New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-01
HOW TO SUCCEED IN LIFE.
A CLASSICAL EDUCATION NOT IN THE LEAST
NECESSARY.
ANDREW CARSEGIE's ADVICE TO YOUNG MIN
AND WOMEN AND HIS VIEW OF THE
PRESENT STYLE OF COLLEGE
EDUCATION

Some time ago / promised 70 The Tribune, for
the benefit of its readers. further comments upon
the problem of how young men and young women
may succeed in life. In fulhlment of that promise
shall here set forth some views upon preparation
for the work of life more particularly upon the
disadvantages of a classical educationl, and some
rules which may aid the young readers of The
Tribune to make great and worthy success of
their lives
Not long ago | visited neighboring city
Of Philadelphia TO witness noble ship of war
launched amid the plaudts of thousands a mag
nificent spectacle, marTed only by the one sad
thought that our age is still so barbarous that
are compelled to create engines of destruction
Would that this day should cease and that
brighter day come when the bosom of the sea
shall be ploughed only by the messengers of
commerce and of peace. and a ship of be
monster unknown.
little later il was my privilege to attend the
launch OF the DreXel Institute of Art Science and
Industry. The great aud good man who founded
that institution has wise head, filled with the
ripest experience OF life. lie the importance
of teaching the young what is useful Of and for
to-day. There is no trace of the mouldy past
in all the of instruction provided by this
wise and good benefactor.
THE GOSPEL OF WEALTH
to the man who does not wait to bequeath
wealth which he can longer hold. There is
no grace in the legacy which the hand of death
grasps from the who has boarded his millions
of surplus wealth. / reoice TO hail Mr.. DreNel
as a true disciple Of the gospel of wealth. which
proclams that he who dies possessed of millions
Of available wealth. which was free to him to adj
minister in his lifetime dies dsgraced. Surplus
wealth is a trust which every man is bound TO
administer for the good of the people from which
that wealth came We have in Mr.. Wharton
brilliant example of duty done in this respect
lie founded the Wharton School Mr.. DreXel
has become millionaire giver in his day
His surplus is not for self but for others With
regard TO such millionaires, the cry will be-
Would we had more of them" The question OF
The Rich and the Poor" is almost solved when
the rich act as trustees of the poor III the dis
tribution of their wealth.
THE LAUNCH OF YOUNG LIVES.
The same evening at a business college in Phil
adelpha i witnessed another launch-the launch
oryoung men and women upon the sea of life
Those young people are among those who will
be the future presidents and future wives of
presidents-if not all presidents of the United
States. one or more of them may yet be, yet
presidents of something worthy, Of railways of
banks and OF telegraph, insurance. commercial and
manufacturing companies and | trust later in
life, much higher yet, perchance presidents Of
hospitals, parks, libraries, art museums musical
societies. educational boards, and other similar
organizations which have for their object not
pecuniary gain. but the happiness and elevation
Of their fellows
The ship which / saw launched was equipped
with all the improvements of our age. About
il there was nothing ancient. In form, as in
detail. she was the product of the latest science
and invention, the wonderful result of the methods
and capabilities of to-day. Her builders had one
end in vew-the producti,:: of the most efficient
instrument for the purpose intended. The aim
upon which all their knowledge and energies were
concentrated was to make her " fit for her work.
Tie question which occurs to me in connection
with my subject is Are the human vessels
we launch upon the sea of life every year.
pecially from schools and colleges, properly
equipped with the latest arms Of precision. and
all which to-day's knowledge and needs require
Have their builders in the past years seen TO il
that in their building up, there has been kept
steadily in view that which would best fit them
for their work, that work fortunately being to earn
their bread by the sweat of their brow? Are
they fit 10 sail fe'S voyage well? Have all their
powers time and attention been concentrated in
learning thoroughly the few essential things to
enable them to do their appointed work?
TINE WASTED IN LDUCATIoN
No man can learn all knowledge, even the
names of the various branches of knowledge, 50
wide, 80 varied and full has the OF
human knowledge become. Are our young people
being taught to navigate the ship of to-day or
has any man been allowed TO waste their time
trying TO teach them knowledge, relatively unim-
portant, in languages which dead? In the
storms of life are they to be strengthened and
sustained, and held to their post and 10 the per-
Torrance Of duty by drawing upon Hebrew or
Greek barbarians as models, upon the examples
Of our own modern heroes lis Washington or
Aureus. Lincoln Caesar. to be model Is
Shakespeare Homer to be the reservoir from
which they draw? In lfe's voyage they 10
be condemned to find in foreign aXoms the
strength and vigor which comes only from their
own tongue? What support can be gained from
Greek or Latin quotations fcarfuy msprJ-
nounced. comparable 10 some, for instance, we
have in our own tongue: Don't give up the
Ship" Fight it out this line if it takes
all summer. or II any touches the hag, shoot
linn the spot" Death before disAonOr,
or Let do die.
"And this above all,
To thine own self be true,
And II must follow, the night the day,
Thou ean'St not then be false to any man.
No young man can derive inspiration from two
sources the ancient and the modern, because no
young man has the time to learn both thoroughly.
There are few men who know literature
so we'll that they can feed full upon it. You
never the classical scholar WHO knew
thoroughly Shakespeare and Milton Franklin ana
Emerson, and who drew his mental food from
all the precious sources of strength and inspira-
ton contained in his own native tongue. 10 the
extent that he knows foreign tongues and foreign
lteratures, to that extent his own tongue and