Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-05-20

CORA BENlsEra, yaledictorial
Ladies and Gentlemen:
WE AMERICANS look upon
w the word curiosity with
disappearing eye. A liberal and
intelligent cagernass may be
meant BY a foreigner when he
speaks of curiosity, but with us,
the word always conveys Q 40
tion of frivolous and unedify-
ing activity. Yet, there is such
a thing as intelligent curiosity,
and this wonder at 5he unknown
and desire to see things as they
are has been the lever of all
civilization. Matthew Arnold
says that all true culture is
based upon this Kind of cllrio-
sity plus the love of our neigh
Dor, the desire for removing hu-
man error, and the noble as
piration to leave the world bet
ter and happier than We found
it,. In other words, culture is
the ri~ht kind Of wonder unit
ed with the desire for service.
Primitive mans wonder at a
world which he did not under
rtand, and which he con5tantly
had to test out. is the founda-
ton of our modern civilization,
It is possible that man kindled
his first fire from glowing
lava stream Or from come burn
ing tree trunk. set aflane py
lightning, but by come happy
accident he noticed thGt iric~
ton prod'lied th'g vit9l spark
md fiz curiosity led Inn on to
make The fi~e-3orer. C7r3dually
followiil7 the mysterious I'M
known. he found the diffcrctas
useq to which fire n1i9ht be put,
and no other lgaowledge ta1t,
man has ACQUIRED has co1ltribut-
cd more to the progies5 Of civil
izaticn.
Again, early savages, after
finding that it was possible to
tame wild animals and thus to
possess herds, had the thought
that likewise they might plant
wild seeds and raise food. The
result of their wonder led man
to tIae agriculture stage,
wealth in flocks, herds and
agriculture multiplied men's
needs. !, Cities arose. Commerce
began. Ancient civilizations de-
veloped. And desire for acquis-
ition and glory, ana wonder
whether, if .. tess be made,
their strength baight not prove
superior to that of The poses
sors Of other lands, made mon
cnraQe in many wars.
Curiosity cencerning unknown
lands and the shape eoi the
Garth, together 18th patriotism,
was urge onough to send forth
explorers who found new .e7ions
and opened way for those
who, longing for religious free
dom, and moved with the won
der of d new world, left their
old homes to see for them selves
what lav bead tho v2aS cx-
panse Of roi 1Ec'l hcd al
wars sl,,'t tlacm in.
Ct1rio1itv t. tefr his Own
ideas lc4c-, 1oA ~.9n 70 NJ Glai-2-
Or :, 1lr,eo ,ot,-~in~ a-od t:3H tn
vont'c,o of sho p-'intjn7 p~"37,
b., r,llic', ]1:7 r>:-q-l ---a.s fvrthcr
si..Y1,--votod 1c~ lsvin++'nr scGtter.-
cd.f,,rasfrll tna vorld jdoR7 thai
bra,,r'7e ~F>o,-t his n'all9ct''a}
c-roi-o71;r. Wn could tvaca
tlo7,san1s # tnrtNnac5 ,yhn~c =
ei,q9le nans v-onder. to~ether
With his infinite patience, has
benefited mankind. Such was
that of BENJAMIN Franklin, who
experjmented with kite and a
key until he brought the mighty
force of electricity under con-
troll. Such was that of the i'm
ventors of the telephone the
wjTole~G. tho radio.
Mop's vonder has forme1 tile
bridge between tho Old md %'aa
,1,w. IN arc'ont slavs. OH 80
dav w-hcn the old moon had
f9ded and the now had MT
risen-a lay w-hich thus be-
longed, according to Greek
fancy to both the old month
md the new, all debtors were
hronoht 20 account or 2learinT
t',n books for tho coming month.
we stand, even now, in the
presence CT ruch a day Of reck-
oring. at the dividing bridge
between the old and the new.