The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-14


mode OF diffusing knowledge, it would all
be read.
There are books enough, of course, but
the masses of the people have not got
them and cannot buy them. Cyclope-
dias are expensive, but almost every sue
cessful newspaper is well equipped with
such works and can readily refer to them
and answer the questions correctly.
/ was Eliminating about this because
of the eagerness with which my own fam
lily peruse all the questions in The Con
stitution and The Home and Farm and
then make research to answer them.
1 once had quite valuable library, but
about thirty three years ago some vandals
calling themselves soldiers dld feloniously
take steal and carry it away, and l have
not been able since to supply its place:
nevertheless, we have more books than
the average family, and find great COM
fort in them.
The Evening Constitution promises its
readers a symposium of ten historical
questions every week-and while the peo-
pie are seeking the answers, they un-
avoidably come across much interesting
and valuable information. My folks had
to read the biographies of all the Pres-
fore they found out which of them was
married twice to the same lady This is
a good method of diffusing knowledge,
and it is gratifying to know how many
responses are made by the young people
II is a pleasant mode of teaching without
constraint or discipline The reward is
small, but the acquisition of knowledge
is profitable and enduring. Then there
&c Ior "a
that makes it inviting.
Nothing fatters an old mans vanity
more than to be appealed to for informa-
ton concerning such things. He is proud
to have the young people look up to him
as philosopher, historian, scholar
Solomon says: Get wisdom; get under
standing" Lord Bacon says: "Knowl-
edge is power" and Shakespeare says:
knowledge is the wing with which we
fly to heaven" Most of us get our knowl-
edge from books from the brain of other
people who have gone before; but that OBJ
tanned from thoughtful observation and
experience is the better kind. Long, long
ago. knew an old man who had no books
and could hardly write his name, yet his
his knowledge of things around him
of the changes of the moon and the fore
holdings of the weather ; the growth OF
plants: the habits of fowls and fishes,
and the structure of animals was re-
markable. was glad to be pupil under
such master.
The other day / thought to show off a
little of my learning at the dinner ta-
Bile. 1t was not an extraordinary din
ner, and | asked what did it cost. They
figured it out to be about rs cents. Then
l remarked that the capital invested in
procuring this unpretending meal was
not less than five hundred millions of dol
lars and gave employment to five million
men, for it takes many ships and many
railroads
The pepper in this little box was grown
in the East Indies, 10000 miles away
lit grew on little vine about eight feet
high and not less than FIVE years old
1t was green when it was gathered,
and was then dried in the sun until it
turned black. The white pepper is made
by taking the black shell off before it is
ground. The vine is said to be very beau
tiful and the natives use the root for i
beverage that int0xicates them Just like
the Mexicans use the magyar plant or the
Americans their rye and corn. So you
see that since the day of Noah the PEG.
pie of every nation have found something
to exhiliarate or make them drunk. Well.
it took a ship and 1000 miles of railroad
to bring this pepper here Then here is
the tea that is brought all the way from
China, and the coffee from South Ameri-
ca or Mexico. The Goldfish we had for
breakfast came from off the coast of
Maine. This piece of boiled ham came
from Kansas City This bread was
made from flour that was ground from
Dakota wheat. This salt came from the
Indian reservation in New York State
This Worcester sauce came from Lon
don. These canned peaches came from
California. The spices that are i'm this
cake, the cinnamon and mace and nut
meg came from Moluccas or Spice is
lands in the Indian Archipelago. And
the cloves that you use came from over
there. Cloves. you must know, are the
little short black hobnails that the cob
hler's drive in the heels of peasants
shoes, and the spice resembles them so
much that it took their name. Cloves are
not the fruit nor the seed of the tree.
but is the bloom plueked and dried before
1t has quite opened. great naturalist
says that the Glove tree is the most beau
tiful. the most elegant and the most pre-
cious OF all known trees. 1t is about forty
feet high and lives to be 100 years old
Wouldn't YOU like to have one in the
front yard? And there is another fra
grant fruit-the citron of commerce that
You see IN your fruit cake. 1t takes big
snip to bring that here from Italy, and
the maccaroni has to come along with it
Now here are the potatoes and rice and
cheese that come from abroad. Please
tell me what we have that is home made
or HON grown within the limits Of Bar
tow county?'
milk. was the reply.
Wen, we could live on that" said T.
Suppose we try it for year and see
how it works. Tt does look like a shame
to have S500000.00O and five million men
employed to get us a dinner"
Suppose we wait till next week?' said
my wife. I'VE are going to have COM
pnny tomorrow. Ry the wav von d;dp,f