Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-01-02
; NOTESand COMMENT :

"~~6"SS oul opdu uOW
at the short and insignif-
Beginning can't do not the peri
OF the DDS seem in which q
Century. mortal man lives
and does? Half
century ago the State of Minnesota
had barely been organized, and west
OF the big woods the Sioux Indians
were the only inhabitants thereof. It
is not more than thirty-one years
since the first store was built in Will
mar. { ince those early trying days
OF the pioneer another generation has
grown up which knows naught of
those days except what they have
heard and read relating thereto. The
changes that occur in decade are
stupendous; those of century cannot
be grasped by the human mind, how
ever much the finite but conceited un-
derstanding of men may assume to do.
Penned within the confines of little
sphere, subdivided by prejudices and
distinctions. what knows man of his
own time? We are not competent to
judge of what occurs in our own time,
much less can we realize the changes
wrought since our grandfather time.
We have progressed, we believe.
What is progress? Is it discovery?
Is it rapid accumulation of wealth?
We do things more easily now than
our grandfathers did, How much bet
ter off are we on that account? Do
we work less? Do we worry less? Do
we live longer? Do we enjoy life in
greater degree? Are we any the wiser
when we are ready to leave the world?
Our astronomers teach us theories.
A new telescope sweeps all away as
cobwebs are swept from the ceiling.
New theories are formed. How long
will they survive?
Specialists discover new methods of
harnessing energy. We ride faster.
We read the gossip of the world each
day. We have better artificial light.
Do these things make us contented?
Great advances are made in medi-
cal science. Discoveries are made
daily. But is the race more robust
than the people of the eighteenth CEN
ury? Is there less sickness? Is there
less misery? These and other
thoughts ! owd upon us.
What is true progress? Who will
answer? IS it not that which will con-
tribute to make the world happy
and noble: cbiding place for the chill
Edren4o 4of IL; dnring; their sht1t jour-
ney through life? What progress has
been made in the Christian virtues,
the greatest of which is charity? We
do not mean in the profession of these
virtues, but in true adherence to them.
The good book says:
"Though speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, and have not
charity, I am become as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
''And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all myster-
les and have all knowledge; and
though l have all faith, so l could re-
move mountains, and have not chari-
ty, am nothing.
''And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my
body to be burned, and have not
charity, it protiteth me nothing.'
And again:
"Charity never faileth: but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away.
''For we know in part, and we pro-
phesy in part.
"But when that which is perfect is
come, then that which is in part shall
be done away"
Nineteen centuries are completed
since the message rang out: ''Peace
on earth, good will to men, How
much progress has been made?
We who are living today speak
very hippantly of what has been ac-
complished in the last century and
what may be accomplished in the Gen.
tury just begun. The century will yet
be young when most,of us are gone
and a younger generation is at its
prime. Possibly few who lay in
their cradles hundred years ago are
yet alive, but they do not live in this
century. They still exist, but they
live in the past. They live in the for
ties, fifties and sixties when their life's
work was accomplished. We will be-
gin the century, others will continue
it and still others will close it. It re-
mains for us of the present generation
to make the most of the short time
allotted to us, and contribute our
mite in the march of true progress.
Having disposed Of my business IL.
o'oStS in kow1l | will soil INV Real Ex.