The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-07
THE FACULTY OF OBSERVATION,
1t Ought to Bc Cultivated bur the Tact Is
That No Three Persons Looking at q
Certain Object Ever See the Same
Things.

Things.
From the Times-H erald.
new study has been added to the
curriculum of Columbia college. one
that is certain to be fruitful of great
results In the future. 1t Is the cultiva-
tion of the faculty Of observation. Ev-
eryone who has paid the least attention
to the matter knows how difficult 1t is to
reconcile the testimony of two or three
different witnesses of the same state of
facts Each one. equally honest, has
had under his eye the particular thing
that is the subject of inquiry, and each
one relates the circumstances in a diff
ferent manner. How can they be re-
cOnciled?
Professor Ranke, in his History of
the Popes." gives an illustration of
the difficulty a historian encounters i'm
writing past history, and says that when
men and women dispute without end
over the occurrences of everyday life.
that take place under their own eyes.
how can 1t be possible for Il historian
truthfully to recount events ten centur-
les after they have happened? 1t was
the familiar maxim of Robert Walpole,
who did as much as any other English
statesman toward the making of his
tory. that all history was II lie. He saw.
as we all see, how difficult u thing it is
10 report events Alright.
THE CASE OF WITNESSES
The question comes up in courts of
justice every day. and lawyers who
couldn't for their lives tell what had
happened on any particular day Il
month before will gibbet witnesses us
peijurers, because they cannot say with
precision whether u certain night. two
or three years before. was cloudy or not,
whether it rained. whether the distance
between one doorstep and another was
twenty or fifty feet, or whether the
color Of horse was black or brown.
The truth Is. no person carries In his
mind. except involuntarily, the ordi-
nary things That come under casual oh
servation. and that is where the law
yers are. often able to confuse Il wit
ness If the cases We're reversed the
witness might as easily put the lawyer
TO confusion.
1t is because of this defect in our
mental constitution that Professor j.
Mckeen Catteil, of Columbia College,
New York, has introduced into his lee
lures to students II series Of questions
calculated to develope their powers of
observation. one Of the questions he
started with was, What was the
weather II week ago today Now no.
trcmely simple question. depending for
its answer on the memory. and upon
such observation of the weather that
everyone must naturally make. And
yet. of fifty-six students thus intcrro-
gated as to the particular day. sixteen
answered clear" twelve rain" seven
SNOW" nine stormy six cloudy
and six partly stormy and party
cloudy Such Disparity in the an
,l,. tn,, 10 fln yxstt
nesses to be mistaken.
Another question was. in what di-
rection do the seeds of an apple point?
Thousands and thousands of people
have eaten apples ever since the dis
obedient couple were driven from para
disc. and yet how many people could
answer correctly offhand? Other qlies-
tions were put, such as the weight of a
certain textbook used by the class; the
distance between two buildings: the
time taken by students to walk from
one building to another, and other COM
mon inquiries.
The professor reports that majority
of the answers were correct, or nearly
so. but large percentage was lament
abby wrong. Most assuredly II IL an
| engaging study. well calculated to in
crease the habit of exactness In matters
coming within the range of the senses.
| 1t Is good not only for students but for
everybody. Further reports from Pro-
fessor Cattell will be looked for with in
| terest.