Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-06-18
THE FORTUNES OF WAR.


Mildred. Susan Babcock
Jack. Observation-Disclosures Bernard Tyrer
CLASS OF 'OS.
An extensive and appropriate pro-
gram of exercises was arranged for
commencement week at the Mineral
Point high school; the exercises were
carefully and we'll carried out; and
the community manifested a wide and
deep interest in the event.
The musical portion was very
creditable to all who took part and
to the musical talent of Mineral Point.
The graduates rendered their sew
erai parts ably and we'll. In the class
plays they displayed good dramatic
ability. And their addresses, in the
class day exercises and in the COM
mencement exercises proper, abounded
in bright and good thoughts. we'll ex-
pressed in words. In all o. their
several parts they showed that they
were carefully and well trained.
THE ADDRESS OF JOHN C. FREEMAN,
LII. D.,
professor of English literature in
the University of Wisconsin, gave
unbounded satisfaction. He said so
many good things in regard to the
great subject of education and said
them in such bright and force
full way that his words will long exert
power for good in this community.
He at once secured the closest atten-
ton from his hearers and then i'm.
pressed upon their minds some very
important points which they will not
soon forget.
The coming of Prof. Freeman to
Mineral Point at this time is most
opportune. A strong school spirit
prevails and his excellent address will
do much towards directing that spirit
Alright. The following is but very
brief outline of a few of his thoughts:
Seven hundred pounds of force
required to move 1000 has been re-
duced to p pounds. This is what
Intelligence does, and it is necessary
to have it and each successful inyen-
ton gives us successful facility. The
savage who swims a stream, carries a
dozen pounds on his back. If he
could invent an AK and cut down a
tree he could carry many times that
weight many times the former dis
lance. If he should hollow out this
log and make a canoe, he would
further increase his carrying capacity
Ii he should fell other trees and make
raft, he could then bring his rude
craft into ship shape and erect a
mast, and then his proud ship will
watt miles and miles; and after the
sailing vessel came the great steam
ship still man is not satisfied. This
is what intelligence does, but take it
away, and your steamship falls back
to the crude log and the savage car
ries his dozen pounds alone. What [
am saying illustrates the progress we
have made, gradually inching along
from one step to another, which
makes our life in these days so diff
ferent from what it was a few genera
tions ago. Why did man discover
the course of the stars before they
made wagon wheel? Why did they
invent the Roman characters before
thaU
the men who performed the worlds
work were uneducated. An ignorant
man will toll all his life without any
knowledge of Improvement or inven-
ton, while an Intelligent man makes
his wits saves his sinews.
The speaker used the steam engine
to illustrate the progress in inventions
and later inventions in lighting, heat
ing and transportation. A great
bridge over the Schuylkill river at
Philadelphia was replaced by new
bridge. A train passes over every
three minutes during the day. In re-
placing the old bridge with the new,
traffic was discontinued only two min
utes and seventeen seconds.
Irrigation is one of The greatest un-
dertakings that has been launched in
this generation. The administration
of Theodore Roosevelt will be most
noted for the irrigation of that great
region known in our biographies as
the Great America desert. They don't
call it that now. They don't think it
is going to be desert. 1t is 3 200
miles long and $50 miles wide, and we
are going to settle this country, not
with brown people, but with emigrants,
like these graduates.
Mind is the true resource of this
generation. The mind Of the present
inhabitants that makes the difference
in this country from what it was 300
years ago. And for whom are these
great advantages to which we have
been referring? Are they for the rich
alone? No, they are for everybody.
The laborer digging potatoes at $3.50
per day has in some respects more
privileges even than kings had few
centuries ago. The advantage of in
telligence is the Americans, and it is
DO wonder that America is the home
of inventions. Discovery of inven-
ton is discovery of the underlying
principle. More poor people than
rich people make discoveries.
Referring to the class: Launching