The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-10-12

We are moved today by the same
passions which moved us at the begin
ming of Life. We are subjected to the
same temptations which tried Us in
the Garden of Eden. We follow the
same instincts and work to the same
end as when we were wriggling
around in the mud trying to make
living in early Paleozoic times. Phys
ically, mentally, spiritually the real
needs of the world are the same this
year as they were forty or fifty million
years ago.
Somewhere to live, something to eat,
mate, something TO think about,
something to do, God to Worship
these things we have always had;
these things we must always have.
But the houses we live in, the manner
of our cooking, our ideas of mating,
the things we think about and do, the
forms of our worship-these all have
changed from age to age.
prehistoric cave, a mud hut,
cliff dwelling, castle, palace, a
farmhouse, q city apartment, hotels;
these all have been evolved by mans
unchanging need of somewhere to
live.
Hunger is hunger-the same today
as in the beginning-the same in ev-
cry land, every language, every social
plane.
The time was when we mated to es-
fa hliSh honnc I will laava for Won
TO say what the prevailing ideas of
mating are these days and where they
are likely 10 lead us.
A long, long time ago-before Hunt
was governor of Arizona-a tangled
haired, low-browed, bewhiskered per-
son sat in a cave and with a sharp
bit of flint scratched something on the
bone of a prehistoric animal. The
something which our ancient friend
scratched on the fiat bone was meant
to tell how he chased and killed the
critter that supplied the bone, and
how he felt about it. 1t didn't amount
to much from the viewpoint of the art
editor. But just the same it was the
beginning of Art. The succeeding ages
have brought paints, brushes, canvas,
paper, printers ink, printing presses,
and all such things to replace the
sharp flint and the fiat bone. But the
need of expression which is the
genesis Of Art is still the same. The
real artist of today still sits in his
cave and tries to put down what he
has seen and felt.
Through unnumbered ages the forms
of worship have changed with the
changing conceptions of Deity, but
mans need to worship has remained
the same. The outward and visible
trappings of religion have changed as
Life has gone forward and man has
followed Life but God is still the God
of our beginning.
Very well, we will talk about Chris
tianity, If you wish-some other time.
Just now we are thinking about
keeping up with Life. l am trying to
say that we can live successfully only
by following Life-by which / mean
conforming in thought and habit to
the changes which Life, as it goes for
ward, demands; and that we shall
most miserably perish if we fail to
recognize, through all our changes,
those elements os our being which are
Interchangeable.
Exactly. That is the idea. The
changes which Life demands are like
the colors assumed by a chameleon.
When Mr.. Chameleon migrates, or adj
vances in education, or strides for
ward in science, or climbs up the
social ladder. or betters his position,
or becomes the head of the firm, Mr.
Chameleon simply changes his make
up. He does not change himself. No
chameleon ever became an alligator
by changing his color from brown to
green.
Through all his color changes Mr..
Chameleon remains the same old
chameleon. And don't you see; IL he
did not change his makeup he would
not be chameleon.
That poor chameleon who found
himself on a Scotch plaid and died do
ing his best, was simply trying to keep
up with Life.
He was not unfortunate because he
was chameleon-his misfortune was
due to whatever circumstance it was
that landed him on the Scotch plaid.
He blew up because he was trying to
live as no mere chameleon should
live. Perhaps if he had moved to
quieter neighborhood-or found friends
in a different set-or been content
with a million or two less he might
have lived to enjoy old age.
90 1928. by the Bell Syndicate Incl