The Calumet news., 1911-02-22
BY Alec J. Braid-ln the Christian
Science Monitor, Boston.

CORNISH character. Ana Wnyy IL Is be-
cause the bulk of the population has
descended from men whose callings
for generations, even centuries. has
been ardous and hazardous?
Fish tin and copper" the three
words Of the Cornish motto. are the
index. Fishing and mining are two
great industries. Both demand pa
tience. application and indifference to
danger TO an extent not understood by
the softer worker. They. too, afford
abundant time for contemplation.
The man born of a father intro
spective because of the dangers sur
rounding his daily toll inherits the re-
Elective spirit Then there is i'm the
Cornish character receptivity Off
good influence which has come down
the centuries. Undoubtedly the old
industries OF the country, particularly
that of tin mining, have had much TO
do with the building up of a sturdy
spirit of independence. not a recking
naught Of the beliefs and likes of 9TH
ers, but that broader spirit which
throws the man back upon himself and
his own efforts. The Cornishman re-
allies, perhaps in a greater degree
than his average fellow -countryman.
that labor has a reflective action, and
gives a blessing over and above the
natural result which is looked for.
Miner Is Introspective.
Upon this fact is based the conten-
tion that centuries of digging for tin
has much to do with the making of the
modern Cornishman. Too much is
heard today of the decadence of the
race There are, we are told, none of
the fine old race of men left. Because
the hurry and hustle of business has i'm
the strenuous center of commercial
and industrial life evolved a type OF
brain more keenly alive to the need
of the hour. we are asked to assume
that none OF the old grandeur of char
acter remains.
Strange as it may appear to The man
who has always been PEI v.lthin
city walls-to whom the roar of traf-
fc is n reflex OF the time there are
still throughout the world men to
whom contemplation amid the quiet
of work or the dangers of toll is
priceless possession. To these there is
nobleness in work; a fervency Of
spirit which is the most abounding
source of an active life. The leveling
up of a race, with its concomitant
higher standard, demands that the
great or grand men shall be of tower
ing character. This is not decadence.
Does any race produce a constant pro-
cession OF great leaders?
Faced daily by dangers far below
the surface, the miner, endowed with
that steadfastness of purpose which
has impressed itself upon all stu
dents of Cornwall and the Cornish,
picks his way through the hours. In
the dim light of flckering candle the
tin miner steadily works, Introspec-
tive he must be- His very surround
ings insist.
Thoughts Are Influenced.
Therefore. trend of mind goes TO
form character in the aggregate re-
flecting the virtue, or the reverse of
the whole community. This, of course, |
is true of all communities, but we are
concerned to find the gradual evolv- |
ing of the Cornish character. and the |
claim is made that it's sterling quail
ties are due to heredity coupled with
the compelling force within the man.
Here, probably, may also be found |
the reason Of the narrowness which
has led the critical to decry the race.
If handicapped by heredity, the ne
cessity of his surroundings accentu-
ate the failing. man working alone
under such circumstances falls back
very much upon the entertainment his
mind provides for him.
There is said to be a vein OF su-
perstition In the race, as i'm the case
with many of us. In the broad light of
day and the distractions of life IL is
driven into the background. Alone
with a candle and a pick save for
that consciousness which is the bless
ing or bane of us ALL the contemplative
mood holds sway and wins the mind.
The trend is inevitably in the direction
of belief in personal opinions. This,
however, Is quite a minor disadvan-
tage. The real man is always the
Progression is the keynote:
the building up of a sturdy character
continues. Graphing a physical diff
iculties tends to the solving OF men
tai problems and the clearing Of spir-
Itual doubts The rock hundreds of ia
thoms deep has to be dug out to ex-
tract the precious ore; the gems of
mind can only be winnowed from the
1ross of daily application.
Cornishmen Are Religious.
The deep religious ferver of these
cornishmen is the outcome of this
Freed from the dis
fractions above ground, the indwelling
mind finds In the utter reliance upon
jod-above all this marks the Cornish
strength, it's resigna- :