Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-07-31


The reader may set me down as a
hopeless buaybody. when | confess
how much this man Htlmulated my Gu
rlosity. and how often I endeayored tf
break through the reticence which he
showed Ia all that concerned himself
Before pronouncing judgment. how,
ever. be II remembered how obiectless
was my life and how little there was
TO engage my attention.
MY health forbid me from vcnturlng
out unless the weather was exception.
ally genial. and had no friends who
would call upon me and break the mo.
notony OF my daily existence.
Under these circumstances, eagerly
hailed the little mystery which hung
around my companion. and spent much
OF my time in endeavoring to unrayel
II.
He was not studying medicine. lie
had himself. in reply to question,
confirmed stamford's opinion upon
that point.
Neither did he appear 20 have pur.
sued any course OF reading which
might NJ 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 lin.
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 80.
His ignorance was as remarkable
as his knowledge. or contemporary
literature. philosophy and politics he
appeared 10 know next to nothing.
Upon nv quoting Thomas Carlyle.
he inquired In the naiyest 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.
TEN.
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-
troordinary fact that could hardly
realize II.
You appear to be astonished." he
said. smiling at my expression of aur.
prise. Nov that do know It, shall
do my best to forget it."
ITO forget H."
You see" he explained. II consider
that mans brain originally Is like a
little empty attic and you have TO
stock II with such furniture as you
choose. A fool takes in all the lumber
OF every sort that he comes across. 30
that the knowledge which might ne
useful to him gets crowded out, or at
best is jumbled up with q lot of
other things, so that he has din
Guilty in laying his hands upon II. Now,
the. skillful workman Is very carefil
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
large assortment, and all In the most
perfect order II is a mistake to think
that that little room has elastic walls
and can dlstend to any extent. De.
pend upon II, there comes time when
for every addition to knowledge you
forget something that you knew be-
fore. 1t is of the highest Importance,
not to have useless facts ell.
bowing out the useful ones.''
"Rut the solar system!" protested.
What the deuce Is 1t to me?" he in.
terrupted. impatiently; you say that
we go round the sun. II we went
round the moon It would not make
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
| pondered over our short conversa-
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.
enumerated in my own mind all
the various points upon which he had
shown me that he was exceptionally
we'll informed. even took pencil
and iotted them down,
I could not help smiling at the docu-
ment when had completed 1t. 1t ran
In this way:
HoLMEs-His Limits.
1. knowledge of literature--Nil.
2. Knowledge OF philosophy-Nil.
g.. Knowledge OF Astronomy-Nil
4. Knowledge Of Politics-Feeble,,
s. knowledge OF botany-Variable
Well up in bella donna, opium aud
poisons generally. Knows nothing of
practical gardening.
8. Knowledge of geology-Practical,
but limited. Tells at a glance different
soils from each other. After walks
aas shown me splashes upon his trous,
srs, and told me by their color aid
In what part of London he
had received them.
q knowledge of chemistry-Pro.
'ound.
8. Knowledge of anatomy-Accu-
'ate, but unsystematic,
8. knowledge of sensational litera-
.ure-Immense. He appears to know
every detail of horror perpetrated in
he century.
10. Plays the violin well.
IL. Is an expert single stick player,
boxer and swordsman.
IL. Has good practical knowledge
If British law.
When / had got so far in my list
hrew it into the fire in despair.
III cannot find what the fellow Is
irving at by reconciling all these ac-
,omplisSments and discovering call
ng which needs them all, said to
myself, Il may as well give up the at