Norfolk High School - Milestone Yearbook (Norfolk, NE)

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THE MILESTONE. Revolutionary Period, no one stands out more nobly or more imposing than the self sacrificing character of Robert Morris. And the fate of no man appeals more to our sympathy than the fate of this great financier of the Revolution. Nor is there a more forcible illustration of the nation’s ingratitude to its benefactors than our nation’s neglect of him in his old age, in sickness and want More than once he rescued Congress from a seemingly fatal crisis, by borrowing money on his personal credit. The $1,600,000, which enabled Washington to carry out his last campaign against Cornwallis was raised by the sacrifice of Morris. Without his timely assistance the army would have disbanded, British arms would have been successful and our liberty and our independence crushed forever. At the close of the war Morris had nothing, having advanced all his wealth to the government in the cause of liberty. In return for all this the government induced him to take as payment a large tract of land, uncultivated and covered with thick timber. The land was not worth one half the money that the government had received from him, and as the notes which he had issued became due, he was not able to meet them. And thus the man that saved the nation from bankruptcy and British rule died in a debtor’s prison. The world has ever been full of ingratitude hut we regret that this one dark blot has been allowed to soil the pages of a nation’s history, otherwise so pure and white. Lessons of Life. CARROLL POWERS. There are thoughts, events and 25 circumstances in the life of every one that mould and develop his character. Early in life these lessons begin and yet w hen youth has faded into age, each still sees where improvements might have been made, where lessons might have been learned. Sitting at the knee of bis mother, gazing into her loving face, the child hears from her lips truths that wield a lasting influence on his life. Moulded in the yielding clay of youth are pure thoughts, high standards and noble aims. Happy is he if impressions thus received be not marred by contact with the world but hardened by the sun of maturer age into the unyielding rocks of a manly character. Youth is a fertile soil and seeds dropped over its surface if left unharmed spring into strong and vigorous growth. All honor then to mothers, guarding with the care which only love can give, the virgin soil of each young life. Fortunate are they who early in life learn the lessons of honor, purity and truth. With growth in years, the capacity of observation1 and depth of understanding expand and open as a thirsty bud drinking in the dew and sunshine. Then each for himself, must learn and apply life’s lessons. A varying panorama stretches before his eyes from which to draw and incorporate in the developement of life’s fabric, lessons small and great. Nothing is so insignificant, nothing so great which may not hold some nidden meaning. To him who in the love of nature holds communion w ith her visible forms, she speaks a varied language. In its many modes and guises, there opens up a world of truth, truths that are simple'and truths so great that the comprehension is

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24 THE MILESTONE. which he influenced the whole subsequent course of human thought, may he stated under three heads: Subject. Method and Doctrine, lie was the first to proclaim that the proper study for man is Man, human nature and human duties. Socrates continued incessantly discussing human affairs, investigating what is piety; what is impiety; what is the honorable and the base; what is the just and the unjust? Men that knew these matters, he accounted as good and honorable; men that were ignorant of them, he associated with slaves. In this way Socrates set the people to thinking and by making them think they were being educated. In 399 B. C. an indictment was laid against Socrates, accusing him: First, of not worshiping the same gods which the city worshiped. Second, of introducing new divinities of his own; and third, of corrupting the youth. The penalty for which was death. There were three peculiarities which distinguished Socrates First, his long life passed in contented poverty and in public teachings. Second, his strong religious persuasion or belief that he was acting under missions and signs from the gods, of which he believed himself frequently the subject. Third, his great intellectual originality, both of subject and of method, and his power of forcing and stirring germs of inquiry in others. To hear of any man, especially of so illustrious a man as Socrates, being condemned to death on such accusations as that of heresy and alleged corruption of youth inspires, at the present day, a sen i-ment of indignant reprobation, the force of which I have no desire to enfeeble. The fact stands eternally recorded as one of the thousands of misdeeds of intolerance, both religious and political. As we trace the growth of science and philosophy our thoughts naturally turn to Galileo, the creator of experimental science, lb was the first to place before the people the following contributions of physical science: The relation between space and time in case of falling bodies; the three laws of motion; that air has weight; the invention of the telescope, and many various and noble discoveries with which he enriched science. Encircled by the lustre of these sublime discoveries he wrote and published the expositions of his opinions. Hardly had these been issued when the book was given over to the iurisdictiction of the Ecclesiastical Court, the Pope having been led to believe that he had satirized him in his productions under the title of “Simplicity.” As one who is careless about scientific truth, he resolved to punish Galileo. the audacious philosopher, and he was summoned before the Court of Inquisition to answer to the charge of heresy. After a long wearisome trial, the judge condemned Galileo to an indefinite term of imprisonment and he, like many other great and noble men was allowed to die in poverty. At the opening of the Uevolu-tionary War there were many eminent and wealthy men, who. for the love of liberty, willingly sacrificed their wealth, political preferment and life itself. We speak in admiration of gallant heroes such as Putnam, Green and Washington. We admire the excellent . motives which animate such noble characters as Franklin, LaFayette and Warren. lint, of all the great men of the

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2K THE MILESTONE. taxed and even imagination stands abashed. Look! yonder in a throng of listening people. Men of strange dress and manners surround a speaker on whose calm, majestic face shines the light of love and wisdom. List to the words he speaks: “Consider the lillies, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet 1 say onto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the held, which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you. 0 ye of little faith.” How simple the lesson,and though uttered centuries ago, the light of modern science but strengthens the application. Physicians are beginning more and more to realize the evil effects of worry and the blessings of a free and easy mind. A spider taught Robert Bruce, as he sat in his prison cell, the lesson of perseverence and as a result Scotland breathed again the jiir of freedom. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise, which having no guide, overseer or ruler, provideth her meat in summer. and gathereth her food in harvest.” Such are the little things in nature that speak to the observant mind. But nature in her grandest and most awe inspiring phases, also claims our attention. Gaze at the myriad glittering hosts of heaven, think of the enormity of space through which ranges system upon system, each single member passing through its orbit with unerring precision. What harmony, what perfection and what sublimity! Does it not speak the existence of a master’s guiding hand and teach to man belief and reverence? Thus nature plants her sign-posts by the road of life. But man learns most from man. In the page of history stretches before us the lives of those now passed away, around us is a world of fellow-men. We see the pit-falls into which others stumble, or the steps by which they rise, and passing through the years, learn to avoid the one and mount the other. Thus life to each brings its own lessons, some bitter and some sweet. “Tis checkered shade and sunshine,” but to him who learns its lessons well, the shadows pass like clouds from off a summer sky, leaving the sweet abiding peace of a life well spent. Valedictory. To us, now entering the conflict, of life, the past has been a time of preparation. Our minds and characters have, in a large measure, been nourished and developed in in the public schools of our city. And now, as we leave behind the schoolroom, we wish to express our appreciation to those who have been interested in and have aided our progress. To the citizens of our community, we extend our thanks for the opportunities and facilities which we have been able to enjoy by their generosity. Members of the Board of Education, Gentlemen: To you we extend our thanks for the conscientious and judicious method which you have pursued in the accomplishment of the trust reposed in you and which to a large extent lias made our school life happy and successful. May the knowledge that you have aided in the development of so many young lives be some compensation for your labors in our behalf. And now to you, our superintendent