The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 25, 1904, Page 23

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1904. e | | i | Fa ANTED, a man. Not merely an adult male. These are ple: and may be se- cured at any bargain sale in dozen lots at your own | While they are not men in the sense of our topic, yet they attempt the | thing they are told, s ‘e to augment | the census and perpetuate the race. | Having done this they die and are for- | gotten. They live out their little day and the world neither richer nor poorer for their departure. Perhaps nu} more can be expected from our modern | civilization, and yet w& meet occasion- | ally & man of different type who seems | born for & purpose and who has set| his intent upon lifting the race. Bor- | the lantern of Diogenes let us | for such & man. Head and| shoulders he rises above the throng. The light of a divine glory is upon| his face. He moves beneficently among | his fellows, helping here and lifting here 1ll many a bent and deformed | cter is straightened to behold the possibilities of his own nature and rise T e image of his Maker to better . things. In the occasional presence of | such men we are led to ask whether t is not possible for every man to at- | something of that mobler charac: hout which he cannot be truly | n. Some men are grass, always price. search to be troddem upon; some are brush, obstructing the passage of others andj serving mo useful purpose; others still | are trees of moderate height with mod- | erate power for good; while a few are | majestic in height and of extensive | power for refreshing shade. | They tell us that man has three capa- | es for improvement—body, mind they are of each being | eding. He | s his highest hree capacities. i The tendency of modern life is to glorify the body, the first and lowest of human elements. Our houses are built and furnished with especial ref- erence to physical comfort and con- venience. The comparatively poor now possess conveniences which the rich could not compass in former times. And there seems no end to the possibllities of science for furnishing luxuries which soon become necessi- ties. We spend enormous sums upon | our tables for viands with which to Agriculture and | gratify our appetite. commerce make it now possible for even the very poor to enj table Jux- uries far above any positive necessity. A great part of the machinery of civ- | ilization is moved by our desire to adorn our bodies with fine raiment. It is not a matter of health or need, frequently the opposite. There must be beauty for the eye. Music for the ear must be provided and every sense must have its fill of gratification. Sev- eral hundred thousands of dollars have been spent in our city within a month for the chief purpose of phys- ical gratification. We adore bodily prowess and development. Far more | consideration is given thereto by the| popular mind and press than is be- stowed upon intellectual achievement or spiritual conquest. Emphasis of the body brings at its lower extreme the drunkard, the prize fighter, the harlot, all just one degree removed from the brute. If the other extreme differs it is in choice of appetites in- dulged and these set in more esthetic surroundings. No man is worthy of the name who does not care for his body, but he is less than a man who finds his highest aim in bringing forth physical possibilities. Such are, nevertheless, common, both in quan- tity and in quality. The herd of hu- manity struggles for physical gratifi- cation. Such human beings are dla- monds, to be sure, but diamonds are INCREASING INTEREST IN LIBRARY EXTENSION valueless if they are not to be polished so that their excellence may be re- vealed. He has taken a long stride toward manhood who realizes that his body is but the dwelling place of his nobler | nature. It is to be made the perfect habitation o} a perfect man. It is to be duly kept in order and repair. Let it be swept and adorned as fitting the palace of royal character, but let it always be subordinate to its tenant. If intellect is that which distinguishes man from brute, is not he who ne- glects his mind akin to the brute? Thought makes a man, yet few men think. To these few men, however, the world owes its progress. Explor- ers, who like Columbus, have first thought and then executed; scientists like Edison, statesmenlike Hay, and hosts of lesser men have been the civilizers of the earth. They are men | who have solved problems. Oxcarts, omibuses, team and electric railways; automobiles and airships are progres-: sive stages in the solution of the prob- lem of transportation, but not even the oxcart came without intellect., Yet oxen and men dwelt together long | before some man made his cart and attached his oxen thereto. "Men are needed who can bring things to pass. Comparatively féw men do. Difficul- ties need to be overcome. San Fran-| cisco would be uninhabitable if some man. of intellect had not solved the problem of water supply and over- come the difficulties of topography. Men who have developed this second capacity of mind are not rare. Our modern education