Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-01-20

Manual Labor Under All Conditions.
College students have another alibi
for falling below standard in scholas-
tic activities during the winter months.
Lecturing to Lafayette college stu
dents at Easton, Pa. Prof. ELLSWORTH
Huntington Of Yale university SAID
that the students were bound to fall
below during the cold period, because
the climatic conditions prevented bet
ter work.
Fond parents, believing that the
long, cold evenings brought desires for
much reading and therefore more i'll
tellectual activity, failed to under
stand why their sons and daughters
should relax in their studies. They
blamed dances and whatnot for the
poor marks, but from now on these
same parents are going to have
difficult task to make their sons be-
lieve decrease in grades is due 10 any
thing but climatic conditions.
Professor Huntington's statements
to the students We're not the result or
an overnight idea. They were the re-
suit Of years Of study, both In this
country and abroad. He has studied
the effects of climate on both intellec-
tual and manual labor under all con-
ditions. He has studied the classroom
marks Of Annapolis and West Point
and drawn his conclusions from these
fluctuations.
I'm the study of climate" he said.
zone of the most puzzling features Is
the diversity Of opinion among per
sons of good Judgment. For instance.
at what season do people work fast
est in the northern United States?
Some will say the winter. some the
spring, considerable number THE fall
and few the summer. Most will say
that they are least efficient In the
summer, but others believe that they
are at their worst in the early spring
or late winter.
Dull Days the Best.
Again, ask a dozen friends whether
they work best Oh clear days or cloudy.
The majority will probably answer
that the first clear day after Il storm
is by all means the best. A small
number will perhaps think the mat
ter over more carefully and then say
that after storm the clearnesS of the
air and the brightness of the sun are
certainly inspiring, but one really ac-
complishes more when it rains.
This divergence of opinion is due
largely to the fact that the climatic
effects are of two kinds psychological
and physiological. We are always
conscious of the first, but often I'M
conscious Of the second. The external
conditions which we sec and feel
make a greater impression than those
which prevail within our bodies. For
example. most of US think that in the
northern United States we work fast
In winter. AS matter Of fact the
statistics of ten thousand people show
that we work slowly. The ordinary
impression IS apparently psychology
ical. In order TO keep warm out OF
doors In win,er we walk fast. and this
leads us to think that we do every
thing rapidly.
Again. the blue sky, clear air,
bright sunshine and fresh cOlOrS Of
the first day after a storm are unques-
tiunahly inspiring. but does that in
SEPARATION make us work any better?
May il not lead to nervous excite
ment which actually binders our
work 10y causing us to look out at the
beauties of nature or to be less con-
centrated In other ways? The actual
figures slow that, taking the year us
Il whole, on dull days, especially the
second such day when a storm begins
10 clear, we accomplish more than on
bright days. even though we grumble
about the clouds and the dampness.
A bright sky certainly makes us
cheerful, but Its chief helpfulnesS. so
fur as our work is concerned, is felt
when 1t is change from the monot-
"ny Of Il series Of dull days. Clouds
and rain produce exactly as much re-
Joicing when they succeed prolonged
so highly.
1.-The questions which have beer
asked and the possibilities that have
been suggested show how indefinite
are our ideas Of the effect of climate.
We understand its psychological ef-
fects fairly well. We know little of
its physiological effects. however, ex-
cept when they are in some extreme
or unusual or when people are sick or
are in some other pathological condi- |
ton. We need to determine how or
binary people are influenced by ordi-
nary conditions of weather.
Government School Tests.
'It has been proven. that from New
England to Florida physical strength
and health vary in accordance with
the seasons. Extremes seem to pro-
ducc the same effect everywhere. But
does mental activity vary In the same
way! The general conclusion is that
mental work varies In the same way
as physical, but reaches its highest
fore we can accept this, however, tests !
are needed on large scale. The most
feasible method seems to be by marks
-
Of students in such schools as West
Point and Annapolis.
"There the young men live an ex-
tremely regular life with a minimum !
OF outside distractions. Their recita-
tons are graded with great severity
,stk
often is taught six days In the week.