Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-05-18

reference to a reDafkabee speech which
Charles Francis Adams delivered some
years ago before the Phi Beta Kappa
vocioty Of the Harvard university. The
htie Of this address was "A College
Fetch" In Il Mr.. Adams denounced
the absurd course Of study which many
colleges demand Of students In years Of
work over Greek and Latin and the
classics. utterly ignoring practical stud
les for everyday life. How did Har.
yard college prepare me and my nine
ty.two classmates Of the year 1859 for
our work Of iifer' he asked. I'm an
swefing tho question It ID not altogeth-
er easy to preeerve oneis' gravity. The
college fitted 10 for this active. bus.
ting. hard biting. many toBgued world,
caring nothing for authority and little
for the past. but full Of its living
thoughts aud living Issues. In dealing
with which there was no man who did
not stand In pressing and constant need
Of every possible preparation - re.
spects knowledge and e1acutnde and
thoroughness-the poor old coIacge pre-
pared us to play our parts In THE world
by compelling us. directly or indirectly.
to devote the best part Of our school
lives to acquiring a confesssdiy super
fetal knowledge Of two dead Ian
guages." Such IL the testimony of
Charles FRANCIS Adams In reference to
one of the educational fetiches Of our
college life. Such, on q broader scale.
are the feGiches In reference to the ed
ucation Of the average young man OF
woman Of today.
Let us take the average young man
on commencement day. College OF
school days are over. The foundations
Of the educational towers have been
laid. Young man. what con you Do ~
asks the hard needed wosed. "ASe you
ali expert in any one line? Are you q
capable mining engineer? Are you q
first class advertising agent7 Can YOU
sell goods? Are you an authority AZ q
real estate man? What can you dor
Nothing" says the young man. 81
am willing to do anything. but do moi
know n trade. have not become pro
ficient in any one line Of work. But
am willing to do what an, told to do.
That is not enough. To be willing II
not necessarily to be capable. Wha'
can you do?"
The Wheel Of Fortune.
The wheel Of fortune turns. The
daughters. brought up in luxury. have
to go out and make living. Can yot
cook? Are you an expert stenogra
pher? Have you papers which signify
that you are we'll trained nurse Of
schoolteacher or dressmaker? Are
you enough of an authority on French
to become n translator. or are you {
proofreader. a master hand as a mu
stefan or a capable artist? The ques
tions which face you, o woman. arr
these: What can you do thoroughly ant
well7 On what subject can you speal
as an Al authortty?" Half built tower
are uninhabitable houses. Half bull
ships are absolutely useless to Draw
the tornadoes Of the Atlantic ocean
What can you do? What can you do
What one thing can you do as we'll a
II not better than any one else?
But the half built educational tow
ers are not to be condemned nearly a.
much as the deserted. half built enter
prises Of life which we see everywhef
around us. 1t was only here and ther
that man or woman In the past ha'
an opportunity to get complete edu
cation. The higher schools Of our ia
theirs and mothers were few and IA
between. Besides that. even II ther
were fine schools In the past all chi
dren were not able to go to them. Per
haps you were like my grandfather
He was the oldest of large family o
children. He had to stay at home an
help work the farm that the y0unOe
members of the family might hav
enough bread to eat and enough clOtt
ing to wear. Thus the only education
you received outside Of the three RS
was out of the "University Of Har
Knocks" But in spite Of this handicay
my friend. you have . geod mind.
good body and you have had a goo
many Of the essential capabilities Q
success. Now, why have you bee
such II failure? Why is your life in II
uselessness to be likened unto that hal
built tower which Plate, the governor
erected and toward which Christ poin
ed when he spoke the words OF m
text? I will tell the reason. You wen
TO work and worked hard. You d.
vcloped yourself along one line. 70
laid your foundations: you partly CON
pleted your walls. but just when 20
were about to complete your work an
win success you deserted the line q
work you were following and went I
dig In some other field to build anoths
kind Of tower.
Did Not Stick 20 II.
Is not this emphatically true Wit
you In business7 What are you dom
today? "Oh." you answer. II am In tn
mining business. Some Of my friend
and myself have q dozen claims UP |
the new gold fields. ! am hound soon
be rich There 10 no doubt about 1
We are within q quarter Of mile q
one mine where they have taken Ov
81 10000 In one year. We are on tn
same vein or line of ore. We are boun
to get rich. Will you take some stoc
In our mine? You can get rich too.
No. I thank you. In the 6rst place.
have no money to invest: In the &c,
und, II I had I would not invest
In your mine. You are almost certai
to make q failure out Of It. II there