Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1904-01-21
DIR. GRIGGS At
HIGH SCHOOL
"THE PROBLEM OF OUR OWN
CULTURE. ABLY DISCUSSED
BY A SCHOLAR.
THE USE OF MARGINS
Mental Dissipation Always Antago-
nistic to Real Culture.
(By w. A. Fiske.)

Yesterday afternoon at O'Clock
the city schools were closed and the
teachers, large number of students
and over hundred friends of edu-
cation assembled in high school hall
to listen to lecture by DR.. Edward
Howard Griggs. DIR. Griggs was here
three years ago and delivered series
of lectures before the teachers OF
Wayne county. Many, therefore,
knew what an intellectual treat was
In store for them on this occasion.
The subject of the address, 1.-The
Problem of Our Culture was not
one that appeals to teachers alone,
but had a decided interest to lnd1vld-
uals of any profession or walk OF
life. He said, In substance: One OF
the great aims of life should be per-
sonal culture and the means of bring
ing this condition about should be the
prime purpose of our lives. One of
the greatest sources Of culture IS to
make the best use of our margins,
which means the time, long or short
as the case may be, over and above
that required to make a living or to
accumulate the necessities of life. 1t
is that to which we devote our mar
gins that brings the greatest returns,
because it is this time that is usually
employed IN doing that in which we
take the greatest pleasure. sit is
the use of the margins that determines
the real qualities of life ,and is the
great test of character.
These need not be spent in hard
mental labor, but may be spent in
play, yet in whatever way they are
spent care should be taken that they
are not wasted in dissipation.
Several forms of dissipation were
given, among which was first men
toned the reading Of newspapers. The
speaker believes in the newspaper and
regards it as having a two-fold func-
tion, that of moulding public opinion
AMI teaching urrent history, but he
regards it as a very extra ordinary
newspaper which should consume
more than fifteen minutes of time in
its reading.
The time devoted to its columns of
murders, robberies and other criminal
deeds IS time spent in the worst form
Of mental dissipation.
A second means Of wasting mental
capital IS by reading cheap magazines
and, third, listening to public lectures.
The speaker said he believed in
public lectures. else he would not be
here, yet he regarded them as a
source of evil unless the hearer was
willing to give two hours of close
thought on what was said to every
hour consumed IN listening to the lee
ture.
Much stress was laid upon the fact
that little harm is ever done by what
is called over work It is true that
eases sometimes come up that seem
to be due to this cause, but it IS
usually found to be accompanied by
social dissipation or some other cause
equally as bad. t'Worry is usually
CiAN VI AAAt = cat tetJScS VI lItoC uICn-
tai or physical failures assigned to
over work, and should be placed un-
der one 5 feet Learn to cultivate a
disposition free from worry in order
to accomplish the greatest results In
any vocation The great secret of
success In life is mental concentration.
A lack of this is one of the greatest
sources Of wasted energy. To con-
centrate the mind upon a task hold it
there until the work is completed is
one of the greatest achievements of
man. The instance of NaroIeon
spending seventy-two hours without
food or sleep upon a great problem
was used to press the point e'Tt was
not the fact that he was physically
able TO accomplish such task as
this, the thing in itself was wrono
put 1t was the strong determination
OF the man that did it as well as later