June 19, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



975 



fessional knowledge and practical experi- 

 ence, efSciency in his business and ability 

 to deal with other men. Opportunity, re- 

 sponsibility and financial returns will come 

 later, once he reaches the age at which 

 older men holding such positions begin to 

 drop out. If suited to the work he will 

 find his place. 



Meantime, the work of the world is fall- 

 ing into the hands of these able, expert, 

 experienced and efficient men of the new 

 generation in rapidly increasing propor- 

 tion, and the professionally trained en- 

 gineer now finds himself wanted wherever 

 learning, ability and experience are essen- 

 tial to the success of a great enterprise. 



In this great work the student for whom 

 all these sacrifices are made has his part, 

 and his duty is quite as imperative in the 

 utilization of these opportunities as is that 

 of the state to provide them. His firet 

 privilege and duty is that of playing his 

 part conscientiously and well. If unable 

 to do the work well that is set before him 

 he should retire to make place for a more 

 competent candidate for opportunity; if 

 found lacking in conscientiousness, he 

 should be retired. 



Stradivarius, whose violins to-day will 

 fetch large sums, though they cost but 

 little two centuries ago, in answer to a 

 charge that he worked only for pelf, re- 

 plied : 



" Who draws a line and satisfies his soul, 

 Making it crooked where it should be straight? 

 An idiot with an oyster shell may draw 

 His lines along the sand, all wavering, 

 Fixing no point or pathway to a point, 

 An idiot one remove may choose his line. 

 Straggle and be content; but, God be praised, 

 Antonio Stradivari has an eye 

 That winces at false work and loves the true. 

 With hand and arm that play upon the tool. 

 As willingly as any singing bird 

 Sets him to sing his morning roundelay, 

 Because he likes to sine and likes the song." 



The spirit of Stradivarius is that which 

 underlies all success, and not only should 

 the protege of the state illustrate this spirit 

 as justifying his adoption by the state ; but 

 he should understand that the interest and 

 pride and ambition of Stradivarius are 

 essentials of his own later advancement. 

 Thoroughness in college work is no less 

 essential and fimdamental an element of 

 success with the individual than is the suc- 

 cess of the outgoing army of alumni vital 

 to the progress of the coimtry and the 

 growth of the state in all that makes suc- 

 cess for the people, or that makes life worth 

 living for the dweller in their midst. Given 

 this spirit of wholesome and cheerful am- 

 bition and the atmosphere which it en- 

 genders, and the world will be the better 

 and the brighter each day. 



Our own progress as a nation depends 

 upon the wisdom and foresight, the patriot- 

 ism and courage and persistence of our own 

 educators and statesmen and industrial 

 leaders. With wise statesmanship, our 

 own nation may become the leader of the 

 world and our country may always move 

 onward in the van of modern progress. At 

 the moment, what is most needed is the 

 awakening of our legislative and executive 

 officials to the duties and the opportunities 

 of the times. It is the fossilized educator 

 and the ignorant and unpatriotic politician, 

 and the demagogue who aspires to lead 

 'labor,' and the educated man with his 

 head in the clouds, who are the most seri- 

 ous obstacles to the progress of education, 

 and to that of the nation toward higher 

 and better things. These classes being 

 either enlightened and purified, or extin- 

 guished, we may trust the American 

 people to take full advantage of their op- 

 portunities and to hold a foremost place 

 in the peaceful rivalry of the nations. 



RoBEET H. Thurston. 

 Sibley College, 



Cornell Univeesitt. 



