The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-27
why NOT STUDY Up ON LOCAL HISTORY
It's Nice to Know All the Kings of England but Who's
Your Councilman ?-lf You Don't Know
Thing Say So.--Don't Pretend.
ious phases of social and public &C

rious phases of social and public &C
tivity?
Why not make out for your club a
yearbook whose program will be on
some of these subjects instead of
about the history of Greek art, Russian
literature and Italian architecture?
Not but that these are all well know
ing about and the necessary accompan-
iment Of broad culture. but the lat
ter is not comprehensive unless It in
cludes the knowledge of general and
local conditions, both past and contem-
,poraneous.
The fact Is. even in this day of the
vast dissemination of current events"
and magazines, the lack of informa-
ton is appalling.
Very few people know anything-or
at least know anything thoroughly.
They pluck a fact here. a surmise
there, rumour the other place, a
sayso some place else, attach a float
ing headline, an obscure editorial par
agraph, a lecturers phrase. make a
crazy-quilt out of them and hand it
out for basic fact or personal obser-
walton.
The amount Of mis-information cur
rent is amazing.
You read funny things in the papers.
In instance not long ago In an es-
teemed state paper statement was
perpetrated to this effect-"Conan
Doyle, the author of that famous nov
Y~L - Ia
lis there such thing AZ the Mardi
Gras?" recently asked a college grad
uate on 1.-The city desk
"Oh, yes" said a woman, 'I've read
one of Arnold Benefits best stories.
love 'Marie-Claire.'
When it was mildly limited that
Marie Claire" was the product Of a
French writer, a woman, the speaker
became flushed of face and gh-keyed
in voice and said Benefits name was
in the front of the book.
The book was produced. 49,
Benefits name pointed to 1T the
end of the preface, not on the title.
page.
The best way. after all. when YOU
don't know is to say you don't. People
! will like you q lot better and respect
you more. They will admire your couf
age in the making Of the frank sta1e
ment. Let the uncou' giggle and shral
the shoulder. 1t is ten to one thal
didn't know any more than you an
will some awful day be found out.
There is nothing 50 silly AZ pretense
! You know you rather like the perool
who is frank and honest and isn't Try
ing to be something he isn't ant
couldn't be.
You know, instance, you cant q
anything but bang the piano. 20 VIII
try to masquerade as musician.
| That you can put up tolerable Wa
ter-color sketch but couldn't possibly
pose as an artist. aA
That you can get up a decent clnk
paper. with the assistance Of the d
brary, but couldn't write for pt0lica.
ton to save your life. So why atti-
tudinize as a literary genius?
| That you are just an ordilAry WoM-
an-so why smirk az siren?
| That you're nothing but brute OF a
| man and couldn't be hero IL You hasl
a chance. IS
| In short, why take the trouble to
try to fool people-because You never
| do.
Among other things nohDdy be.
lieves you are erudite because you
have read the last best seller and took
a prize for perfect penmanship. Nor
even because you are coll1Ge grad.
uate. Nor yet because you ~ presi'
dent Of a woman's club and read n