Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-08-15

classics. Above all. they learned,
word for word. chapters. and some-
times books, from the Old and New
Testaments. Doubtless In those days
many a pupil with facile memory
slipped through his course, or let II
slip through him. and gained little in
mental fiber and power. Yet. after
all. there are few better possessions
than something of the worlds hest
treasure of wisdom or beauty learned
by heart One of our greatest natural
lists was compelled IN his bOyhoOd to
commit to memory the entire New
Testament and a large part of the old.
Without that early training he would
not have gained the clear and vigorous
and beautiful style by means of which
he has been able to open the eyes of
others to the wonders of nature. There
is no such model of style as the old
Book of our fathers. Lucy LarcOn.
enjoying to her last days the verses
learned In her windOw-sedt library In
the mill; Madam willard. finding de.
light in her eightieth year in the
treasures committed to memory in her
girlhood; Whittier, cheering slcepless
nights with the rich stores of his mem.
ory--tbese and hundreds of others
bear witness to the value OF wisdom
learned by heart. But II must he by
heart. The treasure must be used and
age and forgotten. SO used and loved,
the words of the masters reveal deep.
cr meanings rs the years 70 by. They
become enriched TO us by u thousand
assoc ations-days of glndness or sor-
row to which they have ministerctl.
times Of trouble or danger In which
they have stood as beacon lights. They
have become part of the very fiber of
our lives. Not only have they given
us wisdom and counsel and delight.
but also something. at least, of the cul.
ture Of high friendship.
~leA
once every year--nt Thanksgiving
time-sOile one IL sure to remark that
the turkey. not the eagle. IL the grpnt
American bird. Professor THOMPSON
Of the United Stntes Agricultural do.
partment thinks II II neither the t,ir.
key nor the engle. but the hen. He
has been assOciating much with hens
Of late. ana has been 40 impressed
with their industry. energy. persistence
and strict attention to business that he
has written pamphlet on the subject.
The American hen. says Professor
Thompson. produces more. In dollars
and cents. than all the gold and silver
mines of the country combined: and. II
the value of the hens be added, the
aggregate IL twice the annual yield of
all the gold and silver mines. and six
times the value of the wool crop. The
crop of the hen. then--but that IL a
mere bubble. No person who desires
TO become wealthy can read Professor
ThOmpsOn's essay without u dctcrmi.
milton to give up his life Insurance
policy ana buy n hen.
~eA
No other government In the world
attempts to give its people such fire..
Qucnt ana detailed information about
crops rs the United States furnishes
to the farmers of the country In its
monthly crop reports: nor IL there any
other country which could furnish re-.
ports 80 diversified and. from the point
of view of all the people. 40 hopeful.
Size IL In itself often. perhaps usually.
an element OF strength. This II ns
true of n country rs of nm indlvldual:
but the strength of the United States
lies more In differences of soil and va.
ricty of climate than In mere extent
of territory. These differences mean
diversified prOducts--a fact which the
crop reports bring out at II glnncc-and
therefore reduced liability of wide.
spread suffering through local crop
failures. II there IL u country on the
face of the cartl where Il famine IL
absolutely impossible, this IL 1t. In
ordinary times we raise not merely the
food we ourselves need. but lnrgc
share also of what Europe eats. Our
ration IL not confined to one or two
things. but consists OF wheat, both
winter and spring; corn. oats, rye, bar.
ley. rico. potatoes. ana many kinds OF
fruit; beef, mutton, poultry, pork. milk,
butter and eggs. Meteorological cOndi.
tiOns which should blight or destroy
more than n small part OF this great
food supply are almost Uncomfortable.
At least they are unhenrd Of. And
there remain those other great crops,
cotton ana hay, which, although they
do not In themselves furnish food to
man. yet indirectly put food into the
mouths of millions. Sections may suf-
fer rs New England has suffered from
drought and some parts of the West
from food: but these are, after all,
hut little patches on the great agricul'
turnl map. The country rs whole
moves prosperOusly Oh from year to
year.
&6
The national bankruptcy law, with
the amendments made by Congress at
the last session. has now had time tn
prove its value as II working instru-
ment. ana 1t Is the opinion of the spe-
cial officer of the Department of JUS
tice. In charge of this service, that as
II result of its operation there will be
| u decrease In the number of voluntary
petitions In bankruptcy In the future,
In fact, this prediction Is supported by
| the returns of the Federal courts for
the six months ending the first of last
ADril This decrease Ia likely 70 he