The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-06-11

in stone.' We have climbed the neiBhls of Milan cathedral, whose towers and walls are peopled with almost as great numbers of apostles and saints and martyrs and priests carved in solid stone as there are worshipers who ever gather at one time before it's sacred shrines. We have seen St Peters or Rome connected with the wonderful Vat ican and St. Marks, more poetic than the Venetian canals. We have seen the marvellous conceptions of Christopher Wren and the wonderful structure at Cologne. only a few years ago dedicated after having consumed centuries in build ing. These transcendent buildings have lifted themselves up even as did the tenn pie of King Solomon. Why? Every beam, every stone, had it's appointed place. Each part as a small mite, fitted into a great united whole. But as l stand to- day before a Westminster abbey or a St. Paul of London I emphatically assert that these structures compared to the strength and intelligence of the build CTS are not as wonderful as an ordinary every day, commonplace ant hive we may see in the country road.
 Building a Cathedral.
 To build the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York city blasting powder had to be used The foundations had to be excavated out of solid rock. True. But the ants often build their hives by exeavating the solid rock The walls of Canterbury cathedral must be absolutely straight True But no mason's plumb line ever erected straighter walls than the walls of an ant hills chambers. The rooms of the Vatican must be arranged in orderly fashion, All the chambers or an ant hill open into large corridors. Each room has its connecting railways. A Tod aat tha1raI milGf have it's proper system of drainage. The ant hive Is so built that 1t will shed all water. No rain storm can deluge it's cellars. No water overflowing the river bank can de- stroy it's foundations. The ancient Romans always built their cities on the hilltops for protection. Then ants build their hives on high places, where storm and water cannot submerge them.
 The ants wisdom should be emulated as much as her activity. The Arabians held the ants wisdom in such respect that after the birth of a male child they would place one of these insects in the baby's hand while they made the eranest prayer. "Oh God. may the boy turn out as clever and as wise as the ant" The human being who does not work with intelligent forethought is a useless and dangerous worker. Fire and steam are alike potent, but the harm caused by imprisoned fire may be greater than the good that Is done by harnessed steam. Willingness to labor Will not weave together carpet unless intelll- genee has manufa ctured a loom and "a shuttle. The intelligence of the ant Is startlingly significant. It is as worthy of imitation as is her preserving energy. SnoWshoes are useless in Florida. Calico dresses are an absurdity In the arctlc. A ships keel laid in the center of the western prairies had better be split up into kindlings. A telescope is utterly valueless except for the power of the brain which adapts the lens to the as tronomer's eye. Be wise. be wise! Consid- or the ants ways and be very wise.
 Intelligent and wise architects are they. Yes. But study the ants as sol- diers and submissive members of their great cooperative social organizations. In factory the cogs fit into each other. Because of their perfect fitting the great leather bands move round and the spindles fly, the elevators lift and the walking beams rise and fall the ham mers strike and the wheat Is ground and the wood Is cut. and the shoe and the aX and the saw and the chair and the stove are offered for sale by the city merchant men. Because of this same Kind or per feet fitting of one mans cogs into the eogs of other men a great multitude of man beings becomes a united creature of life called an army. Read ye the words of the centurion. For l also am man under authority, having under me sol diers, and I say unto one, Go! and he goeth and to another, Come! and he eometh, and to my servant Do this, and he doeth it. Thus, while we find that men as we'll as wheels may be set un- der authority, we find that ants are also set under authority.
 These ants obey their leaders just as submissvely as the soldiers of the British army obeyed Lord Roberts in the Boer war or the American soldiers obeyed Lee or Grant during our late civil strife When the commanding general of the ants gives the order Forward, marchp' the great hosts of ants fall into line. They tramp along in companies, in regi- ments in brigades. in great divisions. They have their officers, their advance guards and their soldiers to protect the rear. When the bvouac for Il night they seem to throw out their picket lines, as did William T. sherman on his march from Atlanta to the sea. Tht ants of Nicaragua always march in pha- lanxes of from four to six yards square When these great armies of invasion or migration cease their marching and go to building houses they disband as quiet ly and work at the vacations of peace as zealously as did the soldiers of the late civil war when they disbanded after theNl famous Washington review. When these ants are living at the home hive each individual member of the ant communi- ty seems to have her appointed place. Some ants are detailed to work upon the roof; some go foraging, while others take care of the ditches; some hunt food, while others stay at home and clean the eggs Each ant is q small atom. but each ant Is part of a great army or com munity, which moves and works in con cert. And because these ants do work and march in concert they can devastate whole forests They can make the lions and the elephantine monsters turn ana fee for their lives: they can pulld towns and cities; they can be the uncrowned kings of the fields. Every nvlng crea- ture stands in fear and dread of them.
 Value of Cooperation.
 Every industrious human life that is successful always co-operates with other lives Every ideal human organization on a large scale must be perfect human ant hive. Everywhere human talent should be specialized. What especial niche are you going to fill In the great human beehive? When l go and closely examine the wonderful mosaic floors and walls and ceilings of the Alhambra of the old Spanish Moors l do not find these individual stones very valuable in themselyes Many of them are only common pebbles that we might spurn with our feet in the street gutter But when these common pebbles, as individ- uaIs are cut and polished and placed side by side in contrast with other stones they form the beautiful mosalcs or the Alhambra, which are one or the marveis of this country. You as an individual
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