Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-12-24
BRILLIANT LECTURE.
Full Of Logical, Good Horse Sense, il
Was Appreciated.

Was Appreciated.
The second number of the Y. Nj. &. A
course was the lecture at the opera
house Wednesday evening by DR.. Frank
Bristol, of Washington, d. C. The sub
iect was Brains, and the speaker dem
onstrated to those presentthat he is fully
able to talk intelligently upon this sub
| iert. With the exception of Bob Bur
dette, Mr. Bristol is the most brilliant
talker that has appeared here in recent
| years. Rev. PeaSe introduced Mr. Dris-
tol with q few well chosen word. and
the latter ~ once began his argument
for the cultivation of the human ~ nd.
In ages gone by it was fallacy 81 the
people To believe that person of great
body, with a large head and massive
jaws, was possessed Of great mind
power, while those of smaller stature
and diminutive craniumS were min
MES" In this late day we look upon
such ideas as absurdA History confirms
the statement that some of the bright
est minds-men who have been all pow
erful in advancing art, literature and
science-inventors. generals of fame,
etc, were men of small brains. 1t is
not the size of the brain that makes the
mind but it is the capacity or working
power of that brain. The Chinese, on
an average, have the largest brains of
any civilized or semi-civilized people,
yet they have produced but few men of
note and have never set the world on fire
with advanced ideas in civilization. In
the old countries of Europe it was once
held that there should rightfully be but
two classes-the educated and the ignor-
ant. The former governed the latter,
made laws for him, and made him do
his bidding The United States today,
among the common people, stands far
above any other IN general practical
education of its people, thanks to our
common school system. Never in the |
history of the universe was ignorance
such crime as it is today A man liv-
ing in this busy world of the present
must have an education ii ne wishes to |
succeed in life. III he be an artisan or
tradesman he will find that in the strug- |
gle of existence only the men of intelli- |
gence win, and the otlrer fellows never
rise higher in the scale of human pro-
gress. Competition is. sharp and only
men of higher degree of intelligence
are chosen for positions that command
good wages.
The education we ought to haveis the
one that will do the most good. To |
study and master the languages-mod-
ern and ancient--to become well versed
in the study of trignometry, botany
or anthology, and after having done
this, sit down and do nothing, ones life
has been wasted.
Nearly every man, whose name is
written on the scroll of fame, rose from
the common people, selecting his own
course that he persued in life. For a
father to ordain that his son shall follow
the same line ef hlsiness that is being
pursued by himself, is one of the gravest
mistakes of life. Many man has be-
come Shipwrecked by following some
trade, profession or business for which
he was not adapted, but was driven to
by parent until that line had fastened
itself to him like habit. In the battle
of life the man who is most successful
is the one who uses his brains in evolv-
ing new ideas. 1t is the man of push
and gumption who uses his grey matter
that draws to himself wealth and friends.
Some follow the lead of others, new
thoughts never striking them, but how
much better is the man who is created |
with the power to do his own thinking?
The common schools furnish the
means for one to secure a practical edu;
cation in this country and yet the teach
ers are underpaid. An expert, work
man, working in the rolling mills of
Pennsylvania, is paid S12 per day for his
services, while the average stipend
paid the teachers of this country is but |
$3.50 per day, while an expert pig
sticker in the packing houses of Chicago
is paid a higher salary than the sup
erintendent of that city schools.
DIR, BristoPs lecture throughout was
an earnest plea for universal devel-
opment of the human mind While the
subject of education by someAs consid-
cred dry topic, yet this speakers dis
course was listened to with the most |
intense interest. 1t was sound logic
through and through and was illustrated
with stories of a humorous nature
DR.. Bristol is somewhat advanced in
years, though he does not show his age.
He started out in life as a school
teacher, but found the ministry more
to his liking. He has kept in touch
with the prominent educators and men
of brains of this country, and has had
personal acquaintance with many
who have crossed the bar, as well as
with many who are living today.
On Thursday morning Mr.. Bristol
was Induced to speak before the stu
dents of the high school on the life of
Mckinley. The speaker being pastor
of the Metropolitan church at Washing
ton, which Mr.. Mckinley attended dur
ing his official life in that city, and hav-
ing bad personal acquaintanceship
with him, he is fully prepared to speak
intelligently Of the martyr president.
Thus his talk to the stadents was inter-
esting and instructive. The next num-
Der of the course is lecture blythe Rev
FIR. Francis G. Kelly, Tuesday, Jan
uary 2lst. /