gives excellent op- portunity for our youth to learn to think. We need to guard carefully against the tendency of youth to pre- fer avenues of manual rather than those of mental exertion. Well trained bodies are frequently met. Well trained intellects are comparatively few. | And yet the man we want is not sim- | ply body and mind. The body is Teat and the mind is flower, but the spirit is fruit. The apex and crown of human life is spiritual development. The image of God is in every man and our highest privilege Is to bring it forth. —_—m % g el | THE REV. LOUIS. J. SAWYER e Paint and brushes and drawing do not make a picture. There must also be an ideal to be expressed. Body and mind are for time only. Spirit is for eternity. Spiritual capacity is the link between God and man. If a man has none, he has no claim upon the favor of Ged. If we neglect our spiritual side we do not offer the Almighty a chance to reach aur highest need. Physical power is good, inteliectual power is better, but spiritual power is supreme. black shovs, others run street cars, some edit rLvwspapers, others do phil- | anthropic work. All are honorable, but he is most serviceable to humanity who strives to meet the greatest need. This ‘is neither of body nor of intellect, but of spirit. No man does his whole duty by his fellow who cannot give a spir- ! itual lift. I am not a friend if I"simply feed the body and instruct the mind and let a man’'s soul go into eternmity without a warning of his dire condition apart from God. We honor Columbus, it is true, but how much greater man was David Livingstone, who opened the dark continent to beneficent truth. The greatest intellect of the nineteenth cen- tury was W. E. Gladstone, who above all other things stood for the impreg- nable rock of Holy Scripture. Mer- chants there are by the myriad, but he who, like John Wanamaker, stands for human brotherhood and divine right- eousness is par excellence a man. to the incomparable credit of the na- tion that the men now most prominent- ly before it as the candidates for its highest office are meh of God. They are men of physique, of no inferior mind, but, above all, they possess that added dignity of spiritual understand- ing. Tens of thousands there are also in the humbler walks of life who are with similar aim lifting the nation nearer its possibility for good. Such, and such only, is the wanted man. To add men merely of body and intellect only increases the problem. They have no solution to offer that is worthy of consileration. Various questions, like those of anarchy, pov- erty, social inequality, labor and cap- ital, have no possible solution outside an adequate undertaking of the will of God. He who argues other means Some men ! Itis | R, Pastor Hamilton Square Baptist Church. | of settling these difficulties is wasting time and breath. We need the man whose horizon is wider than his own door yard and extends to the eternal i hills whence cometh our help. So we repeat our advertisement: Wanted, in Society, A Man. One who can be an inspiration to aqur youth. Who will present to them an ambition not of gold or power, but of royal manhood. A man who can speak and live the truth. Who will be like the sequoia to our boys in that they, too, will have to stretch upward to behold him. Who will be a protest against the shallow artificiality of our social life with its tissue of falsity and who will stand for absolute righteous- | ness in the midst of an unrighteous age. Wanted, in Business, A man. He must be a human protest against dis- honesty. Not only is he not to de- fraud his associate, but there. are cases in which he is not even to seek his own. He is in business as God’'s steward, and while his support is a part of the contract, yet the profits belong to God. It is not necessary that he get rich. It is not even neces. sary that he be able to live. But it is necessary, absolutely necessary, that he be honest. Not merely legally hon- est, but intrinsically so. A good many men are legally honest who will find themselves behind God's prison bars. This man, whether as employer or as an employe, will stoop to no mean method or low practice, but with a sterling fidelity to his fellow man will give evidence of _the divine spirit wiin, ‘Wanted, in Politics, A Man. One who could not "~ bribed with any prospect of preferment or with a touch of gold. A man who looks neither to the right nor to the left from his path of duty. Who, with justice to all and with malice toward nene, stands as the representative of a WANTED, A M@N. THE WORLD WILL PAY HIM HIS PRICE By the REV. LOUIS J. SAWYE higher power than that of man. Who will retrieve the political situation from the morass where every man is for himself and for what he can get out of it. This man’s life in politics, as elsewhere, will be for what he can put into it. Wanted, A Man who brings things to pass for good: who is endued and endowed with a divine purpose to lift men; who can be a brother to every other man and see in every one a neighbor. He will not simply count one in the census, for he will count at least a hundred in the