Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-08-05

now mucn this man stimulated my Gu
rfosity, and how often endeavored to
break through the reticence which he
showed in all that concerned himself.
Before pronouncing judgment, how
ever, be it remembered how objectless
was my life and how little there was
to engage my attention.
My health forbid me from venturing
out unless the weather was exception
ally genial, and I had no friends who
would call upon me and break the mo-
notony of my daily existence.
Under these circumstances, eagerly
around my companion, and spent much
1t.
He was not studying medicine. He
had himself, in reply to a question,
confirmed Stamford's opinion upon
that point
Neither did he appear to have pur-
sued any course Of reading which
might fit him for a degree in science
or any other recognized portal which
would give him an entrance into the
learned world.
Yet his zeal for certain studies was
remarkable, and within eccentric linn
its his knowledge was so extraordinar-
lily ample and minute that his obser-
vations have fairly astounded me.
Surely no man would work so hard
to attain such precise information un-
less he had some definite end in view.
Desultory readers are seldom remark
able for the exactness of their learn
ing.
No man burdens his mind with small
matters unless he has some very good
reason for doing so.
His ignorance was as remarkable
as his knowledge. OF contemporary
literature, philosophy and politics he
appeared to know next to nothing.
Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle
he inquired in the naivest way who he
might be and what he had done. My
surprise reached climax, however
when found incidentally that he was
ignorant of the Copernican theory, and
of the composition of the solar sys-
tenn.
That any civilized human being in
this nineteenth century should not be
aware that the earth travelled round
the sun appeared to me such an ex-
traordinary fact that I could hardly
realize It,
"You appear to be astonfshed," he
said, smiling at my expression of sur
prise. ''Now that do know it, shall
do my best to forget It,"
"To forget it,"
''You see," he explained, 'T consider
that a mans brain originally is like
little empty attic and you have to
stock it with such furniture as you
choose. A fool takes in all the lumber
of every sort that he comes across, so
that the knowledge which might be
useful to him gets crowded out, or at
best is jumbled up with a lot of
other things, so that he has diff
Guilty in laying his hands upon it. Now,
the skillfu1 workman Is very careful
indeed as to what he takes into his
brain attic. He will have nothing but
the tools which may help him In do
ing his work, but of these he has a
large assortment, and all in the most
perfect order. 1t is mistake to think
that that little room has elastic walls
and can distend to any extent. De
pend upon it, there comes time when
for every addition to knowledge you
forget something that you knew be-
fore. 1t is of the highest importance,
therefore, not to have useless facts ell
bowling out the useful ones"
"But the solar system!" protested.
What the deuce Is it to me?" he in
terrupted, impatiently; you say that
we go round the sun. If we went
round the moon it would not make a
pennyworth of difference to me or to
my work"
was on the point of asking aim
what that work might be. but some
thing in his manner showed me that
the question would be an unwelcome
one.
I pondered over our short converse
ton, however, and endeavored to draw
my deductions from 1t. He said that
he would acquire no knowledge which
did not bear upon his object. There
fore, all the knowledge which he pos
sessed was such as would be useful
to him.
I enumerated in my own mind all
the various points upon which he had
shown me that he was exceptionally
well informed. I even took pencil
and jotted them down.
could not help smiling at the docu-
ment when I had completed 1t. 1t ran
in this way:
1. knowledge of literature-Nil.
2. knowledge of philosophy-Nil.
8. knowledge Of Astronomy-Nil.
4. knowledge of Politics-Feeble
5. knowledge of botany-variable
Well up in bella donna, opium and
poisons generally. Knows nothing of
practical gardening.
6. knowledge of geology-Practlcal,
but limited. Tells at glance different
soils from each other. After walks
has shown me splashes upon his trous-
ers, and told me by their color AID
consistence in what part of London he
had received them.
Z. knowledge of chemistry-Fro-
found.
s. knowledge of anatomy-Accu-
rate, but unsystematic.
9. knowledge of sensational litera-
ture-Immense. He appears to know
every detail of horror perpetrated in
the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
IL. Is an expert single stick player,
boxer and swordsman.
12. Has good practical knowledge
of British law.
When had got so far in my list 1
threw it into the fire in despair.
IF cannot find what the fellow Is
driving at by reconciling all these &C
complisSments and discovering call
ing which needs them all, said to
Il may as well give up the at
tempt at once"