The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-05-27

Population. 1.S43. 600. families, 3is,ooo,
strike out S.60o for colored. and 30o.ooo
antilles remain: one-third of th4s -
100. 900 possible college students; / can
count only 1000 actually in college IN
the State which is only ; per cent. There
is absolutely no place for the spirit o.
rivalry. except friendly rivalry. between
the colleges or colleges and the uniYer-
sfty. II you count 500 graduates a year.
in this State. il would be only one-third
of one per cent. Of the population, ana
at the same rate it would take 300 years
10 graduate our present population; ana
in that time nine generations would pass
away. People are being born faster than
they are being educated, and the battle
with ignorance is 10 be a prolonged strus-
gle; universal education, except IN the
most ordinary way. is q visionary dream
There never was a time when the edu-
Gated person had such opportunities.
There IS absolutely no chance to over
stock the market with capable men.
The great public school system. like
gentle showers and sunshine upon the
grass i'm ~springtime. gives new life and
upward motion to the young minds ard
lakes the field for a larger class Of
men. a hopeful and inviting future. The
great army OF pure young ladies, who
teach in the public schools, IS making
the wilderness and solitary place glad
for them and the desert blossom as the
rose. Beautiful manners take the place
Of rudeness, love the place OF tyranny,
and roses the place OF rods. Nothing
has changed more than the public school
room: and this through the influence Of
good young women who are the angels
the school room, the representation Of a
new intelligence, the exponents OF a
new civilization. They deserve the homage
Of the nation, a crown of gold. They
have made the air sweet With cleanli-
ness. the voice musical with tenderness
and lessons bright with refinement. But
these schools only start the tender mind
in the path of learning and strength;
the college must take up the work and
carry it forward TO more useful ends.
/. How to Lealn-Acquisition.
The possession of information alone is
not education. Alexander Lyons, or
blind Alec Of Stirling. Scotland, had
committed the words of the entire Bible.
James Calls Natures Normal School,
says, mention any sentence and he
could finish it and tell where it was
found. But, when tested. he could not
apply the teaching of a single passage,
and did not understand the meaning
OF a single verse Well authenticated
instance is reported of a student who
actually learned six books of Euclid by
heart, though he could not tell the diff
ference between an angle and a triangle.
4 Scotch student tells of a fellow-student
who learned his Geometry in this way.
and when letters We're changed on the
figures on the board, it was amusing to
hear him recite.
Dr.. Arnold, OF Rugby. said: The effort
a boy makes is a hundred times more
I Va II 70 hin, tbor tho I-r,,1 ~ 40. 90
quired as the result of the effort" and
Herbert Spencer says: THE child should ,
be taught as little as possible. and in
ducCd to discover as much as possible"
Knowing how to learn, the ability to
acquire for ones self, being able TO stand
alone and to walk alone is the first vic
tory in education. And this capacity for
self-acquirement is the disideratim in
all the world of human effort. Life is 4
perpetual school in the trades, business,
farms. homes. and professions; and the
person who knows how to learn presses
on in learning. IN this sense all men
are Self-made.
II. How to Live.-Character
The students of DR.. Arnold used to
say that a boy who was under his in
t1uence could not do a notably mean
thing because a boys honor was made
so much of in his school, This admits
the influence of the teacher over the
pupils, instilling the very character and
life into young men. This has much prom
Use in the faithful professors who spend
their lives in the retirement of the lee
ture room. 1t is their life, after al.
that most impresses and fashions man
hood and womanhood. The mineral wa
tiers OF Vichy, in France, are celebrated
for their tonic and invigorating qualities.
Thousands seek health at these 81, ree.
and many thousands more buy ana ,.sp
TINS water at home. In addition tn Ter
health restoring qualities. some Of these
springs nave the power of petrifying.~ or
coating With stone, whatever stpaGiIv
and for a considerable length Of time
IS exposed to their action. The water
IS clear and colorless. but slowly pre-
clpltateS its mineral elements until the
image is coated with stone. If a cross,
it becomes a stone cross; if q figure in
human form, it becomes one in stone.
SO the pupils under the invisible in
Cence Of the teacher take on. or in
the mind, the character of the teacher.
and this is the chief element in education
Il education fail here, it fails cverv-
where. without character education is
nil. A man died in Norfolk a wear AGO
and his death illustrates the Importance
OF character III education. His name was
frank Gilbert. son of ". S. Gilbert who
win Sir Arthur sullivan, was the author
OF 'Pinafore," "Patience.' and numerous
other operas which have been sung and
resuhg all over the face OF the civilized
world. Frank was a graduate of Oxford
IN England, a great musician. but fhe
drink habit had fastened itself in his
being. He had roamed from CITY 70 civ
seeking a place to redeem himself and
az Iast reached Norfolk. but found place
lof a ofunkard to work in associations
nat coulo help. Drunkenness had driven
nm INTO low resorts to make music FIR
shame; and he finally died in the civ
Aims House, May ?. 1901. And al ~
cause he had not learned how "a live
III. How to Work-Usefulness
\ young man applied to a city mer-
Chant for q place as salesman .ra.