New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1927-07-29
THE pERLs OF HYPERTROPHY


fessor of psychology has stated. But
it isn't news that the ardent baseball
fan sometimes acts as II he is fully
out of his mind. If he didn't get that
way he wouldn't be an ardent base
ball fan, or any other kind of sport
fan.
There is something else to the
argument, too. If human being-a
100 per cent American. that is
: cannot get excited over ball game
or any other kind of game, or
prizefight, there are those who will
rise to declaim that he isn't a he
man at all, but is just an ordinary
nincompoop, or humanized insect;
or whatever isn't nice.
The man who Is gifted with good
mental poise won't act that way,
says the professor. One sees, there
! fore, that it is special gift. Every
body cannot be gifted.
That too much sport atrophies the
human intellect Is a statement that
has been brought forward on those
numerous occasions when men must
have something to say and say 1t.
| There Is only so much room for
mental activities. The fellow who
occupies most of his spare time with
| thoughts about sport naturally will
, have less time for thoughts about
other things Somehow the pressure
| OF sportistical thoughts, however,
never seems to interfere with con-
| temptation of the eternal feminine.
| But that Is something else again,
and we must not digress: and we
won't.
One writer-it had to be writer
in order to make the statement
said recently that we are not an IN
| tellectual nation. Out of the entire
population of 100000 0o-or is 1t
| 100, 100000 by now?-he said only
around 100000 are steady book
buyers. We felt like answering him,
| but what's the use? The way to get
| . - k,y &c n
reduce their prices; but that might
reduce the royalties to the writer's
If the publishers couldn't see their
| way clear to accept less of the TAX
ings. Neither the publishers nor the
writer's can see a clear way In such
matter, so the prices stay up and
we only have 100000 steady buyers
Of volumes as they are fired from
the book factories. Two and half
| for an ordinary book-the better
kind" run higher-wil buy how
many gallons of gas? That's the an
S"PE, at ltdSl
Then there Is the type Of movies
we see. One cynical commentator
has told us they are universally rot
/ ten; pure hokum for the most part.
An intelligent man or woman can't
stand them, he said. Maybe that is
| true: and in order to continue
standing in with Bill Hays and his
ilk We'll add that maybe 1t isn't true.
At any rate, there is something to be
said about public taste with regard
to the movies; perhaps also with re-
gard to that peculiar institution,
vaudeville. All Of which may prove
something, but not that the public
is running wild with intellectually.
Perhaps the dear public hasn't time
for intellectually. What the public
wants is a good show-at any rate,
it wants a show, and II It's good
occasionally, SO much the better.
Our provincialism In outlook is
being panned by those processing to
have the superior outlook. The COM
mercial outlook predominates, 1t is
said. Yet this seems to run counter
to the claim that sport Is bad, for
some of our sport isn't commercial
ICED as yet, although baseball. prize
fighting, some tennis and a few 9TH
er items are thoroughly commercial
lied. Where the one begins and the
other ends is for professors OF psy-
chology or Tex Richard. When Ruth
smashes a homer he does 1t for
money; but all the same, he smashes
homer, and that's something with
q resemblance to sport. However,
let's go on.
Heavy thinkers are In the minor
| ity, it is claimed. That may be lucky
| for the majority. 1t was a wise
| thinker who said ignorance Is bliss.
There are many folk who don't care
! to think If they can help It; and
even If thinking We're good for them
they would have none Of 1t. They are
built that way. This would be a ter
rible world If everybody were a hard
thinker. Imagine the disagreements
Too many people are out for a
good time when they can get it, is
| the dour claim. This state of mind
it must be confessed, is quite gen
eral. Against it can be placed the
fact that most people don't have 8
good time most. OF the time. 1t Is the
mechanical nature of employment
work, common toil-how we love it