The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-10
A SELF.MADE MAN.

To be q leader it is necessary for a
man to be large. 1t is not enough TO
be an orator or a mathematician or a
logician or a musician, but to be a
leader it is indispensable that the man
shall have those elements within him
that really make him the fundamental
principle Of everything that people
need, to such a degree that everyman or
woman that touches him feels satisfied
and does not care to look elsewhere
for a guide. Personality is only the
power to psrsonify and humaniz'
everything that the person touches.
This principle is illustrated in a very
remarkable way in the career Of Pfesi
dent jacob G.. Schurman, of Cornell
university. H9 trained every faculty
to it's utmost capacity. He was a farm
boy at the age of Is h9 b 9came a clerk
and studied nights; at 16 he won the
first and largest prize in Prince Of
Wales college at 19 he led every class
he vas in; at 81 he won a prjz9 of
81, 500. H9 graduated at the Uaiger
sity of London, winning a scholarship
worth $3.50, he stood first 10 G eek,
English, philosophy and political econo
my, and won a 5000 prizs from the
University college. When he was "a
he won a tello Wship worth 50 900.
which was open to all graduates from
English universities and was competed
for by seventy five men. He returned
to this country and took a chair in a
small college in Nova Scotia. He was
recognized as a great scholar, but
scholarship did not make him a leader.
When he was 80 he was called to the
chair of philosophy in Cornell univer-
sity. Then it was that the famous
town and institution disc Overed that
he was not simply a teacher of others
philosophy, but was a philosopher him
self. He realiz I'd that everything he pos
sessed as a scholar must be personified
by passing through him. Greek,
Latin syllogisms and principle became
human by coming in contact with him
The things that he knew created some
thing greater than scholarship bacon
ing human they created a personality,
an atmosphere in which other human
beings developed. He used the largest
class room at the university for his
classes, not only students but also PEG
pie Of the town attended his lectures.
He did not teach many things that
were new or that could not be found
found in books Of other philosophers,
but instead of teaching the principles
in the abstract, he made them personal
and human and practiced what he
taught in becoming the friend Of every.
body who could drink from his foun-
tain. He was democratic and he made
his knowledge as democratic as him
self. When the presidency Of Cornell
was vacated the trustees and the
faculty and the friends of the instilu
ton did not look elsewhere for a man
His charm had captured them and he
was elected unanimously. They did
not elect him because he vas an ora
tor or a philosopher or a scholar, cut
they wanted him because he possessed
the power OF perso 1alitY that made
him a leader of men. 1t is the same
power that has made him recognized
as n Of the great American econo
mists aud placed him on the Philippine
commission. A Creek scholar or q
mathematician or a historian or a
grammarian would not make q public
leader, It requires personality, and
personality is but human nature in
bloom. Eek.