Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-21
Valuable Information.

II deal has been written about Hve-foot
and three foot shelves of books. pig
skin libraries, and other short cuts to
a liberal education. In most instances
it has been clearly demonstrated that
these lists of books were drafted sole
" with the idea of promoting their
sale Some of the strongest men in
America have lent their names to this
advertising scheme. Before the lists
were made public their coming was
heralded far and near, and for a time
the public awaited the announcement
with much interest Then there arose
a storm of criticism of the lists, which
Tended in the revelation of the real pur-
pose of the selections.
Within week, however, a list has
been given to the public which is free
from any faint. 1t is in letter by the
late Governor John A. Johnson to a
young man living in the northern part
of Minnesota in response to an inquiry
|
Governors career. The answer is
| typical of the man, revealing the char
acterstics which gave him such q
commanding position in the country.
The letter says in part:
| "A Denefactor friend started me
| on a course of reading, introducing
| as the first work Prescott'S Con
| quest of Mexico The book in it
self Influenced me only to the eX-
| tent Of encouraging me along the
| line of better literature. This was
followed by Ivanhoe,' and then all
| of Scotts books, both poetry and
prose This was followed by Dick
| ems, Thackeray and other masters
in the realm of fiction.
',rhen came SHAKESPEARE I read
all of his plays, re-readlng many.
presume the great dramatist exert
ed a better influence than any
other one writer because of the de-
iIneation of so many Vari-Sided
characters. Out of him came the
inspiration to read more. His his
torical dramas directed me to the
history of England, and Hume and
Macaulay naturally followed. Then
| went to France to study roman
tic history; from there to Ger
many. back to Rome, Greece and
the Egyptian ana Aryan regions.
IT would be impossible to say
whether any one single book has
been prominent in it's influence.
The tendency of the above and
kindred books interested me in the
literature and history of my own
country, and the growth of the APP
petite for this food for thought
doubtless created a general desire
to know more of the institutions of
government here and abroad. All
of nv work in this direction must
have from time to time fired me
with ambition and exalted my
spirit of patriotic duty. In other
words, my increased knowledge of
the world and the men who made
its history and affairs fitted me in
some measure for the duties OF life.
Il do not know that any one
book or set OF books could be
chosen which would make for more
opportunity or greater success. 1t
is the collection of books which
make for more general knowledge,
and for this one must simply Gull
tivate the reading habit and con.
fine reading to the best books
written.
1.-The book shelves groan be-
meath the volumes which have sur
vivod the decades and centuries,
ana it would be we'll to spend as
little time as possible on the cur
rent literature, but confine yourself
to that which has stood the test
of years. when the wheat was win
moved from the chaff. l would not
discourage light reading or de-
nounce all literature because it
was new, because you must know
about the things of which men are
thinking and doing today.
Yes cultivate the reading habit,
and cultivate the art of commune
eating what you know to others.
With the genius of hard work. di-
rectness of purpose, success Will
come. Very truly,
JOHN A. JOHNSON"
The wonderful rise of Governor John
son has been and will continue to be
a source of inspiration to many young
men in this country. He possessed
wonderful ability to get that which
is best out of life. Undoubtedly his
general reading had a great influence
in shaping his career His selection
of books is not measured by the length
of the shelf on which they are to rest
but it is measured by the worth of
them-in our opinion much better
standard.