New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-11

In the devices Of primitive man merely the sug-
gestions Of nature He refuses to admit 'hat
early man. or his present counterpart the MOD
ern savage. simply borrows his clothing from
other animals his house from the trees ana cav
erns and his food from many sources He mas
nothing to say against nature and its resources
its characteristics as training school ana the
capacities Of it's teachings. He admits thatfe very
few human beings have original ideas. that most
men and women borrow everything ana that all
men and women borrow much Of what they DO
But the very fact that this initiative process Is
so prevalent presupposes something to be imi-
tated, and that something on investigation Is
found usually to be human and artificial in dis
tinction from what is natural and spontaneous
The beginnings of invention lie often in dscov-
cries so simple that the thought of initiating
nature or even other animals is superfuous
Monkeys throw stones. bat man. even considered
as an advanced monkey. hardly needed an object
lesson in the use OF his first missile. A monkey
might use one stone to break another, but If he
ever decides TO use one stone deliberately TO
bring another to a cutting edge. he will deserve
to be called coming man.
1t will be found however. on consideration OF
the subject that the most important inventions
Of man have behind them a suggestion from
nature. If man contrived wholly within his own
mind his processes for dealing with material
objects he would not be the observant creature
that he has really come TO be. AL tms po'n'
the civilized man is apt to judge the savage by
himself. The average person is wonderstruck at
the observant power developed by the naturalist
But the fact is that the occasion for his wonder
would be greatly reduced were 1t not that his
own powers Of observation have been left stunted
and rudimentary from lack OF use. Even the
MT In
comparison with the savage. because owing to
his civilized environment ne begins his observa-
tons with species rather than with individuals
The savage begins by knowing tree not as an
oak or a birch or pine. bit as a living thing
standing in a certain place. Before any man
hammered out OF bowlde- fragment with an
edge which he could use as a tool. some other
man found a stone on which nature had put an
edge 1t may have required the thought of I'M
told generations for man to do in his own behalf
what nature had carelessy done for him, but in
the end he achieved the purpose which he had
gradually formed. He attained an expert knowi-
edge of every kind Of stone within his field or
observation. He learned what the qualities OF
substances were, both as tc working and AS to
subsequent use. He had practical knowledge
OF cleavage and granular structure single
blow revealed to him whether the fragment
which ne had chosen was worth his effort. So
expert did he become that he could give points
10 the most skilful fint-knappers OF modern
times and then could beat them in their own
art THE Smithsonian institution says Dr.
Mason. has had number Of skilled workmen
spend a great deal Of time on the making OF
leaf-shaped blade but they have never succeeded
In the effort
The simple edged tool however, was only the
in etc
which he used as hammer in the devices for
polishing his tools. for renewing the edge when
It became dull for varying the form Of the in
strument according to the use he had for 1t. In
course Of time. when he found himself shut off
from a supply Of such material AS he deemed
best he had TO seek indirect means of obtaining
it. Thus there arose in his time demand for
ouarrymen and traders, and long list of inter
mediate workers through whose hands the stone
passed before ii was fashioned into tool or a
weapon Thus the whole apparatus OF modern
civilization with it's division of labor its far
reaching commerce. existed potentially in the So
called Age of Stone. In each region man expert
mented until he found what was useful and then
perfected his metz cd Of dealing with it. The
ivory art OF the Etkmo the black slate art Of the
Haida the red catlinite art of the Sioux. the jade
art OF China, the beautiful flint art OF Western
Europe In prehistoric times are In point. and,
without doubt it was in certain sense the
beautiful marbles of Greece and Italy that set
up the duel between man and his material which
resulted in the grandest sculpture of the world"