most lofty contempt for the distinc-
ton his humor conferred upon him and
would fain have claimed place amongst
the serious authors Of his time. Poll
ticians do not escape. The late Sunset
Cox is in evidence. On several occasions
he was guilty Of giving the rein to the
delightful humor that was peculiarly his
own, and what followed? He found it
impossible to convince others that this
was mere by-play and not the serious
business of his life. He was ticketed as
funny fellow, and when he announced
his candidature for the Office Of speaker
an Office which he would have filed to
the credit Of himself and the advantage
of the house-men smiled to each other,
it must be one of Cox's little jokes, and
they reserved their votes for some one
possessed, as they imagined, Of more bal
last. It is told that nothing vexed
former senator of Ohio 80 much as an
allusion to the facetious speeches he
had been beguiled into from time
to time. They were excellent of
their kind, but their recollection gave
him no pleasure. Visited towards the
close of his days by group of college
students, he addressed and warned them
on this very topic, concluding with the
words of experienced admonltion: "Play
the solemn ass, gentlemen; play the
solemn ass. The crowd laughs at the
clown, but laughs with the ringmaster."
The reasons for the existence OF the
weakness are probably as various as
men themselves. In some cases it may
be that the vocation which a man has
adopted and by which alone circum-
stances will allow him to make living,
is not the one for which he feels himself
best fitted and so, while he spares the
major portion OF his time to what he
esteems mere drudgery, he devotes
every leisure moment to the pursuit OF
his foible. The hobby can scarcely, ex-
cept in his estimation, become sue
cess, for it has arrayed against it and in
favor of its opponent early training,
much experience, and larger share of
daily attention. In other instances the
hobby may have sprung from wise
appreciation of the dictum that change
of occupation is rest. A certain amount
of success generates an undue amount
of ambition, and the real life work is
sometimes relegated to secondary
position in the estimation. Sometimes
man takes up hobby because it is
not matter Of compulsion with him
, there is certain work he is compelled tc
t do and which regular routine has rem
: dered odious to him; such man throws
a himself with enthusiasm into any EN-
r ployment that is not forced upon him
t and sets higher value on success in THU
r pursuit than in the work of his ever,
g day. The man whose wealth render
0 him independent of personal labor take
Q refuge in hobby to give himself occu
n patton and while away the heavy hours
r Very frequently this persistence in
y hobby is the result Of vanity. A ma
ID has secured wealth, fame and position i
% some path of life, but that is nc
t, enough. He looks around him and dil
10 covers that some one else has bee
10 equally successful in quite another wa,
lie His self esteem is aroused; he is Col
It. WINGED that if his own efforts had bee
a turned in that other direction he cou
,g have secured equal and even great
he success; he resolves to try it, mounts h
IT. hobby and, as we see every day, he rid
It it to the death.
,e- -----
1, The o1st annual exhibition Of the Mo
L. taua Agricultural, Mineral and Mechanic
no Association opens August sd. The spe
ITO department Is so well taken care of, n
Ire only by the association, but through Il
general interest of our breeders of ia
, ia stock and the public generally. that We q
not called upon to say much in its beha
The success of this department is alrea
'Ae assured. We desire, however, to say to O
'au farmers, our horse and cattle men, our n
l~l,c os,s H.