The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-11

President Slas S. Neff, of the Neff
college of Philadelphia. Is in North
Scranton this week to make addresses
on ucationai matters at the North
Main Avenue Baptist church. Last
night he spoke at the Auditorium on
''rhe Hopes of YOUTH" and tonight
he will speak on "The Core of Educa-
ton"
Last night there was large attend
ance at his lecture. and DR.. Neff. who
is one of the leading educators of the
state. proved also a man of culture
and splendid personality. His address
was filled with helpful suggestions and
inspiration. In the course of his ad-
dress he said
The hopes of youth are the promises ., the
future. the followers Of prophecy from the hi.
man minds All young minds arc luNiriant in
hopes. II is the hope OF youth that constitutes
more than anything else the mcritorious fascina.
tion and chcrvcscent happiness of the spring
time OF life. Young people almost live in their
hopes and when man ceases so TO live he ceases
to be young. Not only is this true, but all
healthy young people expect TO be, do OF possess,
something great in life and it was doubtless
the intention OF God that all young people should
actually accomplish something great. And lie
has made it possible tor all to realize their
hopes.
All minds nave the power to conceive great
expectations. but only comparatively few ever
meet their expectations This death Of their
hopes in their great battle for realization is
perhaps the saddest of all human experiences. in
the human minds is the most possible OF all
burial grounds. Over its gateway is It's name,
''The Cemetery OF Its Hopes" Why is this 2
Why this endless longing this endless struggle
and this never ending funeral procession? Why
cannot VIC bring to pass those great things all
of MS look forward to? To answer this we must
first reply TO more fundamental question: {:
What is that which enables man to accomplish
anything? What is greater worker OF the
world? Of course, there is but one reply: The
human mind is great wonder worker Of the
world
IL is with the mind as with the machine,
The better the machine the better the work.
The greater the mind the greater the accom-
plishmcnt The bud drops from the trees and
bears no fruit. for the tree canno, supply Sutii-
cient nouriShment. Hopes die unreazcd be-
cause the mind has not the power TO perform
what the hopes require. Many people have a
rather mystical view regarding the doing OF the
worlds work, they seem To think things get
done accidentally On the second thought We
all know that back OF every effect there must be
cause equal TO the production OF the effect.
Back of every great deed there is a great mind
Great minds only do great things. Small
minds only can do small things. II is an inter
csing and. to those not specialists in mind study,
Il mysterious fact that while only great minds
ran do great things. all minds. great and small.
can hope for better things. Is there, then. no
consolation Tor the average man? Not a particle
The average man will forever do only average
things. But the average man may become the
extraordinary man. God placed man and nature
lnr IN Of. &, I,,r in
the world is to improve nature and ourselves
For centuries man accepted nature it came
from God There was little progress, man lived
on what the ground naturally produced Where
man formerly barely existed on hundreds of acres
OF ground now by improving the soil, men
get ricl on few acres.
II You realize the extent to which man has
improved Gods work in nature. compare the
world five hundred wears ago with today. Every
school boy knows the facts. Whore is the wise
farmer who would not he satisfied with the
ground that God made. with horses, cows sheep
apples, berries etc? You will occasionally meet
man who is seemingly satisfied. Now alc
improving everything. We are intensely engaged
in working raw mtirc up into fine art nature
And Yet the hopes OF youth fall thick in blast
and yet the graves of the hopes are much too
numerous OF the hillside OF the minds
The keynote of the nineteenth century has hCcn
compete 'IOu s WORK IN nature OF the 1Wcnt1ctn
century We will add to this complete Gods
work of human nature mans mind. yet in the
raw Simply because he has given comparatively
little attention to working busily up into a fin
ishod product. lie has developed everything but
himself We have an education which consist,
mainly of instruction, but instruction is only
slightly development and sometimes results in no
development.
All advanced educators are now giving 'heir
highest thoughts not merely to tie problem Of
how to best instruct the mind. but how to give
the boy better and greater mind How 10
properly combine those two phases Of education
is the great problem. Human development is
vastly more important than mere instruction. Tie
graves of the hopes very numerous in the
mind OF the man who merely knows facts. The
human development will depopuate this cemetery
of the mind