The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-07-05
VOL. XVI. New Series---Vol. 4.
TIE EDITORS LEISURE HoU RS.
Points ard Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Fast and Future.

about. the date O! Johann Gutenberg
! birth, it is certain that he was born
about 1910 at Mainz, Germany, (now
written Mantz). Last week at Ment7
there was a celebr alton in honor of the
FIVE hund1eth anniversary of Guten-
barg's birth. All the nations OF the
sorld were represented The ere, COM
| .nemorating the birth OF the man who
! invented the art of printing. He was
the first to make wooden type and af-
forwards cast the first metal type. It
is said that for twenty years he applied
his energies secretly to the production
of moulds for casting metal type and
| that while this was done nearly five hun
dred years ago, the essential features
| of type moulds to-day are about the
same as were those used by Gutenberg
! at Malnz and Strasburg.
Gutenberg's first book printed from
type was the Bible, and, this was achley-
ed far on towards the middle Of bis
lie. The Archbishop of Mentz in
1886 proclai med that printing from
type and the distribution of books and
pamphlets, was the work Of the devil
and meant the spiritual ruin of the hui
man race.
Poor Gutenberg had the ups and
downs like printers have had all through
the centuries that have followed. He
vas harassed by financial embarrass.
II ent almost all his life. He died IN
F.! i46S, under sixty years of age, doubt
less worn out by the tolls which set to
work one of the finest and most pro-
g.ass, ye arts known to man. He c1ed
cnlldlass, penniless and almost friend
less. Il seems ironical indeed that the
man who brought forth one Of the
..,-..:e. :.a..s-.sat..oIs Ic4 the word
hcuid have beer dispised while be
lived but five hundred years later the
whole world should unite In erecting
a bronze statue to his memory in the
town Of his birth and where he achieved
SO much tor the blessing OF the human
race.
! Such incidents remind one Of the
hideons, hateful fact that many times
the worlds best and greatest are not
appreciated until after they are dead
And this applies to life about us every
day now. These reflections call up the
! lines:
s.Seyen Grecian cities warred for Homer
| dead
Th rough which the living Homer beg.
| ged his breads
! In recent mum Der OF the Saturday
Evening Post there was an interesting
article on "Athletics in the future o.
| the nation" ,"by Eugene Lamb Richards
It presented the advantageous eide oil
athletic sports, but concluded with the
following paragraph on extravaganza
OF such sports:
"The tendency to extravaganza IN
expenditure, though not existing TO the
| extent often asserted, does nevertheless
exist. The Importance OF college sport
ia a financial light will be revealed to
many persons who fail to comprehend
it in any other way. AT Yale the
total expenses of all the sports were
for the season OF 1867, $43, ,625.25 tol
1878, $64,6e5.33 ; for 1889 $55, ,3S4
q. Since for the seasons of 1878 and
1889 there were unusual outlays OF
the athletic field, particularly so II
1878, the expesnes for 1851 Woule
he nearer the average yearly cost OF
the sports. S43,625 % represents the
interest at four per cent. of an INVESTED
capital of ST. csc, 0,73I.25. That amount
is greater than ona-ffth Of the total
permanent funds of the University
viz, 81 ,554 ,S29.45, as given In the re-
port Of the treasurer for the year end
i ing July 81, 1899. In 1872 The to
tai expenses for the athletic sports wer'
$l7,476.O4. There was, therefore, 81
increase of one hundred and forty-nlnf
per cent. In the expenses during TIT
period between the two seasons. Dur
ing the same period there was an In
crease in membership at the Unlver
s1ty OF one hundred and thirty-nln'
; per cent. The difference between tn
, two percentages does not show great
Iy increased tendency to extravagancs
But, nevertheless, it is idle to deny tha
there Is extravaganza that ought to b
!, checked. There is very general feel
ing. even in the studen. body, that thl
evil should be remedled. 1t is largel
owing to the prevalence OF this feelin
that movement is on foot to max
the officer here known as the GTanual
Treasurer of the Financial Union I
body which handles the income OF to
college sports) also an appolntee OF Ia
Faculty, authorized to supervise tn
accounts and to check unnecessary 81