community. He will be worth a thousand when the eternal time sheet is made out. He has forgotten himself and has lived for his fellow men. The poor and the needy have been his friends. He shall not leave the earth with the piti- ful accompaniment of costly flowers and formal tears. But his shall be the richer heritage of sincere love and honor. l Where shall we find our Man? Where, indeed, if not in the reader himself? An obligation is laid upon us all to be such a man. It is a re- sponsibility not to be evaded. We have no right to be faithless or even | mediocre. We owe it to ourself to be the best man possible, and that word possible has no boundaries. We owe it to our fellow men who stand in de- plorable need of just such testimony as we have suggested. Above all, we owe it to God, who promises every equipment for regal manhood and to whom we render final account. Let every reader lift his face and heart to the Almighty »nd pledge a loyal faith- fulness to his will Wanted, A Man. He may name his own salary. The world will pay any price, and gladly. Perpetual employ- ment is guaranteed. Apply at once, for we sadly need help and the place has waited long. Come thou, O man. Whatsoever thou hast been, come now and be A Man. Work of the State Commissions Is Proving Most. Effective. ER before has ‘evidence of the value of a State’s organized work for public ibraries been shown so y as in the fourteenth Massachu- n. The < ssion in 1890 1 of a deeply seated men and women of rething should 1 and sock niss| 801 f the villages f the State. There terest and instruct ng on the hillside ages that the flow cities became a both country and liscussion a commission bers was created by an act | ¢ : i Legisla The members were | serve without pay, were empowered furnish expert aid a:Jd counsel to g for help and, most | were authorized to ex- | town that would establish | One or two librarians have always been | members of this board, the others have been men and women of scholarly St and philanthropic disposition. 8 towns during the first year in the second year, after of the commission, have ed themselves of the State's gift f $100 with which to found their Tittle libraries. A smaller number of towns in following years applied to the com- mission for this aid, but each year the work has advanced with larger gener- al interests and benefits. It was re- served for the year 1903 to witness the crowning of the labors of the commis- In this fourteenth report it is ted that at last every one of the towns and cities of Massachusetts has the right and privilege of a free | public library. Another effect of the stimulating ef- forts of the commission is seen in the wonderful liberality displayed by in- cividual givers in bestowing books, library sites, library buildings and en- dowments upon various towns and cities in Massachusetts. Many of the buildings have been erected as me- morials of deceased friends. Not less than $6,000,000 has been donated for these purposes since 1890. Massa- = A | chusetts now has 150 public library | chusetts, one hundred dollars for books. | puildings which have been constructed | establishment at Boston and Cam- | are preparing the way for the estab- through individual gifts, exclusive of the thirteen donations from Andrew Carnegie. The influence of this special work of the Massachusetts commission for public library extension which, though begun as an effort to promote higher standards of thought and action in | rural communities in their own State, | cculd not be confined to its limits and has spread over the country till now in a score of States sueh commissions are established by law. | And it may be noted as a gratify- ing feature of the times that when- ever a State adopts as its special care any form of popular instruction for the uplifting of the masses, public confidence is immeasurably strength- ened and the gifts of the wealthy free- ly flow to its aid. | Tlustrative of the value of the pub- ic library to the people may be quoted the words of Senator George F. Hoar. In speaking of his early contem- | pcraries—Bryant, Longfellow, Whit- tier, Lowell, Holmes, Emerson, Sparks, Bancroft, Prescott, Parkman, Motley, Webster, Choate, Everett and Wendell ;Philups—he claimed that the magnifi- cent leadership of thege men, who | were mainly from Eastern Massa- resulted from the early _ SIS ERIEES © bridge of libraries to which the people could have access. With fitting words the Massachusetts commission closes its admirable re- port: “The only treasure house open to all is a library; the only wealth which will not decay is knowledge. It is the birthright of every citizen of this commonwealth to share these treasures and possess, this wealth. The virtue and happiness of the individual, the felicity and refinement of the home, the civic and material prosperity of the people are all strengthened by the wise administration of the public library.” ‘What is being done to further library extensions in California? Much, when compared with the inactivity of a few years ago. Little, considering the ur- gent wants of the State. The twenty- nine