Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-06-28
STEMS Of CIVILIZATION
ACCENT SUNDAY EVENING TALK
ay BOOKER r. WAsHiN0ToN
70 THE STUDENTS OF TuskE.
GEE INSTITUTE. Gt

70 the STUDENTS OF TusKE.
GEE INSTITUTE.
one of the things we are most In
,orasted in having you try to do when
ron leave here. as well as while you
40 here, is to tie your education 10
.omething, to attach 1t to something.
Abstract education Is of value. but It
hscomes of more value In proportion
40 4 becomes concrete, as It attaches
wself to something that people are
,nterested in in the community where
one happens to live. One OF the prob
,sms surrounding education as we are
wing to impart here. and 1t Is I'm
narted throughout the world, is to try
n get people to attach their education
~ something that people are interest.
ID in in the community where the cd
heated person may reside.
Tonight, am not going to speak
~ Won OF a single new idea. Every
thing l am going to mention Is some.
thing that has been emphasized and
re.emphasized in your hearing both
=. individuals and as school. What
am going to speak to you about
viii not designate as civilization ITSELF
hecause civilization cannot always be
..en from the outside, but the Ideas
I want to impress upon you are Ideas
mat usually go with civilization. They
ava the signs OF civilization. I ought
n add here before 60 further, that
,here Is no connection between these
thougbts. They are simply, those
which from time to time ! have gath
cred up as being in my opinion worth
While and are without any logical
connection one with the other.
In a. civilized country one OF the
.,ens of civilization is the use OF
vhitewash and paint. There Is a
,ood deal of civilization, I grant, In
Countries and among people where
they do not use. to any large extent
either whitewash or paint, but as a
mile the use of whitewash or the use
# paint carry with them the Idea OF
civilization. ~
When you go from here, want
every one of you to use your influence
IN getting paint and whitewash. one
or both, used. first, Of all, In your own
homes: in the house where YOU may
happen to dwell, whether permanent
" or in temporary capacity. whether
A. the owner of that house, or as a
nerson hiring that house for the time
being. Throughout the south, as one
travels, he sees signs OF improve
ment: he sees added to a one-room
cabin another room, and in some cases
three, but the sad spectacle is to see
that, in most cases, the builder stops
when he gets shingles or the boards
In their places without any attempt
10 20 further il the use Of either paint
or whitewash. and L wish We might
IN that regard set better example
here.
The students have done we'll in the
erection Of a grandstand on the ball
around, but hope you will still 60
further and set an example In putting
some paint or whitewash, on that
randstand. It will look better and
q make US all feel better when you have
done that. --.s- ga, '--s..s,y4.r7 -.
The first thing I want you to do
when you go back home, or when you
10 into a community this summer to
reside even for a short length OF
time. Is to get everybody in that COM
mupity into the habit Of using paint
r whitewash- inside, ..outside on the
fences. on the gates, everywhere. e
Another sign of civilization is IN
keeping everything about the home IN
good repair. The highly educated per-
son, the highly civilized person does
not let repairs 60 very long without
having them attended to. The time to
take hold of the door knob Is when
It is getting little loose, not walt
until 1t falls of. The time to put
some putty around the window pane is
when it gets little shaky, when the
wind begins to rattle it--and 1t costs
less to putty around that window
pane and see that 1t is kept in good
repair. The time to put the hinge In
proper condition on the gate is when
the hinge gets little loose, then see
to 1t that screw or nail goes into
. the proper place, tighten up the hinge.
The time to see that the fence Is kept
IN good repair Is when the first paling
gets little loose. See that nail is
put there, not walt until one paling
tails of and then two palings and then
three palings. ~. , ., -.
1t Is unfortunately true that in many
OF the houses where our people live,
both In town, and city and In tie
country, that the people seem to feel
mat one Of the first obligations that
hey have to perform after getting
INTO that house is to break out half
u o. the window glasses, then get every
doorknob OF the doors, then get the
pa'ings of the fence and then break
me hinges of the front gate.
These things are going to continue
until such forces as you represent get
70 work In various communities. and
ule your education in the communities
- -
vnere you are to bring about differ.
snt state Of affairs. It will mean but
n.tie IN the present condition OF life
smong our people for you to go into
ny community: and talk In an alb
tract way about what you know
soout history, the number Of dates
you remember, the number of great
ssnerals whose names you can recall.
s "a viii amount to something, per.
..ps' but very little in meeting the
...uai needs. actual conditions that
w. lround our people in their present
n. no'ner sign Of civilization 10 clean.
aless Cleanliness. first Of ali, Of the
q ~ Cleanliness Of collar. cleanliness
w.