Nappanee High School - Napanet Yearbook (Nappanee, IN)

Page 9 text:

HARRY PRICE IlAititY, the president of the wonderful class of 1907, was born July 27. 1887. He has always been an energetic member of the class and a leader in everything he takes up. He was captain of the football teams of 1905 and 1900, and their records show what they did. He was also a factor in the memorable battles of the numerals in the spring of 1905 and 1906. He no doubt will take up the medical profession and we predict a great future for him.

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ahr uroittal nf thr Ifittrst. nr ahr trugglr fur txhitrnrr By HARRY E. PRICE A LL nature is one vast battle-field. Like vast op-posing armies are t lie various forms of life. All these various forms of life have their Marat lions, their Arbelas their Tours, and likewise their Water-loos. These vast armies and navies of nature are noted by the Scientist and studied by him under the title of “The Struggle for Existence” or “The Survival of the Fittest.” These two expressions are simply two views of the same workings of nature. They are like the American dollar, “The Struggle for Existence” being represented by the eagle in his defiant attitude, while “The Survival of the Fittest” can aply be represented by the head of liberty, for it is the larger liberty that “The Survival of the Fittest” represents. By these expressions we do not mean that life is entirely free from its race with destruction. We do not mean that each individual plant, reptile, fowl or animal, high or low, goes through life irrespective of heredity or environment: we do not mean that the plant, regardless of zone, climate or moisture goes on through life without some means of defense. Neither do we mean that the reptile kingdom, represented by the snake, the chameleon or the frog, creep along in the damp slimy jungle of tlie dark continent not armed for the dreaded attack of some enemy: nor do we mean that tlie fowls of the air, as they flit from tree to tree are free from being drawn to death by the cunningness of some creeping, crawling, glittering eyed serpent or becoming the prey of one of its own kind, or the mark of some wary huntsman. But by the term “Fittest ’ we do mean that life as it is manifested in various forms, plants, reptiles, fowls, higher or lower animals, is better fitted to survive than any other of its kind, because it has a greater power of resistance and endurance, also a greater ability to adjust itself to its environment. It is only natural therefore that we arrive at the conclusion that all life is constantly in peril, or that the keeping of life is a constant struggle between life and life and between life and death. To all forms of life there comes more or less of a battle against the shifting of tlie seasons, tlie hot fiery blast of summer, the chilling icy winds of winter, tlie rains, the floods, and the onward march of civilization; added to these life must also battle against famine, disease and against its own kind. Note the struggle that is going on irr the vegetable kingdom. All plants are struggling to adjust them-selves to the changing conditions of circumstances, and that a struggle for existence inevitably follows from the rapid rate at which all organic beings tend to increase. We understand that in all organic life, thousands of eggs, seeds or some form of life are produced that never mature, and all these at some period of their life must suffer destruction, as for instance when draught, frost or insects come that only the best fitted for life overcome in the battles and the weaker ones are destroyed. In plants there is a vast destruction of seeds, for instance in a piece of ground (2 ft. x 4 ft.) where there could be no choking by other plants, out of 357 seeds there were no less than 295 destroyed chiefly by insects and slugs. Let us look into the life of a morning glory which is only a moderately prolific plant. In ordinary soil it produces 3,000 seeds, if all these were allowed to mature each year in four years the surface of the earth would be totally covered. So we arrive at tlie conclusion that tlie reason the morning glory does not occupy more space than it does is due largely to its destructive elements, and consequently the value of tills struggle may be seen as it gives us tlie strong healthy plant. Let us turn our atu?nlion to tlie common grain, corn, which produces 7,000 grains of pollen on each stalk, each grain containing the life of an individual plant which in its turn produces 7,000 more grains, if it were not for the struggle that goes on and tlie destruction of the weak embryonic life we could readily see what a tremendous crop would be tlie result. May we not then conclude that in a short time all other plants would be totally destroyed and there would soon begin a plant suicide! This struggle is also observed in the kingdom of reptiles. Because they are more abundant in South America than in any other country the struggle is there more plainly seen: but sufficient evidence can be found at our own door. Look for instance at tlie rattlesnake, one of our most common reptiles as it winds its way through the meadow and marsh how often it is overtaken by man or some lower animal, or tlie eagle, and even by its own kind for it is a very common tiling for snakes to feed upon their own kind. But on tlie other hand note how it is fitted for its struggle; look if you will at its poisonous fangs which in an instant will cause the death of any intruder that it is forced to strike. Its color making it almost impossible to distinguish it from the ground. Tiius it is not only possible for it to defend itself but that it may escape detection and tiius secure its prey. Again notice the ability of the chameleon to meet its struggle for existence. Its power to change its color in accordance with its surroundings: should they be red or green it in a very short time becomes the exact counterpart of them. In this lies its defense and its power to secure prey. Take if you will tlie frog or the toad. In the 9