Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-24
ANY BOY MAY LEARN.
ONE WAY OF BECOMING A VALUABLE
NEWSPAPER WRITER.

Let me point out a way in which the
lad on a farm or in country village, who
Goes not see his way clear to a college
education, can get another kind of edu-
cation that will serve him about as well,
and in some things better, when he be-
gins to do newspaper work.
Remember that education has gener-
ally two purposes-to train the mind and
to store it with knowledge My plan for
the country boy does both. Here it is:
Think of yourself as standing on one
side of an imaginary line, and the great
world, with all its men and women aud
governments and institutions, on the
other. Cross the line and find out in
what way and through what things you
come in contact with the world. Then
study those WAYS and those things until
you know all about them or until you
know as much rs you can find ont about
them This is what sociologist would
call determining the relation of the indi-
vidual TO the aggregate or the relation of
man to society. Let us explain the proc
sss little
You will be pretty sure to discover
that you have relations with the great
world through the school. the church, the
government, through trade or business,
and socially through your friends and
companions That is not all, but that
will do very well To- begin with.
First get all the Information you can
about the school system of your state
Ask the teacher all the questions you
can think of. Ii you are country boy
there is probably q prudential commit
teeman in your district Ask him what
be has to do Then grt at the superin-
tending committeeman and ask him
questions
Find out where the n. ney comes from
10 build schoolhuuses and pay the teach
er. If you live in village large enough
TO have graded schools. find ont how the
system is organized. from the primary
grade up to the high school Let nothing
escape you that you can possibly learn.
Then the churches in your town-study
them. You may not find it easy to get
At the differences of belief that separate
the Methodists from the Baptists and the
CongregationalistS from the Presbyteri-
ans, but your minister or any minister
will probably lend Won books that will
tell something about cree3s and faiths.
Then make yourS,l f master of the
system Of government or control in the
various churches inquire what churches
have bishops what ones elders what ones
deacons. and what the powers and duties
of these church officers are In short.
learn in how many ways, and 20 as far
as you can why one church organization
Is different from another
Next comes governments 1t is a big
subJect-take it mp M detail Your father
is a county commissioner or a selectman
or a town clerk That is capital oppor-
tunity. Get him TO tell you all he knows
about the duties of town and county Off
cers-who lays ont new roads aud closes
old ones, who sees to it that the paupers
are housed and fed who determines how
large a sum shall be raised by taxes in /
the town. how much each taxpayers |
share shall be and what shall be done /
with the money
If one OF your fathers neighbors is a |
member of the legislature, persuade him /
70 tell you how bills are introduced, re-
ferred to committees. reported discussed /
De viii tell you that bills, after they /
have been passed 10y the assembly or |
house of representatives,, must be passed |
also by the senate and signed by the gov |
ernor, but that only opens mp new fields /
for your investigation
If perchance another neighbor is to I
go as a delegate to the Republican or the /
Democratic convention to help nominate |
his partys candidate for the presidency, /
get him to tell you all about the party I
machinery by which conventions are as
sembled and candidates named; about /
the town caucuses. the county or district I
convention. the state convention, the |
national convention and the delegates to |
1t, their number and their duties: also
about the electoral college and its work.
This will lead you into inquiries and
studies in respect to parties and politics
and state and federal governments that
will be in the highest degree interesting
and profitable.
So in regard to business Ask the
village storekeeper where he buys his
cloths. his crockeyy, his molasses and his
hardware, and where they were got by
bne man Vi Wllbih Nv boupnl lueIf, ana
so ON until you have traced them TO their
origin. You will in this way learn some
thing of wholesale trade and manufac-
turing, something about notes, credits,
insurance. transportation by rail and
water and quite likely something about
the tariff
Opportunities for this kind of home
study and training will multiply as you
follow them up until the field of research
broadens out surprisingly. Your mind
will broaden with II. and in following
out these pleasant paths OF common
knowledge you will acquire "A fund Of
information that will be constantly use
full to you in future years Of newspaper
work. --Hssry X. Miller IN Youths Com