The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-19
Carnegie States
 Dead Languages
 Are Dead Weight
Decries Academic Courses in Colle,ges-Do Not Fit
 for Battle of Life

study Of dead languages and that as a result many a college graduate is crippled when he goes out into the struggle for existence is the substance of a talk to Yale men by Andrew Car negie, recently, through the Yale News. He upholds the practical courses and says sports are good if rightly used. The dead languages and special stud ies he condemns, except for those who are so fixed that the question of a liv- ing after college days does not con- cern. MT. Carnegie says. iu part:
 "In taking up the question of a college education, it is first necessary to consider. two types of men,; the man who must earn living and the man who is in a position to devote his time to study of the classics and not feel the effects of it as far as his pecuniary condition goes. In all that I have to say in regard to the present system of education in our universities, I refer to it's influence upon those who have to make their living.
 Tt is said that a young mans edu- cation is finished when he leaves school. There never was a greater fallacy. In the higher sense, educa ton only begins when a man leaves school. college or university. In these institutions he only learns the use of the tools. Whether he is to be edu- cated, or not, is to be determined not by knowing how to use the tools, but whether by the use of the tools he makes or mars his future development and life work. It is a question for the man coming out of college, wheth- CT he has turned all his powers. time, and attention to learning thoroughly the few essential things, to enable him to do his appointed work in life. Has he put his time to learning knowledge, which is relatively unimportant, in languages which are dead? In the storms of life is he to be supported by drawing upon Hebrew and Greek barbarians as models. or upon the eX amples of our modern heroes; men of practical ideas? No young man can derive inspiration from two sources, the ancient and the modern, because no young man has the time to learn both thoroughly.
 and this means everything. The argu- ment against putting the time of young men, the precious years of youth, in the study of the dead Ian guages is this: that excepting the scholar and the student 1t Is impos- sible for the university graduate to obtain such intimate knowledge of dead foreign language as will give him from the original as true conception of it's spirit as he will obtain from the best translations of his own tongue. Do not think that underrate the precious gems which the early liter ature of our race holds. But I say, why spend your precious youth on those things which in after life will chosen few? What more helpless sort of being is there than the average college graduate. who on stepping forth from the walls of his alma mater, finds himself face to face with the question of what to do with him. self under the circumstances Tn which he finds himself placed. In a major do nor which way to turn, if he is thrown on his own resources. The young man who attempts to start at twenty-two or twenty-three, direct from the university, cannot enter at the bottom of the business world not only because he does not know how to perform humble duties, but because he has learned. He is unftted to be- gin at the foot of the ladder
 'I have no hesitation in stating that any young man who must make his own way in the world, chooses wisely when he chooses to make an early start. believe that three or four years spent at that time of life would
 
 all that university gives it's grad uates. I hear it often said that every business man who has not received university education. wishes in after life that he had. There is truth in this I know that they regret every day that they did not learn something or other, but it is impossible in this busy age for man to have every accomplishment or to fathom all knowledge, and I do not know of any good thing that men have learned which they would exchange for any different thing which university would have given in it's place.
 ''As to sport. we have heard and are still to hear. I fancy, much in regard to college athletics, where our young blood must be kept in order through physical exercise as a means of ex- polling the surplus energy which, un- regulated, would effervesce in undesir- able forms. Sport should be educated Whats the use of playing except we win is apt to be the spirit in which we struggle. Now the advantages of playing are regardless of who wins or loses Proper athletic exercise is. like virtue. it's own reward, and both win ners and losers must be equally bene- fitad '