The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-05

loChCI, w ludIutdIu Cuot COiiCSC
graduate without original ideas and
power of judgment is bound to be
polished spoke" If he does not
use his brain intelligently, he must
expect to be used as a spoke" If
he is human orange, with only a
little juice in him he must expect to
be squeezed by the man with an ac-
tive brain.
This is practical world and one
in which to stand still is to retro
grade. "Nulla Vestiga retrosum,"
Ono steps backward), must be the
motto of the ambitious; therefore,
lack of ambition and not accident of
birth, is an important factor in de-
termining whether a man shall go
through life tied to a bell rope or
attached to a steam whistle; or
whether he uses his brain in an orig
inal effort to qualify IN profession
and become a soldier, a salesman,
or a warden of a great and famous
prison.
This marvellous brain of man, what
wonderful structure it is? The
very citadel of our physical. mental
and moral life. 1t is saddening
and homifying fact, that man will
deliberately injure the fabric of this
structure and thereby sink lower
than the beasts of the field. 1t re-
bells against abuse, it rebels against
monotony; confined to perpetual, ex-
acting repetitions it breaks down,
sometimes violently, sometimes grad.
ually. Thus, in occupations de-
manding the continuous operation
of one machine or in doing just one
certain piece of work over, and over
again, the workman becomes a fee
BILE minded automation. This ex
plains why so many apparently ca
pable workmen and mechanics are
content to go along day after day,
year after year, without effort to
better their condition. Unconsciously
they are in mental rut and cannot
of themselves get out any more than
man can raise himself by pulling
on his boot straps. 1t also explains
recent news item of the associated
press, that told of a young woman
worker who operated a stamping
machine. Change the pattern" she
cried, change the pattern or / will
put notch into the napha."
Bernard Shaw's Advice
Bernard Shaw, the famous English
play wright recently said: Do not
try to live forever; you Will not sue
ceed. Use your health even TO the
point of wearing it out. that is what
it is for" In other words this IA
nous man points out that our bodies
were made to serve us not harass and
worry our minds. But, you ask, is
it possible to make life a success
while On every hand some form of
agitation is disturbing your mental
poise? Now it is eugenic marriage
agitation, suffragette or health leg
islation; socialistic or one tax the
ory that claims our attention, and
part of our weekly wage.
The high brow writer's claim, that
the lower clasees are unsurmounta.
ble-they demand luxuries and social
pleasures. concerts, lectures, sports
and Libraries. Well. why not? Are
they not entitled to them? Even ir
our penitentiaries these things are
not denied the meanest inmate be.
cause 1t strengthens self-respect and
convinces the most incorrigible that
this is not bad world after all if
we behave ourselves.
Our own good warden was a pi-
oneer in the penal world and his
wise, beneficient and humane meth
ods created new school of prison
management wherein the basic
principle is the recognition of what
is best in man, and the promotion
of true manliness and self-respect.
The abolition of the lock step and
prison stripes with the introduction
of educational facilities of which
this Chautauqua Circle is an exam
pie, made the name Saltwater fa-
nous the world over and placed
crown of immortal fame on the brow
OF Warden Wolfer, the prisoners
friend.
Because we have trespassed and
have felt the heavy hand of the law,
there is no good reason why every
one in this prison cannot make life a
Successful Achievement if he will
only use his brain and will power.
l challenge any one to successfully
refute the statement that, viewed
from any standpoint crookedness
does not pay and that there is no
person confined within this great in
stitutiOn who cannot honastlv aarn