Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-07-02
CRISP FORMS OF THOUGHT.
SOLOMON AND TuPPER TWISTED
TO SUIT A MODERN TRADE.

The Wisdom of tfss Sages and the Wit
( of the Masses, Even the Work of the
Missionaries, Are Grist in the Mill
4 They Are Poached Upon by Authors
4 and Advertisers.
Whether solomon invented all his prov
( RIBS or gathered them from many SOURCES
+ with 4 nicer sense of permanent worth
/ than Mr. Topper exercised in his later
/ compendium Is and ever will be an open
\ question: Solomou's copyright ran out
/ long before rupper's time, and both are
/ now poached upon with impunity by all
classes, from authors 20 advertisers, But,
I aiken by themselves, proverbs well repay
.reful study Students of ethnology
nd In the proverbs Of the different races
he dearest proofs of their real character
4 sites, for they are the shrewdest and yet
7 Most intimate expressions of their daily
4 lie.
I ,!ndged by the comparison Of these
! homey sayings il will be found chat all
j nations are Of one kindred, possessing
common needs common aspirations, ana
seeking similar rehefs from toll and labor.
/ On the dnstiest shelves of our libraries
i mary be found collections of all the PROV
cribs of the different nations, quite
large proportion of the work having re-
i suited from the interest which mission
I aries have taken in their earnest studies
4 of the uncivilized peoples whom they seek
70 instruct. That the shrewd sayings of
I the Scotch or the bright hits of the Irish
/ should be carefully collected gives little
cause for surprise; but collection of
! Abyssnian proverbs. of those of the
N mil sNf 1ts.l sNff hfa
Sanscrt, South Sea Island Chinese, and
7 Hottentot Solon1ons does excite curiosity.
The missionaries have found il pleasant
/ rs well as a profitable task 1t delves
/ deep into the dioms of the language, tells
/ with unerring accuracy the mental ten.
! deney Of the people, and by introducing
4 the foreigner into the inner thought Of
4 both home and trade shows him the real
life OF those who adopt them as every
+ day expressions.
II is impossible to read the well-collated
proverbs Of the Chinese without realizing
4 that home life exists in that flowery
Kingdom which rivals that of many more
I civilized countries No solomon, no de-
scendant Of Abraham, could clipse the
/ trade proverbs of the Chinese. They
4 touch on trade with keenness and thor
i oughness which proves them to be mas
! teIs III that school. The bnser life of the
< liottentot, the loose morals of the fellah,
i the independent spirit of the Briton, are
4 all crystalized in their national proverbs.
In England and many other countries it
was formerly very usual for Il tradesman
h 70 select some proverb as mis- motto, and
thus post his principles plainly over his
shop door. Ii remained. however, for an
American house 70 appropriate the pro-
I verbs Of the world Ell masse, and use them
Tor their own advancement New Workers
who ride on the elevated roads, or people
wi.o III less favored localities still jog
iiong in the slow street cars. are familiar
WITH the blue and white proverbs which
I proclaim the merits Of Sapolio TO the
world. Every omnibus in London and al
1 most every tram car in England is sim
LARRY adorned
They made their first appearance on tbe
( Broadway omnihuses, We're gathered out
Of over 1000 pages of the worlds coec-
lions, and twisted to suit the case. Many
I of them are beyond easy recognition in
1 their new dress, many are entirely orig
4 .nrl. but these are also printed between in
verified commas, which lends a glamour of
antiquity to them To-day we are told
/ that over 10000 of these blue cards are
i displayed in public conyeyances carrying
t over 6,o0o.00O passengers daily.
N6Autls9u thought EeHeFhlly TeuulTeh
4 padding 70 make il ineligible TO the
1 masses. just as the stomach of the horse
/ musr be- distcnded with hay to mike the
+ oats digest readily; but with prov cribs 1t
5 quite otherwise. Their popularity is
/ only reached because they have passed
muster as being clear 10 every mind. They
] icl thrir story with a directness and
4 arcyity which pieases the public, ms the
/ dictionary did the old Scotch woman
"'Fhey air Draw stories" she said but
anco' short" Turned to tell the practical
, story Of Sapplo. they often acquire new
interest Who reads the advice. BE pa
tient and you will have patient children
4 without an innate respect for the advice
which follows. not 20 fret over house
/ cleaning, but do II easily with Sapolo?
And who can repress n smile when the
Sapolionic artist pictures the patient
/ father and the impatient twins defylng the
I proYerh? Bnt the mother will be back