Newark post., 1912-03-20
THE "AThENS Or DELAWARE
hi THE 2Oth CENTURY

fifth century B, {.
Newark the Athens Of Della
ware. in the twentieth century y
D. h:,~ not yet established fire.
puhIi" library. Truly, "comp"ri
SOILS are odio,~.
Ii considering the question o
why Newark lacks this evidence o.
twentieth century civilization on'
is rrnini"d Of the grand climax il
he famous Story Of CocH-robin.
II. said the Sparr"N. with my
bow %f.U 0rroW II killed cock.
)ohiu:" bow and arrow repre-.
sruting our present library.
Ii is not easy to overcstimate the
v&It" Of books. not merely for those
who aspire to become thinkers. bat
even for all classes Of men in civlI.
izrd lie.
1t should not occasion surprise
that operatives in factories seek the
mental excitement which human
nature Graves after hours Of mo-
notOnN. Far better they should
find the recreation in Il good book
in free library than in other
places Of our town.
Those opposed to a free library
claim that workingmen would not
patronize one if it were establish
ed. To such | would say, $50 to
the Wilmington library after clos
ing hour of the factories and work
shops. Walk quietly past the vari-
Gus tables. observe the readers ana
what they are reading. Go to the
children S department and observe
the occupants.
That our sturdy workingmen
may taste the joys Of the higher
life of thought. it is essential that
they have access to the best liter
ature in prose and poetry, to book;
Of travel, biography. history, sci
cnce and sociology.
If he lack these do we not know
his mind will lose itself in local
gossip. in discomfort over his lot
in envy Of those who have more to
eat and drink. better clothes to
wear. and better houses to live in ?
OF the pleasures Of the higher life
he can have HS many as. il not more
than. others have: for at the close
Of day hi, mind is not exhausted
by profoS,ionai thinking and he
can enjoy Il good book far more
than the man whose daily occupa-
tion ohli@pS him t. see, recreation
III physical exercise.
The same remarks apply to life
on the farm. The inccs@ant drudg-
cry Of mon0tGnoUS toll day after
day from early dawn till late at
night has sent farmers and their
wives to 1mtimely graves. some-
times to the insane asylum. They
need the intellectual stimulus
which comes from good books. the
health-giving recreation which
comes with the change from the fa-
ti2uing toll Of the day to the per-
usai Of good literature in the even
mo.
Within. three mile radius of
this town the writer can recall
score CT prosperous farmers whose
wives and children are mentally
starved. Absolutely no reading
matter except an indifferent daily
paper and Il few agricultural re
ports. Is there anything more pa
thetic than a book-l0ying child i'll
the average farmhouse?
While our educators subscribe to
all that is said in favor OF object
teaching and laboratory methods
they still maintain that it should
be one Of the chief aims OF the
school to teach the right use Of
books. That the public high school
and college fail IN their mission if
they neglect to put the student into
the way Of using a library to the
best advantage. If the policy Of
many schools were adopted in other
fields of human activity. the folly
would be too glaring 10 escape no.
tice.
Suppose, by montt< 2f eifolt, a
botanist could create in his son a
liking for the plants Of the night
Shade family some Of which like
the potato and tmnato. are good for
food and others are poisonous.
Having created the appetite the
father makes no effort to crafty it.
The SON failing to distinguish be-
tween the good and the bad. the es-
culent and the poisonous. and find
inc the latter within easy reach. be.
gins to CRAFTY his appetite by eat
ing without discrimination. The
deadly effects are more easily i'm,
a@ined than described.
\ parallel folly has been com
,oiftal in bupJra1S of cnp,p,unit;a,