Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-11-25
COLLEGE LEARNING.

pounded certain questions to some OF
his students, with the purpose of find
ing out how generally well-read they
We're: and,-assuming them to be fair
representatives in intelligence of that
institution and of the several com
munities from whence they hail, the
result, If somewhat surprising, was
somewhat remarkable also.
These inquiries were put without
previous intimation or opportunity for
posting, and so may be regarded as
calling for evidence of what young
people pursuing course of socalleu
liberal education, and presumably fit
ted TO take ON and assimilate that KIND
uf training, really know, off-hand. For
OfI-hand knowledge is that which Is
to serve them in practical life, when
they are finally thrown on their own
resources.
Both sexes were represented in the
list Of examines, there being sixteen
men and eleven women. or these there
were three seniors, thirteen juniors,
nine sophomores and two freshmen,--
or reshwomen, as the case may be.
So that the selection was fairly dis
tributed also over class gradations.
The queries put were these:
Il. Name six plays Of Shakespeare,
and two novels by Scott.
SO. Who is the author of Paradise
Lost the 'Pickwick Papers, the Big
low Papers, Adam Bede,' 'Idylls Of
the King 'Abou Ben AdhemY
''3 In what book does each OF the
following characters occur: Mordecai,
lago, Becky Sharp, King Agrippa,
Minnehaha?
II. Name one word, each, by Words
worth, Carlyle, Ruskin, Matthew Ar
mold and Browning"
1t Is safe to say that in this day OF
opportunity for general information
from reading, at least four out OF ev-
cry five of these questions ought TO
have been answered correctly, and that
they would have been by the majority
Of pupils in the district schools ON the
Western Reserve of Ohio, OF the ago
oil fourteen or upwards; at least they
would have been few years ago, AZ
Il time when athleticism was cultivat-
ed and muscles developed by close nc
quaintancc with Collinsvllle axes i'll
stead of the smuggling and punching
experiences of the college pigskin, ana
before the annals of successful horse
traders had become ideals in literature.
Now mark the result.
All agreed that Paradise Lost" WAS
the work of Milton, and upon nothing
else did all agree.
Two could not name six plays Of
Shakespeare, and one of the two was
q senior. Fifteen owned up that they
could not name two OF SCOTS novels
Seven hunked on the author OF "ldylls
OF the King" while out OF the twenty
seven, only four knew who wrote
"Abou Ben Adhem, than which moth
ing is seen oftcner In school readers
and books Of quotations.
Seven We're unable to locate "Iago.
An equal number were shy on Mime.
haha."
Twenty OF these devotccs mt the
shrine of learning were hoored by
king Agrippa,' while twenty-five
Were put to flight by "Mordecai,"-
which goes to show that the scrip,
ture crop is rather small in those parts
Becky Sharp" was too many for
thirteen of these disciples of culture
and eight of them could name no work
OF Wordsworth. Three were ignorant
of the author of "Pickwick Papers,
twenty-four failed on Matthew Ar
mold, eighteen slipped up on Ruskin
fifteen on Carlyle and an equal number
on Browning.
This conspicuous agnosticism, ,--oi
what one Of our local clergymen 1!
said TO call its equivalent, this iguor
amusism; m;-this positive don't-know re
suit OF the examination, Is not its onl,
feature of interest. Besides not know
Ing what was right, these student
We're gorged with what was wrong.
For instance; Ruskin was announced
by one as the author of "Sartor Re
saItus" and by another as that o
"Idylls of the King" Becky Sharp
was to be found in the Vicar o
Wakefield" and again as the creation
Of Dickens, and still agaln,-shade o
Thackeray; in Sherlock Holmes,
"Adam Bede" was ascribed TO Cooper
Matthew Arnold was declared to b