Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-16

schools. to come to New York when a young
man and rise from the compositor's case to
yne of the most commanding positions in
the difficult and important profession of
journalism; to become a factor i'm the his
tory of the greatest nation on the earth.
The career Of the elder Bennett was much
like Greeley's. Each founded a great news
paper, which is known and respected wher-
ever the English language is read or spoken.
It was his patient mastery of the ele-
ments of education. achieved for the most
part at night, in the college of the larinE
pine knot. that enabled Abraham Lincoln.
though handicapped almost indcscribably, TO
win the highest place in the gift of the ma
tion at the time when the nation needed
just such a man at its head. These, by
the way, became men of truly liberal edu-
cation, despite their lack of college train
ing, and they are only three of many who,
lacking the opportunity to train themselves
in college, yet found time amid the stress
of actual life and achievement to broaden
and libcralize themselves by general read
ing and the study of those topics with
which their more fortunate fellows were
able to acquaint themselves i'm college.
There are many living men, who, though
lacking college advantages. have found
true liberal education in the university Of
the world. James ]. Hill. for instance.
though never a student in n school of
higher grade than the academy in a little
Canadian village. and obliged to make his
own way from the age of 16. is more ia
miliar with the classics in the original
than most college graduates and his criti-
cal knowledge OF art Is superior to thai Ct
most professional art critics.
or a different type is Russell Sage, who,
though a highly educated man, despite his
disadvantages as to schooling, has pre-
forred to study along special rather than
general lines all his life. Mr.. Sage saw
the need of education when working for q
very small wage as "the boy" in HE
brothers grocery store at Troy. He paid
a school teacher part of his weekly pit.
lance to teach him the three RS" at nigh
after both had done the days work b,
which they earned their living. And Will,
Mr.. Sage possibly could never have passe,
an examination that would have ADMITTED
him to college. he grounded himself wei
in the elements and afterward made goo,
use of the foundation in building up
superstructure of thorough knowledge o
> the subjects which interested him.. The
included trade, finance and politics, and h
has been conspicuous in all of them, hi
I now half forgotten political career havin
been a very successful one. In his wa
l. Mr.. Sage is one of the best educated me
in the world.
3 To mention a fraction of the men VIII
y have become educated outside OF colleR
would be simply C~ataloguing many of tn
II worlds best known men, and the names
those given, familiar to everyone, are stuff
= cient.
y 1t is clear then that the non-college ma
d has plenty of chances, but for all this
q every young man should avail himself
l. the best and most advanced school that h
1 can get. He must train himself thorough
4; If he would achieve, whether he can go I
I college or not.
g Finally the chief essential of real educa
@ tion, acquired either in college or tn
S worlds great school, is thorough and init
y mate mastery OF the elementary branches
the three R's'-on which the superstruC
ture OF all real education must be reared.
g THOMAS l.. JAMES.