Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-07
STUDENTS IN AFTERNOON and
GREAT AUDIENCE MEN IN EVE
HEAR DR.. BARKER'S LECTURES

The City Opera house was pack
ca TO its doors yesterday afternoon,
wnen the high school students from
Waterville and vicinity assembled TO
mar DR.. Charles E. Barker, of Grand
Rapids. Michigan. who came to Wa
terville under the auspices Of the Ro-
tary club. 1t was estimated that the
| audience numbered well over a thou
sand. with Watervire high school
having the largest number present.
Coburn Classical Institute, Winslow
school, Lawrence, and Oakland high
| scnoois were represented by practi-
calIy their entire student bodies.
The meeting was presided over by
;, Hon. Frank E. Redington, and Harry
n. Smith acted as musical director.
The meeting was opened by the sing
ing OF Onward Christian Soldiers"
after which Mr.. Redington intro
duced DR.. Barker ar former Presi-
dent Tafts Physical director, who
had spoken to nearly a million high
school students and the topic for the
afternoon was to be "How to Make
the Most out Of Life"
DR.. Barker received great applause
from the audience as he stepped for
ward and began his talk. Several
young girls in the front part of the
tlcater caused him to swerve from
| his subject and ask for quietness,
saying that if those who did not care
to hear him, would let their neigh
bors. who did care to listen. alone he
! would continue. Returning to his
subject. he said that all young peo-
pie dreamed of the future and built
( their countless air castles. This is
all right but young people should
work more and dream less. DR..
Barker said that when he was a
young boy he once heard a speech
by President James A. Garfield, who
was so poor that he Gid anything in
| college to earn a cent, and worked
his way up the steps to the presi-
dency Of the United States In this
talk President Garfield said that
there were three things necessary for
! success and these were, a strong arm,
clear head and brave heart. DIR.
| Barker went on to explain that these
| were but figures of speech, gram
matically speaking, and he thought
after hearing this speech, that a
| strong arm meant simply a muscular
arm, a clear head meant one in which
knowledge was easily stored, and a
brave heart, one which made daring
| rescues.
| In developing the first topic, that
| is of the strong arm. he pointed out
that this figure of speech meant far
more to him after years cf experience
than it did in high school. 1t meant
a generally strong and healthy body,
with great deal OF energy and Wit
ality. He asked the question. "Who
| was the energetic man in American
History" and several replied, "Theo-
dore Roosevelt" which was exactly
right. DIR. Barker said that when
, Theodore Roosevelt was IA years old
, fis body was not as healthy as most
Of the high school boys of today, but
that through vigorous physical ex-
ercise for a period of twenty minutes
every morning, he soon became a
physical marvel and passed. on his
entrance into Harvard, the best ply
steal test that was ever made.
At this point the speaker was in
renee high school delegation. and he
ceased speaking until quietness
reigned. He then called for three
cheers for Lawrence, and his audi
ence responded with cheers which
shook the hall.
His comment on a clear head.
caused a burst of laughter from the
audience. as he practically said that
he was Dumb while in school. The
clear head is an absolute necessity
to success and it is acquired only by
concentration on studies. His defin-
ition of education, which he quoted
f.om Thomas Huxley was, 1.-THE
chief purpose Of education is to train
the mind and the will to do the work
you have to do. when you have to do
it," The speaker caused an uproar
OF laughter when he tried to initiate
q young girl. and then a young boy
studying. He claims that the stu
dent of today hardly knows what
concentration is. and they must learn
this art before becoming successful.
lie further said that if a student
should cndeavOr to concentrate and.
when his mind goes trailing off, to
bring it back again on 20 the study.
it would take only four months be-
fore his mind would stay on his stu
dies without his knowing it.
In making his last point clear. he
said that a brave heart is one which
says no to temptations and has a
will made up to do the right. The
speaker claimed that he was not a
lecturer but merely a travelling sales
man. who was trying to SCI these
three things. and. if he succeeded in
convincing the students that his
points were right, he was a good
saleman, but on the other hand, il
he had Jailed to make his points
clear. he was a poor salesman. and
should be fired. These three things
were absolutely necessary to success,
he claimed.
At the conclusion Of his talk he
spoke few words to the girls on the
subject of spooning and fussng.
such as are the terms that are used
today. He cautioned the girls that
the idea of holding a fellow. by al
lowing these familiarities was en-
tircly wrong. and that the fellows
lad very little respect for girl who
resorted to this method. Girls" he
said, "think that they know just how
|, far to go, but some day they Will
reach beyond the edges and fall,
and a broken character is hard
thing to patch up"
DR.. Barker gave another vital talk
to the women and their daughters.
at 3 o'clock. the house again being
6lIod NTH those who came to hear