New-York tribune., 1902-04-27

would remind him of his first visit to America
Ny friend started out to endeavor to comply
with the wishes of Columbus. Columbus said,
What about that man Gutenberg, who invented
the art of printing, and followed his art in the
old country My friend took him to Printing
House Square, where newspapers were turned
out at the rate of forty thousand hour. CO.
lumbus looked disconsolate, and said he could
see no relation between the modern printing
press and the work done by Gutenberg.
Then Columbus asked how people travelled
nowadays in this country. During his first visit
he allowed that most people went on foot He
was taken to the Grand Central Station. and
hurried to Buffalo on the Empire State Express.
This made him feel ali the more disconso!ate,
and he said that this did not remind him of
anything that he had ever seen before in Amer
lea He then asked to be taken to a field OF
wheat. where he could see it harvested with
the sickle of old; but when they reached the
field they found a modern reaper harvesting the
crop. and tears came to Columbus's eyes he
cause the implements Of industry with which
he was familiar superseded by machln-
cry. He was asked TO be shown the method OF
thTashing grain hoping to see the old fali
brought out Instead came the modern thrash
ing machine which made the tears Of Column
bus flow faster.
In the course of their journey they came to
q country schoolhouse, and my friend, being OF
an educational turn Of mind, invited Columbus
to enter. The foundations of the building we're
crumbling, the paint had disappeared, the poards
and shingles were dropping off and many Oh
the windows were broken Passing into the
schoolroom they saw old fashioned benches' lhe
plastering was falling off the walls. the black
boards were gone, there We're liberal holes IN
the floor and the old stove stood on three legs
sIIpported by a stone and a brick Ny friend
looked at Columbus and his face lighting
up with satisfaction; his eyes twinkled with JOY,
and in every way he showed great dehehI
Looking about him, he remarked: Ihanh Goa
I've found one hing that hasn't changed IN lour
hundred years.
..TnlIs far | have given rather the discourage
in., side Of educational conditions in New ork
State The pictures l have drawn are not
tI!,ical Of general conditions. There is pet
ter view As a rule. tie people respond quickly
when their attention is called to actual educa-
tional needs Last year the people oil the state
expended S:;7. ..5UoOCo upon their public schools
This is I :niiicent demonstration oI theii
faith in public school education
In the northern part OF this State many OF
tfa schoolhouses stand quite in the woods.
WAS visiting one Of these spring morning
ehort1,- after Arbor Day. The school building
WAS on a little hill overlooking brook, and the
schoolyard was the only clearing IN SiGht- Al
recess the boys took me out and showed me d
tree that with great care they had Just piafleu'
ard they were tending it with as much interest
as though il were a specimen, while In
fart if was only "a sugar maple, with when the
forests therea bouts well filed asked
then, why they were cutivatins such tree
,ybcn there were so many like it all about
ouicklv one lad replied, But don't you See sH'
those are lust woods; this is our tree.
II recall another incident. 1t was a little Ola
cchoolhouse in a newly. cleared section Inc
children of this school knew little Of the Joys OF
cant forts of culture and means, but they had d
teacher who could make the most of what there
WAS The little girls had gone out among the
masses in the shade of the birches and hefn-
lacks and gathered hepatca, spring peautie'
.,5 dootootb yioets They had brought loail'
roo and on the shady side of the SchooliiouSe
had planted their flowers in pretty niue peNS'
They pofated them out to me with an ar 'I
honest pride and / asked them my q" you
nlant these common flowers? Why not buy
seeds of flowers you do not see so often:
lone little girl replied, You see we doh
ppoy- how TO take care of store p0sies, but we
ca, go right out here and see how these want 10
grow. .
...Rut, | said don't you get tired of taking
care of such common flowers? There are 50
many of them here all around in the brush
..ouicl,lv one replied. oh, no. Out there IN
tho brush God makes them grow all alone; -Dut
here we help Him.