The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-04
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
Eowadays Education stands at tho Head
OF All Reuuieesl (3ifts.'

SowAdays Education Stands at tho Head
OF All Required Gifts.
In oldcn times education was not val.
ucd ~ 1t is now. II was realized that
an educated man was in some sense su.
pcrior to oignorant people. but he WAS re-
gardcd as cffcminatc for wasting his
time in poring over mnsty parchmcnts
and missals, and otherwise looked upon
pretty much az people nowadays re-
gard man trying to discover perpetual
motion.
Nowadays. says Golden Days, cduca-
ton has been Xalted to itsprorcr place,
at the head OF all acquired gifts.
An uncdncutcd adult is an object Of
pity, and frequently of contempt, and
the very first step u boy makes toward
future greatness j.; TO acquire an cduca-
tion.
IIc must ',c q stupid boy. indeed. who
docs not value an education and realize
that he can not become great without 1t.
II is true that there arc rich mon who
arc illitcratc, but these arc accidents of
fortune. They may have had money
left to them, may have discovered .
minc, or may have boarded u1 money
like a miscr. hut these arc exceptions
tho rule is that education il the only
ladder to fame.
Iiut then arises tho qucstion-what
constitutes an education? The Wabash
railway has issued Il positive order that
no boy shall bc employed in any OF its
shops or other departments, for tho
purpose OF learning any tra.le "r skilled
work, unless hc brings certificate
inc te,, ,NN. ,tn t1.cH1 1,<Nh hos
completed his studies up to- tho second
class OF tho grammar school. This would
include knowledge Of arithmetic up
to mcnsuration. reading, writing.
spelling, elementary geography and
grammar, Some history, ctyuology and
natural history, and may he taken az
a fair standard OF y coNiElonsch hoUl c,lu-
cation.
II boy has tho means and can afford
the time, ho should not stop here. llc
should 90 through the hi. school and
college. and f;.!sr special courses in en-
Einccring uining or electrical
chemistry. physics. or anS one or ,norc
OF the numerous useful branches now
open to bright. energetic boys Eut ii
hc must stop at q commnn-,chool c,luca
tion. or even il liz f.ocs through college,
he n,ust not stop learning if he wishes
TO become great.
Trxt-boulss; do not contain all tho in
formation with which boys should ac-
quaint themselves. They ART. but the
foun.la.ion stones of Knowledge. 4 boy
should s:udy current events, thu. history
of iEc world which isalwa,ys happening.
Hero is where books, magazines anl
newspapers, have their greatest value.
lie must read books of travel il nc
would know about the geography Of tho
world; as, for instance. s>tanlcy's de-
scription of Africa i'll the light Of rc-
cont discovery.
.il1.ast every day the bright hos may
read Vt some now discovery in science.
history, botany or chemistry, and add To
his education by just that much. Tho
: knowlrdrr thus ;.cnrirrd is always a.
source of pleasure anl frequently of
profit. .in,! il is y popularity OF learn
ing that the more yon study the easier
it is to study.
i the man VINO has learned two lam
guases can more easily learn third:
: o;c study acts as prop to another. and
so IL is iii every branch. The civil chs
ginrcr could easily master electrical IN.
ginccriMg, and the boy who reads his
! tory unlcrstantlingly imbibcs geography
with scarcely an effort.
In the case above quoted the railway
company has found that i,oys who have
completed tho English branches Of
study learn skilled work more easily
than those who have not.
rIsls, r.,nccy 10 ClsiOln,1
| work requires the exercise Of the reason
I'M. powers; the worker must UNDER
stand the why and wherefore OF his
work: le is not q more machine set go-
ing. \ boy with an education will
think while he works; he will study
and ccntrivc the very best way of doin,
any thing: hi, brain has been drilled to
reason and i, does reason.
Such n boy is twice as valuable to his
employer rs an unthinling, ignorant
boy. however obcdicnt and willing he
may be-. and tho employer is bound To
appreciate his services ut their proper
worth. Such q boy is bound to rise out
ot tthc everyday rut; he will master his
trade in half the tino an ignorant lad
j would consume.
These arc prizes worth striving for,
and they arc within the reach of any
boy of ordinary ability who will study
with diligence after he leaves school.
IL he doesn't bother with learning
any thing now." as some boys arc fond
of loastins. tho chances are that he
will stand all his life at tho foot of tho
ladder; il no wishes to climb he must
study, and before hc has grown out of
young manhood he will bc glad to admit
that knowledge is power