buildings completed or in process of erection by the Carnegie gifts al- ready dot the State from Redding to San Diego. Not only in their respec- tive localities are they library homes, but they aré becoming centers of so- cial influence and intellectual power. From the State library at Sacramento several score of traveling libraries have | been sent to hamlets, villages and many tawns not possessing a library. These are awakening interest in good i literature and in a number of places “If this - OES insanity follow in the | Dr. James P. Lynch sees the earth |sonal greed at the expense of the wake of civilization? | one big lunatic asylum in 700 years|race, the inclination to always hurry Are we fast becoming unless conditions change. ‘“‘Insanity |and never rest are making of the peo- nation of lunatics? has increased 300 per cent in fifty | ple nervous wrecks. Is Chicago going crazy :’t:rs. and"it h&:; ir;‘creaseg :m‘:f (gat in % ")‘:(en. il'ke lx;lal;ns,l‘dle }?rst at the o % en years,” sa e. “Drink, drugs, | top,” continue r. Lynch. % _AI“‘" than any other Cit¥ | o e ulation, worry, overwork, are |increasing insanity be not stopped the he world | To these three questions three noted Chicago alienists answer “Yes,” says the New York World. are V. H. Podstata, superin- he Dunning Insane Asylum; . James P. Lynch and Dr. Oscar A. They are corroborated by | r Carter, who presides over which the insane are Dr. Podstata says that y 150 in Chicago is in every five predis- One of the most s of the year in Chicago They some of the causes of insanity. The conditions of women must change in order to have a healthy race. Either America will become a childless fha- tion or the list of insane will swell because of the nervous, weakling off- spring of the nerve-wrecked mothers. “There are hundreds of causes for insanity, and for every insane parent one will find in the family of children a predisposition to insanity. As these children marry and remarry they carry the strain of dementia with them. The tendency of the times is toward brain development at the expense of physical efficiency. Man's impetuous haste for the almighty dollar, his per- time will come when the sane will be at the mercy of the demented. ““According to the statistics of 1903 Great Britain comes first on the list of confined insane, the United States second, France third and Germany fourth, while many scientists claim that almost the entire population ot Norway is insane, though not con- fined. “The tendency of ‘our ‘higher educa- tion,” so called, and our ‘improved methods of living’ is to enrich and eventually enfeeble the mind, which at the same time impoverishes the body. Deprive the brain of its proper susten- ance—rich, red blood—and insanity sooner or later follows. The race for wealth, with its accompanying cares, anxieties and luxuries, not to say vices, keeps the brain in a constant turmoil and is a prolific breeder of madness.” Dr. Oscar A. King sees great danger from the “cured” madmen who are dis- charged from Institutions. Said he: ‘‘Hundreds of thousands of these peo- ple marry. The result? The birth of children predisposed to insanity. The children mature probably without showing any signs of mental disorder, marry into sound families never before tainted with a drop of insanity and spread the contamination. With thou- sands of such marriages, and such chil- dren being constantly born into the world, one can readily account for the increase of insanity. I think the royal family of Austria, the Hapsburgs, are about the best illustration of this idea that I know of. e 7 “It is safe to estimate. however.” lishment of a local library to be sup- ported by general tax. Effective efforts in behalf of library extension are being made by the Li- brary Association of California, which Joy Lichenstein of the San Fran- cisco public library is president. The object of this association is to promote the welfare of lbraries. It is ambi- ticus in Its aims, for it intends to do its utmost to change California as re- spects library advantages into a second Massachusetts. There are in this State sixty incor- porated cities, 100 unincorporated towns of importance and more than 1000 smaller places which have no libraries of their own. It is evident at a glance that missionaries of the gos- pel of good reading are certain of un- failing employment. The September meeting of the library association was recently held at Santa Cruz. It was an occasion when the large-hearted hospitality of the citi- zens of Santa Cruz and the library of- ficlals was given full play, the thirty visitors being welcomed with graceful courtesles and earnest words of encour- agement in their labors. Papers were read by several members at the meet- ings. Librarians Ripley of Sacramento. Graves of Alameda, Russ of Pasadena. Miss Alice J. Haines of San Francisco and Trustee Leask of Santa Cruz con- RTH ONE BIG LUNATIC ASYLUM--- went on Dr. King, “that 70 per cent of the present insanity is from predisposi- tion and that 30 per cent is due to in- heritance. There are more men insane in the United States than