Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-17
THE COLLEGE BOYS HARVEST.

The notable lack of contestants for
the Cecil Rhodes Oxford scholarships
which have been bequeathed to
Americans brings into prominence one
OF the greatest advantages Of the col
lege life. How many of us, hesitating
on the threshold Of a career have bal
anced college education against an
early start in business with common
school course as our foundation and
balanced it rightly? 1t is not alone
the knowledge of the classics of his
tory. of higher English and advanced
mathematics that comprises the col
lege boys harvest when. at the end of
two or three or four years sowing of
time, energy and money, he gathers in
the sheaves along with his sheepskin.
In truth, it is open to question whether
this single part of his college educa-
time, energy and money he has spent.
1t Is the more material and more prac-
tical part Of the harvest that counts
for him in after life, the advantage OF
having known men who, like him, are
to make the citizens Of the nation
after leaving college behind.
The Rhodes scholarships have not
proven as popular as their donor
doubtless expected nor as the average
American expected. An education at
Oxford is to the Englishman all, and
more possibly. that an education at
Yale or Harvard can be to the Ameri-
can. The course of study is all that
it can be made, the professors are of
the best, the advantages offered the
student are lavish in their complete
ness. And yet. in Missouri for in
stance, there are only three young
men who feel interest enough in the
competition for the scholarship there
to enter their names on the list. And
the school authorities do not believe
any one of these can win the prize.
The reason for this is not easy to
see at first. but on closer view 1t be-
comes apparent to those who try to
learn it, This lack Of interest means
that the American boys realize that
the only education that will repay
them for the years spent in securing
it, no matter how small the actual
money outlay. is an education in an
American school. It is there that
they will mingle with the future
moulders of the destiny of their parent
nation. It is in America that they
must carve out their own future and
in order to best fit themselves for
this their education, must be in an
American school.
The same is true when brought
closer to home. An Ottumwa boy.
graduating from course In the com
mon schools, looks about him for an
institution in which to complete his
education upon either general or spe-
cial lines If general, and If he IN
tends or expects to remain in Iowa
during the early part of his business
life, then by all means he should at
tend an Iowa college or university. IT
is there that he will meet and know
others like himself who will, in a de-
cade. be in the business and profes'
sional life of the state. 1t is there
that he forms friendships and even
mere mountaineering which, fifteen
or twenty years after he leaves col
lege will come into good service, oIten
when least expected.
No two words were ever used as
synonyms which diverged more widely
in their real meaning tnan euucdlloh
and knowledge" The knowledge that
a man acquires from books and lee
lures during the average academic
course in college does not pay him, IN
more than one case in ten, for the
time he spends acquiring it. The
three or four years he spends in col
lege If he limits his harvest to knowl-
edge might much better have been
spent as clerk in some modern
business office or counting room.
But the education he receives,
which includes not only knowl-
edge but wisdom as to the ways OF
men and Of the world, will stand him
in good stead when he has long Tor
gotten conjugations, cube roots, MS
torical dates and the story OF the Ian
guages.