The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1905-02-09

great pity OF II All Is tnaf tue scnOOl
official did not know what he had done.
He knew that, it pays to take his horse
be shod; he would not trust the fixing of
his watch even though it be small and
of little valuel to anyone but the most
skillful matchmaker available; but he
would entrust the most perfect mechan
ism of God, Himself, to an inexperienced
bungler
1t is said that Michael Angelo,
approaching one day the city of Florence,
observed a huge block of marble so large
that no artist in the city could be
persuaded to carve it. When the great
sculptor saw it, his eye kindled and a
vision of its great possibilities swept
over his soul Ere long from under the
chisel of the master artist emerged u
statue of marvellous beauty. 1t was
placed at the gate of the city, and all
who passed stopped to wonder and al
mire its perfect symmetry, and to praise
the greatness of the man who could
conceive and execute so perfect work;
and during all the centuries which
have since elapsed the beautiful statue
of David has been admired by millions
of lovers of art. SO in every school dis
trict there are souls born with infinite
possibilities, souls so marvelously com
pleX that only the master teacher can
mold and chisel them into forms of
beauty and of power. In the hands Of
the unskillful their beauty will never be
brought to perfection, their powers will
forever remain undeveloped.
One hundred pounds of iron ore is
worth perhaps - cents. If it be con
verted into pig iron it is worth about Il
doubled in value. If this be made into
| inch screws it will be worth 800, if
converted into fine needles it becomes
worth ST. 900; when made into fine
watch screws it will bring 81, 600 90 and
i ii made into finest hair springs it is
worth 81 500, coo, sixty times its weight
/ in gold. The higher the development
of the ore, and the more the refining,
! the hammering, the beating, the rolling
aud the polishing, the more valuable
the iron become- When a boulder
can he changed into statue worth
! so, 600 and common sand into a splendid
stained glass window, who shall set d
limit to the development of a human
being? When SO much may be done
with the crude ore from the mine, who
shall estimate the value of soul freed
| from the dross of sin liberated from the
alloy of ignorance, throbbing with
power resplendent III beauty, adorned
| with the graces of learning and virtue?
Look at that dirty heap of crude ore
worth 81 cents, then lock at the 81 800,
GOO worth of delicate hairsprings, flaw
less, perfect, rea'y TO measure off the
seconds minutes and hours of life, or to
set the bounds of human labor Tell
ore into the springsl 1t cost labor, but
the finished product justified all the
cost. Does anyone dream that human
being is less susceptible of improvement
than is iron ore; and would anyone have
the temerity to claim that the finished
product of right education is less
valuable than is the refined chemical
product of the ore?
In the days Of julius Caesar there
simple inscription The Mother of the
| Gracchi. Well might noble shaft
! bear mute testimony to the wisdom of
the woman who could perceive in her
sons priceless treasure to be cherished
and developed with the most solicitous
care The day came to Rome, as it
comes to every nation, when her safety
and perpetuity depended upon the
courage, intelligence and integrity Of
commonwealth of millionaires and
| beggars' with no voice to plead the
cause of the weak against the strong,
then appeared these noble sons of Cor
nelia to champion the cause of the
oppressed ana the pages of Roman his
tory contain no more illustrious names
than those of Tiberius and Caius
Gracious. Think you the labor and cost
Of their preparation was not repaid a
thousand fold TO the parents and to the
statel
In nothing did the founders of New
England exhibit greater wisdom than in
the generous spirit in which they pro.
vided for liberal education for their
children. From their scanty stock Of
money and still scantier stock of books
they gave generous portion for the in
tellectual and moral training of their
boys and girls. They gave when the
giving was genuine sacrifice
AT the beginning of the last century
a sturdy New Hampshire farmer boasted
that the smoke of no white man : cabin
rose between his own log house and the
SHOWS Of Canada His two sons grew
into vigorous young manhood on the
farm eagerly drinking in what learn
ing their sparcely settled neighborhood
could furnish Very soIlcitous for the
welfare Of their boys, the parents mort
gagged the farm to send 'the boys to
college No doubt the wiseacres of that
neighborhood shook their sage heads
/ - l. e G L