Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-09-24
SOUND ADVICE.
Address Delivered by Geo. w.
Pringle NJ d. Before the Stu
dents of Alma College.


The following address was delivered
by DR.. Pringle before the large mass
meeting of students held i'll the college
chapel last Thursday. By unanimous
request of those present it has been
published in the RECORD this week for
the benefit of those who were not able TO
attend the meeting.
lone of the important questions that
comes to the minds of parents today is,
Shall l send TO College We have
examples of hundreds of our leading
statesmen, bankers, merchants and bus
mess men who are selfmade men, and
whose experience i'll life would seem to
prove or imply that the best college is
an active and sharp contest with the
world, while, on the other hand are the
counsels of leading educators who
strongly advice collegiate course.
Horace Greely once said III an address
to teachers, i have known not less than
one thousand, thoroughly and eXpen
sively educated men with their diplomas
in the city of New York who are utterly
unable te earn their bread, and who to-
day are pacing the stony streets in vain
search for something TO do. And thus
he belittled the advantages of IA college
education Bishop Vincent, one of the
ablest and most distinguished educators
of the country, says: The advantages
of going to college are five-fold,' and
after giving his five reasons he winds up
by saying, if he were going to educate
his boy for blacksmith, he should first
send him TO college The truth is, self
made men are indifferently made, and
self-educated men are not we'll educated,
and no one recognizes this truth more
than the men in question. The great
majority of so-called self made men
earnestly deplore that they had not the
advantages of liberal education, and
are among the warmest advocates Of
college course. 1t has been found from
careful estimations the largest number
of men who are leaders i'll any depart
ment of human activity, are graduates
from some college. There are vigorous
and brilliant intellects that by force of
native ability rise to the highest positions
without collegiate training and that
in spite of early disadvantages, and there
are others with little talent and but
feeble ambition, who with all the best
system of studies can afford, never rise
above mediocrity, but with equal natural
ability and force of character, the college
graduate will greatly outstrip the other
III the race of life. a college training,
by its thorough discipline, sharpens the
mind makes clearer its vision, strength
ems its grasp, and though the knowledge
attained may be in a measure unused
and forgotten. Yet the disciplin re.
mains, and that largely constitutes the
successful man, for the qualities resulting
from that discipline, are used as effective
weapons in the battle of life. One great
secret of success in life is to make ready
for opportunity, so that when new pre-
you may be able to accept them, and
perform the duties they bring, without
abusing the trust reposed in you How
many spend their lives graveling in the
mire Of conscious inferiority, because
they have utterly failed to take advant.
age of favorable opportunities. There
comes a time in every mans life when
a brilliant opportunity is within his
reach If he is but ready for it. If not
ready, it passes from his sight forever,
and leaves him but stinging recollec-
tion of what he has lost 1t has been
truly said, Great minds have purposes
others have wishes. The person with
a purpose will always keep this motto
IN remembrance. Duty first, pleasure
second. From what / have seen of
young men, their after progress, am
satisfied that what is generally termed
bad luck and misfortune is nine times
out of ten, simply the result of inverting
this simple maxim. One of the necessary
things for you TO learn, if you would
succeed in life, is how TO use your powers
TO the best advantage In order 70 do
this you should adopt some system of
work for your guide, with systematic
methods of labor, ant due attention to
the physical Well being, sou may expect
that cheeriulness and hope will be your