Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-11-12
1.-THE BRAIN OF THE NATION
Vermont's Share in the Distribution
of Men of Talent.

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November Century oil "The Brain
Of the Nation" Gustave Michaud at
tempts to answer the question,
"Where are the most intellectual
people of our country--those who
yield the highest percentage of abil-
typ and his study of the problem
places Vermont first of all the states
in the production of men of talent.
The greatness of New England and
Vermont is shown in map and
text.
In determining the birth-rate OF
genius the author has limited him
self to the present. To find out the
fraction representing the degree OF
intellectually for each state he takes
for the numelator the number of
persons born in that state, living in
1000, included in directory OF per-
sons prominent in public life, the
arts, sciences and literary pursuits,
and for the denomination the total
number of persons born in the same
state and living in the United States
in 1900, the latter number being
furnished by the twelfth census.
The word "intellectuality" is not
considered by the author as synony-
nous with ''intellect." Inteliectu-
alitv is the main characteristic of
the man of genius; intelligence that
OF the man who succeeds in life.
Intelligence means common sense;
intellectually does not. The names,
therefore, likely to be found in
dictionary of biography are those of
men who were led by an overpow-
ering passion for some intellectual
pursuit, often of literary, artistic,
or scientific nature.
In map accompanying the arti-
Gle our present birth-rate of talent in
each state has been charted. The
word "present" refers to the fact
that all the human elements of the
calculation were living in 1900.
Beginning with New England,
| where, out of everv 100000 births
81 are those of men of talent, a
steady fall is noted in the birth.rate
of men of talent in going westward.
In New York the number falls to
"a, in Ohio to 10, in Indiana to II,
in Illinois to 10, in Missouri to 6, in
Kansas to 2, in Colorado to /.
AS shown by the map, Vermont's
birth-rate of celebrities is 81 per
100000. New Hampshire is Sec
ond, showing birth-rate Of 81, and
in Massachusetts the number is 81,
in Connecticut 50, in Maine IS, in
Rhode Island 80.
1t is evident, says the author, that
the cause of the imposing intellect
ual superiority of the poor noun
famous regions of New England
over the whole East, lies in the men
themselves and not in their sur
roundings. Tho immigrants who
peopled New England during the
seventeenth century may be roughly
divided into two categories: those
who emigrated because they wished
to acquire property, and those who
sought religious freedom. The lat
ter contained among them an unusual
number of men of talent. Few colo
MES have ever received such host
of idealsts as New England did in
the days of its settlement. On that
element was laid the foundation of
its present intellectual greatness.
The fertile plains of the West
contrasted with the poor soil of New
England; westward current Of
emigration from New England be-
gan. The energetic, "strenuous"
people were those who left. The
poets, the literati, the artists, the
scientists, are less susceptible to the
attractions of good and cheap land;
the talent Jagged behind. To these
high-mlnded, high-thinking men
New England owes her intellectual
superiority today. There is no sug.
gestion of degeneracy in this flatter-
ing census of celebrities, nor is there
any indication that New England
will not be able, in coming years, to
call home to be counted just as many
men of genius.
Let the White Folks Settle II.
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