EDITORIAL AND GENERAL 



237 



its own ink. The well-informed man 

 is sure, and speaks accordingly. The 

 man that refers me to an elementary 

 text-hook has himself need of further 

 information. He thinks he knows, but 

 he does not know that he knows. lie 

 is uncertain, and therefore afraid to 

 answer, and too weak to say "1 do not 

 know." He retreats behind the cloud 

 of his own inky ignorance. 



In company with such ignorance you 

 will find selfishness. A wealthy man 

 was asked for a contribution for the 

 public library. "Let the public buy 

 their own books," he said. "I buy 

 mine." Answer your own questions, I 

 answer mine. 



Profound learning and the mission- 

 ary spirit walk hand in hand. Ignor- 

 ance, pride and selfishness are triplets, 

 born of the same mother at one birth. 



As a member of The 



Agassiz Asso- 



John W. Spencer. 



Thousands of persons, children in age 

 or in spirit, from toddlers up to white 

 haired men and women, will grieve when 

 they learn that "Uncle" John W. Spencer 

 is dead. He was a much esteemed mem- 

 ber of The Agassiz Association, and on 

 page 184 of our number for August, 

 1909, we published an extended article 

 in regard to his work. He was, indeed, 

 "Uncle John" to everyone who has the 

 faith and purity of childhood left in his 

 heart. This earnest and kindly man did 

 a remarkable work especially among 

 farmers and farmers' children, and was a 

 great aid and encouragement to lovers 

 of nature and of the outdoor world every- 

 where, and yet, "Uncle John" in some 

 of the early days of his work was much 

 misunderstood. He had the rare talent 

 of being able to raise money to carry on 

 his work, and was so good a politician 

 that he could get from the legislature the 

 appropriations that were necessary. These 

 were at first misunderstood. It was 

 stated that he was after help to build up 

 a paying business, but "Uncle John" plod- 

 ded and worked on, and lived long 

 enough to he generally appreciated. After 

 a time everybody saw that he was gen- 

 uine at heart and was merely making it 

 his life mission to get people of all ages 

 and both sexes acquainted with nature 

 He thoroughly believed that what hu- 

 manity needs is a closer relation with 

 Mother Earth, and no one worked more 

 faithfully to that end. 



ciation we always valued his many kind 

 words. He appreciated our work and 

 gave it hearty encouragement. His own 

 work in establishing organizations known 

 as Junior Naturalists was patterned on 

 the methods of our much older AA, and 



UNCLE JOHN W. SPENCER HAS ATTENDED 



THE LAST "'HARVEST HOME" OF GOOD 



FARMERS AND GOOD LOVERS OF 



NATURE. 



yet we were glad to see him go ahead 

 along those lines and make effective 

 similar work under a different name. He 

 always had the kindest feelings for the 

 AA, of which he was a member. 



He was born in Cherry Valley, New 

 York, June 12, 1843. Five years ago, at 

 the age of sixty-five, he retired from his 

 active work, but continued to the last 

 his interest in agricultural improvement, 

 and in his later years was a field agent 

 in the Cornell University Extension work. 

 "Uncle John's" work was worth doing 

 and he did it well. The world is better 

 because he lived and did his work. 



1 know the world must be very old, 

 because ever since I can remember it's 

 been a good while. 



