Waterbury Democrat., 1902-10-22
EDUCATION BY THE WAY

Henry Ward Beecher was once asked how he had acuiqred the knoWl- edge of the processes of all kinds which enabled him to draw so freely on the whole range of devices. meth ods and machines used in manufactur ing of every variety. He replied that whenever he found himself in the neighborhood of a factory and had a little time to spare, he made it prac- tice to go through the establishment, ask questions, and try to understand everything he saw. Tn this way with out any special exertion, simply by using his eyes his eyes, his mind and his time, he had come to know a great deal about many kinds of manufactur7' inging, and this knowledge supplied him with fund of metaphors and il- lustrations. often of "a very striking character Tn like manner, whenever. he was thrown with anyone of 3 diff ferent ocupation. he made it g point to induce his companion to talk about his work his habits his skill. The great preacher went out Of his way to secure a box on a stagecoach in order that he might talk with the driver. watch his ways. learn his language, and get his point of view. If he was to make journey on a steambooat, he asked per mission to go into the pilot house, and drew the pilot into talk about Diloting boats and life on the river or lake. Tn this way came to have a very wide view of the knowI- edge of men. of their different points of view their various slxiIIs. and the things for which they cared most. He took the attitude of learner, and was able to pour out such flood of thought because he continually added to his own store Of knoWIedge.
 This is an illustration of one of the chief means of getting an education and doing ones work at the same time It is a method which men of genius have often pursued with such success 1 that their dullpr fellow men have been puzzled with the results. Tn this way
 Shakespeare gained an extraordinary knowledge of many things. He did it 1 so easily that he was probably una- ware of the intelligence he put into the l process; he did it so well that many people of slow minds and s7rggish i'm aeinations are unable to believe that l he did it at all, and feel compelled. to look mon another author for the ori- l gin of his plays Abraham Lincoln educated himself in the same way, l however. and with marvellous success. | If he had lived four hundred years ago some people to-day would be perfectly
 certain that a man who had so little l schooling could never have written such beautiful English as we find in 1 his second inaugural and his Gettys- 1 burg addresses.
 Shakespeare and Lincoln were men 1 of genius. but the possession of genius l is not essential to this kind of educa- l tioD. Thousands of men to-day are quietly educating themselves, by this method, out of their present positions l into places of influence and power. results are often magical, but the l method is simplicity itself. It consists in forming habit of keeping the eyes 1 and the mind open. Most people go 1 through life with closed eyes and
 minds. They do not notice what goes
 on about tbem; they have no curiosity about trees, birds. stars, the mechan- ism of locomotives, the art of sailing,
 the wonders of electricity, the endless
 variety and movement of things in the world in which they live. They do not learn as they go on in life, because
 they have not formed a habit of learn
 ing. Make it a practice to look into l the things which surround you, and l which you use daily; find out how they are made; induce men to talk to you about fhe things that they know best; l form a habit of studying everything 1 which comes in your way. He who ! formed this habit not only gains the < power which knowledge always brings, 1 but also makes himself 2 very desira- < ble companion Success.