CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-05-24

our communities. Many OF them have
talent and ability, we have certainly
no word of disparagement to say con-
corning them.
"One president of the United States
could neither read nor sign his name
when he was twenty-one. He is, how
ever, no example to us. The ig-
rant are today filling our jails and
penitentiaries, not our whitehouses
and congressional halls. We need ed
ucation, information, mind training to-
day as never before, and as never be-
fore we have opportunities to get it
In other words, a man can cut wood
with a dull axe or he can NOV hay
with dull scythe. But he must put
to more strength. But wisdom is pro-
fitable to direct | want you to notice
the three words in this part of the
Proverb: Wisdom = Profitable = Di-
rect
THE writer of the book of Eccleias-
ties, whether Solomon or not, was a
wise man | think he was success
full and man with large experience,
a keen observer, close student He
may have been farmer. l think he
was, or had been at least, in his early
life. He certainly was familiar with
the tools of his time and makes fire.
quent reference to them. l wish you
would all read this book of Ecclesias-
tes. Read it hundred times. It's
favorite of mine. 1t has unity of
thought in it that is remarkable, yet
we can take one verse and dig in ii
and preach about it for week.
Some one said last week in semi
public address here in town-'We do
not care out west where a man was
raised, who his parents are or what
his religion is so long as he can do
his part While that is largely true,
it is none the less true that where
man is raised largely determines his
manner of thought and habits of life.
/, for instance, can claim kinship to
Solomon in only one way, not in wis
dom, nor possessions nor wives, but
alone in that | too was raised on the
farm and as familiar with the tools.
Therefore when Soloman in teaching
illustrates his point with a horse,
plow, a rake or a sycthe, he especially
appeals to me. | can say-'You are
right, | have been there Solomon
81 recall certain field on my faith
ers farm, it had been covered with
woods and was, and, perhaps, still is
covered with stumps. These were so
numerous that is was entirely imprac-
ticable to cut the hay with mower
but the hay grew there more luxu-
riantly than anywhere else. School
very unwisely closed just before hay
ing time Immediately after electri
flying the natives and neighbors with
scholarship, eloquence and oratory, af-
ter spending a few evenings in bor-
rowed full dress suit and receiving
books and flowers and praise at com
time, | was compelled to
go home, receive a limited amount of
praise there, few Bible verses on
pride and conceit, few side remarks
on the fact that while 1t was fairly
good it might have been much better,
a general survey of the horses, cows
and chickens, happy day which
closed with the remark that | must
get to bed rather early, that | had
been up SO much of late that / needed
rest. besides there was much to do to-
morrow.
Then the cotton shirt, the jumper,
the hard shoes. the scythe, the hot
sun, the sweat, bees. the woodpeckers, |
the milestone, the negroes, all arise
in my mind. | cannot number myself
among the older people here this eve
ming by any means and yet / am sure
that only the older people can appre-
ciate this scene. Every man had a
scythe on his shoulder and whet-
stone in his - pocket We would
NOW, slowlNpg the grass to one
side as it feli~ hat we called wind
rows. The soy had been properly |
ground earlier In the spring but soon
the sharp edge was gone and the |
scythe became heavy or pulled hard. |
When the edge became blunt one
could still cut grass but he must needs |
put to more strength, but here wis
dom got in her perfect work. Wisdom
was profitable to direct a man to whet
his scythe. Now / am sure If any of
you have ever been placed in. posi-
ton such as | describe you will say
is profitable and useful in
more ways than one. For instance,
II is much easier to whet than to NOW.
! have seen men who put in most of
their time wheting, leaning heavily
on their scythe the while. 1t is a
great change and relief.
Now in field of this kind you will
find some men who NOV with great
ease. They will stand erect, the
scythe seems to run automatically
through the grass making music as It
goes. Another will stoop low, strike
out hard and laboriously, wear out
his entire body and accomplish not SO
much. The one who mows easily is
probably not an educated man but he