The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-07-28
Howe About:
Better AmusementS
Our Failing Minds
Bernard Shaw
G. 1898. Bell syndicate.-wNU Service.
@. 1898. Bell syndicate.-wNu serv
By ED HOWE


we must play more.
And now the question comes up for
discussion: What shall we do with
our additional idle time? How find
new enjoyments in our shiftlessness:
Why not try some new amusements7
Why not rub up our knowledge OF
finance, and less frequently become
the victims of sharpers? Why not
athletic clubs to chase outlaws. now a
real menace to our homes? And speak
ing of homes again. why not beautify
them more, and add comforts hereto
fore lacking? Why not clubs Of citi-
zens to improve our public affairs?
Half of us are dumb as to the real
value of print: why not read more.
and with greater discretion? Why not
pay more attention to the joys and
benefits of good health? Most OF US
gobble our food like pigs, and. lack
ing their digestion and shorter years,
have become so QuarrelsOme, inefficient
and dumpy that one-quarter Of the pop
ulation is now bowling for public re-
lief, with most of the rest Of Us look
ing on shamelessly, and thinking il
may be a good idea for everybody.
Do races inevitably run out? Is IL
hopeless to struggle for their improve
ment and continuance?
1t seems to me l am able to note a
sad deterioration since the Civil war.
Compare congress now with congress
of 70 years ago, and how shabbily
1888 comes off! There isn't a man
of ability in the present congress Tor
cabinet, or Supreme court) TO COM
pare with dozens who might be named
within ten years of 1858.
The deterioration of races is intel
lectual. We are healthier now than
ever before; we have improved our
lamps and our buggies. but have
shamefully neglected our minds
1t may well occur to every man that
he is doing well enough physically. bur
that his mind is failing.
Bernard Shaw has his opinion OF
mankind, and expresses it publicly. in
Stcou VI pAiNdlSASs dS AuOSl uiAAcE L-Eu
do. For this he is cordially hated. al
though everybody knows his opinions
Of humanity are sound; at least. sound
er than the opinions of other writing
men.
My relations with Bernard Shaw are
excellent. 1 do not know him. or wish
TO know him, and never write him I
hear he is polite enough TO those who
have good reason to call on or write
him.
During recent journey at sea Shaw
went on deck early one morning. and
found an old man leaning indiferently
over the rail.
shat you are the only man on the
ship who has not annoyed meT
Because I do not want to know
you, or talk to you" the man an
swered.
ever hear of me? Shaw asked
again.
81 know all about you" the man re-
piled. 81 have read nearly everything
said about you, or you have written.
You are one Of my heroes. I admire
you because of your impudence in say
Ing what you think of everybody and
everything. l think the same things
and am afraid to say them. You
save me the trouble. beg you TO pro-
coed with your walk"
In one community am familiar
with, a young man of twenty stole an
automobile and committed four high
way robberies in a single hour. Prob
ably he would have been going yet had
not tire exploded while driving too
fast In looking for a sixth victim. he
may have had bet with another thief
he could score six in sixty minutes and
establish a record to hang MP in the
newspapers. The present reign
of lawlessness was not equaled on the
Spanish Main. We are doing nothing
about it but grumble and hide but
finally we shall be compelled to do
something else. The reader OF this
may not count himself a good man. bur
must realize sooner or later he is do
and children. to say nothing of the re-
spect we have heretofore boosted OF
entertaining for our country. Good
and respectable citizens must realize
the power of the majority and the
shotgun, and that revolution of honest
men is recommended in holy writ.
i admit to considerable timidity, even
cowardice. but conditions are becom-
ing so bad / am willing to enlist as a
soldier or member of a vigilance COM
mittee; | can see no other way out.
The intellectual side of reform has
been settled; we are all agreed it is
necessary. Now let us attend to the
physical side and bring 1t about.
1t is often said the English have no
sense of humor. An Englishman
relates that child on first seeing a
rainbow. asked: "What is it? Adj
vertising?" >. Another Englishman
is reported as saying: 1.-The only time
horse scares nowadays is when he
sees another horse" As a con-
trast quote two of the most popular
American funny men: Eddie Can
tor: HE hasn't an enemy In the
world, but all his friends hate him"
Ed. Wynn: "a bachelor is a
man who never made the same mis-
take once" OF course all this Is
piffle, but perhaps IT is less tiresome
than the serious portions of the news
papers.
1t is well known that most men OF
discernment have poor opinion of the
people en- masse, because of their low
average in intelligence. morals, polite
ness and fairness; because of their in
sistence on running every civilization