The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-02-15
BRYAN'S LETTERS.

access to The Commoner. Nothing IN
the way of current literature is better
calculated to develop genuine abiding
taste for geographical, historical and
kindred branches of knowledge than the
weekly letter, now running IN The
Commoner, from the pen of William D.
BRYAN. A careful perusal of Mr. Bryans
letters in the last four issues of The
Commoper could not fail to shed flood
OF light on several Of the branches pur-
sued by high school students.
No matter how well a person might
be informed as to the geography and
history of Japan and Hawaii, the letters
in question could not fail to prove high
" instructive and pre- eminently enter
tanning to him, if perused thoughtfully.
The reading of a single paragraph from
one of those letters will, in many in
stances, clear up erroneous impressions
by dssolving old concepts and causing
new, clearly defined, strikingly-vivid
concepts to be formed in the mind OF the
reader. The reader feels that, while he
is not exactly getting first hand knowl-
edge, he is getting that which comes
pretty close to It when reading one Of
the letters here under consideration.
Hence the educational value OF said
letters; hence, also, the avidity with
which those letters are devoured by the
intelligent reader and by the rea'ier who
desires to become an intelligent reader
First hand knowledge Of things and
matters which are Inherently interest
ing must needs he interesting and, when
the acquisition Of such first. knowl.
edge is out of the question that which
is the best available substitute for 1t
cannot but be thoroughly interesting and
edifying.
Now, what is the best substitute Tor
unattainable tirst.hand knowledge, or
real knowledge? 1t is that which comes
as close to being real knowledge as the
difference between the area of an in
scribed polygon of an indefinite number
OF sides and that of a circumscribed poly
gon of an equal indefinite number of
sides-say I, 572, S64-comes to the area
of the circle ipclosing the one and being
inclosed by the other.
The letters above referred to are 80
clear, vivid, pointed, concise, vigorous
and perspicuous that they afford, to the
intelligent reader, very fair substitute
for first hand knowledge. Mr.. Bryan
has mastered the difficult art of accurate
description. This presupposes great
alertness of the senses, accuracy Of per,
ception, or the power and habit of close,
accurate, rational, relational properly
adjusted, interpretative, and compare
tive Observation. What IL often denomi-
mated first hand knowledge acquired
by observation is, in many instances, no
real knowledge at all.
ITO observations which ourselves we
make
We grow more partial for the observers
sake"
Hence the reason for properly qualify
ing the word observation, M above.
Mr. Bryan's letters afford evidence of
close and reliable observation. We say
reliable, because the said letters contain
abundant internal evidence of the fact
that he has weighed, corrected, adjust
ed, and interpreted his observations and
impressions. What the reader learns
from Bryan descriptions he will never
have occasion to unlearn.
Those who desire to keep abreast of
the times often read books that require
long sustained voluntary attention be-
fore genuine interest is kinded and
the attention Of the reader invountarily
sustained. This does not apply TO the
aforesaid letters. Here - few minutes
voluntary attention il all that is req
uisite to cause this to give way to in
voluntary attention. Hence the pleasure
with which those letters are received by
tens Of thousands Of readers
While the letters in question are of
great educational value to high school
students, and while they are of undoubt-
ed interest to the general reader, they
are especially charming to those who
are really well read in works on geopra
ply, travel and the history of civiliza-
ton. Those who bring the most to the
printed page will find the most in il
provided, OF course that the printed
page have facts, pith, and thought in it
II is psychological principle that that
which is wholly strange is often matter
OF little interest, whereas that which il
nearly understood, and contains little
that is not already known, is often in
tensely interesting
Those letters should be read in every
high school, every grammar school, and
in the upper form of every rural school
in the state
They are well calculated to breathe
the breath of life into the work in
geography in the upper form and in the
grammar school.