women, per- baps due to their harder mental work and exposure. The use of alcohol by a man may not drive him insane, but will often give a predisposition toward in- sanify to his offspring.” “I believe that insanity to-day begins in the schoolroom,” said Judge Orrin Carter. “Children are rushed through their studies too fast, given studies that used to belong to the colleges, and many of them graduated from the high schools at the age of only 16 years. In many cases this wrecks the nerves of children, and many of them carry the nervousness with them through life. But the result is a nervous, fidgety army of girls and boys, many of them unfit for business life before they be- gin. of | tributed articles bearing upon the special topic for discussion, ‘“Essentials and Non-Essentials in Library Work.” Miss Haines' paper treated of classify- ing and cataloging a library. It was stated that a catalogue is essential in ified library is more than half cata- logued, and referred to the combina- tions of the Dewey and Cutter systems of classification, which are extensively used. It was further urged that the cer- tain growth of a library should be pro- vided for, and as printed catalogues are not only expensive but are quickly out | of date, that the card catalogue proves most satisfactory. In an important presentation of the “children’s room” Miss Russ laid stress upon the first essential, which is —excepting the first shelf of care- fully chosen books—a thoroughly trained children’s librarian. Her pro- fession should be chosen through genuine love for children. Mr. Leask dwelt among other things in his pa- per upon a library trustee’s need of a fair and oven mind and a spirit of co-operation. The generosity of Californians to public librariés is morally certain to be hereafter displayed on a larger scale. Tn a collective manner this ap- preciation is being shown by various cities through ampler appropriations. a progressive library, that a well-class- | ’ Long Beach, Los Angeles County, ob- tains $3000 for the coming year— | more than double any -previous | amount; Santa Monica, the seaside | resort of Los Angeles, has opened a | branch library; Santa Rosa expects a tax of 7 cents on four and a half mil- Hons valuation, which will yield $3150. | and Berkeley secures an increase of | tax rate from 8 cents to 10 cents per | hundrea. It is doubly pleasant to chronicle more frequent individual gifts to li- | braries. In Santa Clara the widow of | the late H. C. Mumford, City Treas- urer, has just donated nearly $400 of | undrawn salary of her husband to the | public Hbrary. | Watsonville has invited competitive | plans for the new Carnegie library at | a cost not exceeding $12,000. Palo Alto’s new library building is nearly ready for use. The St. Helena library has no build- | ing of its own and occupies rooms in the City Hall. A number of improve- | ments have lately been made in the | appointments of the library. | At the laying of the corner-stone of | the Spokane, Wash., $75,000 Carnegie | building addresses were made by the iMlyor‘ Rev. Father Verhagen of the |Cathollc church, and School Superin- | tendent Tormey. The eligible site was | a donation from A. B. Campbell. IN 700 YEd RS | ““There has been a big increase in ten years. Much insanity is caused by stimulants used by man to push him on, against the warning of nature. If the overwdrked man would not keep up on drugs nature would give him the needed rest in the form of an illness, but under the whiplash of stimulants when he does collapse, having no re- serve resistance, he often becomes de- ranged.” “‘The artificial lives we lead, violating almost all of nature’s laws, and the stress of civilization are the causes of insanity,” said Dr. Podstata, “Intem- perance is one of the chief causes among our patients—about 40 per cent. Next comes worry. Practical religion undoubtedly strengthens the resistance to insanity. The highest aims in life. the lessened worry, the better habits of life, are of great help in resisting. “The emotional religion, with intense emotional disturbances, does at times upset the unstable in overwork: im- proper food and ill ventilated quarters are factors in the development of in- sanity. There is a considerable number of women, the wives of laboring men, forced In turn to labor and bear and rear their children at once, who become insane from pure exhaustion. In any case of that kind the children are likely to be weakened in their resistance.” Dr. F. Packer of the Bellevue Hos- pital, in New York, says that for 1902 and 1903 and six months of 1904 Bellevue Hospital admitted 2372, 2485 and 1328 patients, out of which 1555, 1752 and 946 were committed to asylums permanently. The State institutions of New York, not including any private asylums or sanatoriums, hospitals, poor farms or patients cared for at home, report a total for the year 1302 of 25,470 insane patients and in private asylums 961 insane, making a total of 26,431 pa~ tients. ELIMINATING GODS OF THE HOUSEHOLD A NOVEL PROFESSION is calied “Oh, Gee! Ain't It Great to | Be Crazy?” J e INCE ¢ nating has come | flamboyantly into fashion s a novel profession it may | perhaps be conceded that | t is something new un- der the sun. At least, from Ume immemorial it has been the cus- tom of American women to group their household gods and furnishings exactly to suit themselves. and then to let them stand, evidencing the degree - of their respective tastes. In this day, " however, when the erection of palatial residences takes place with something of the lightning rapidity that char- acterizes an automobile chase, a vein of timidity has developed in even the stanchest of matrons regarding the criticisme which in all probability her new home will invoke. In the begin® ning of its furnishings she has made e abundant use of drapers, artists and decorators. Each has had his will. Perfection apears to have gradually unfolded. Still, however, there re- main a few points about which she is not quite sure. Perplexed by many doubts, she calls in the eliminator. This individual, whether man or woman, is renowned for taste unques- tionable; cultivated, refined to the highest peg, which under financial in- ducement is allowed to shine forth for the saving of art’s reputation. “Madam,” he says, on his tour from com to room over the nmew house, rour taste is original, delightful, but with your permission I will eliminate this Chinese dog Foo from this room of the First Empire.” . “It is here by mistake,” says madam. X “And this bust of an old gentleman, a rather good head, to be sure, but awarfs this better one of Napoleon, and, as a matter of fact, it might well be eliminated.” “The bust,” answers madam. a bit nettled, “is that of my wgrandfather. There is really no other place where it looks so well.” = | “In a Napoleon room, madam? No doubt, of course, the old gentleman and the Little Corporal may have had many ideas in common, only since in headgear they so decidedly dif- fered——" “You think, perhaps, it would go better in the dining-room?” “The dining-room, madam, is Flem- ish, and your own bedroom 1is after Marie Antoinette. Assuredly it would not go there; its lines are much too severe. I should think, perhaps, 1t might be eliminated to the smoking- room." 4 “Smoking room! My xrandfather abominated smoking. He Quaker.” “You would not care, then, to give the old gentleman a second burial and erect a really classical tombstone for him? It is rather a good chance to add a touch of interest to your country place.” “You convince me,” sighed madam, ‘“that the bust must go. I shall not, however, put myself through the or- deal of a funeral. It can be sept to my son John for his rcom at Yale." ‘When in the French salon the elim- inator said, “It's a pity, Isn't it, about pictures?” S “These here are supposed to be fairly “We've been through a regular weed- ing time, though; things . that I've known since babyhood were shoved up, well, nearer the garret than I care to recall.” : was a The eliminator was incorrigible. “Your salon,” he reminded, “is pure Louis XIV. One or two very fine paint- ings here would add tome, of the ro- coco period, of course—lambs, shep- herdesses, little biue ribbons and bells, turtle doves—that sort of thing, you know; but these”—the swoop of his hand was comprehensive—"must all “My husband would never hear of such a thing. That painting alone cost him $15,000." - " “Ah, ves, the Magdalene! cade behind it is excellent, madam. I you, the room would be purer if it were eliminated. Shall I dispose To those who have not as yet heard of eliminators it may seem a bit amus- ing that this hypercriticism of where things should be and where they should not be numbered among the furnishings of up-to-date houses is, indeed, being seriously studied as a profession. For- merly mooted questions in such mat- ters have been referred to high-class decorators. The new profession, how- ever, is quite distinct, and while deco- rators often employ and send out elim- inators, it is usually done after their own contract is Eliminating would seem to be ideal profession for women—that is, their persuasive powers are great and they contain abundant tact. The field at present is one of the few not over- crowded. It is not one, however, to be entered into lightly, or troubles multi. tudinous might ensue. The elim an it ] must speak with the authority which comes from an exact knowledge of pe- riods, dates and values. To recommend a Chippendale sideboard when such an article of furniture was never made by that worthy would indeed be shocking in an expert eliminator. ~ Eliminators are paid by the hour, and of them quick, forceful decisions are expected. Besides the direct re- muneration they receive there are com- missions to be made from selling the articles eliminated. Often a piece of furniture, excellent in itself, yet inap- propriate to its surroundings, may be rejected from ome house by an elimin- ator who has in his mind’s eye a place in some other establishment where it will fit to a nicety. He therefore does the inexorable mistress of art a double service in selling it for one patron and buying it for another, turning for him- self in the meantime an honest -