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TALENT NEWS. The TALENT NEWS is published the 1st. and 15th. of each month. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Entered at the Talent Post Office as second A BAD SPELL. You have heard of the City of Sioux-- A NEEDLE WOMAN.
She works upon the tidy white CURIOSITY AROUSED.
Willie Keep -- I was once very strongly tempted to blow out my brains. LOOK HERE!
Do you want any job printing done at reasonable rates?If you do you should not fail to call and examine our work and prices. All kinds of bill heads, letter heads, envelope heads, name cards, dance tickets and bills. Also mining notices etc. [side 2] PROF. RORK'S LECTURE ON MENTAL PHILOSOPHY.
The audience that greeted Prof. Rork on the evening of the 24th ult, was supposed to be composed wholly of thinkers or those who would try to think, as, in a previous announcement the speaker had especially invited such and none others. As we (the A. E.) had burned no small quantity of ''midnight-oil'' in a somewhat vain endeavor to fathom the mysteries of mental action, we were on hand ready and anxious for more light. As the subject was a very deep one, requiring the closest attention, the speaker at the outset requested perfect order and paused a moment while a committee of one interviewed the cigarette group on the hall steps in search of thinkers with instructions to invite them in should any be found. The committee returned unaccompanied. The lecturer then proceeded but was disturbed for a time by a few presumably non-thinkers who by some misunderstanding were among the audience. These soon retired for a smoke and the "conditions" as a (spiritualist would say, were satisfactory. The study of mind, according to the speaker, is most important; could we fully understand mental philosophy, many of the great social problems that have puzzled mankind so long would be more easy of solution. Self-preservation is the great law. Therefore all our thoughts spring from selfishness. No man does right for right's own sake. If he does right he expects the act to be followed by a favorable reaction upon himself. In other words we do nothing without hope of reward. The mental question, "Will it pay?" proceeds every action. The pay or reward may be money, honor, fame, the conscious pleasure arising from having performed a worthy deed -- whatever it may be, it is reward, and reward is the spring of all our actions. He would have us keep this fact in view in the study of man's social nature. It is claimed by the supporters of this philosophy that the aggregate selfish desires and impulses of a people result in general good -- that when many are brought together in a community, their wants and necessities are so nearly allied that each in looking after No. 1, in fact helps out No. 2 and all the rest. Although this view is held by many able thinkers, we cannot support it. We believe there is a motive in the constitution of the human mind that is above reward -- a disinterested, spontaneous impulse to alleviate, the sufferings and increase the happiness of others; that this may be the end and object sought -- not merely a means to our own happiness. In our humble opinion there is an altruistic side to normal human nature that has no reference to the happiness of self -- a motive that has its origin in our sympathetic nature. It is wholly unselfish and is prompted by no hope or expectation of reward according to the general acceptation of the term. The speaker proceeded to define terms. Belief, he said, admitted a doubt. When we "believe" a thing, we admit -- or should admit -- that it is not fully proven, that there is a reasonable doubt. We "know" a thing when there is no possible chance for doubt. These terms, said the speaker, were often wrongly used. We say ''know" many times when we should say "believe." The above definitions are correct and we know -- beg pardon -- "believe" that if clergymen and many others "knew" less and believed more, there would not be so much antagonism between those of different "beliefs." "If you know a thing," said the lecturer, "how do you know you know it? Are you sure there is no chance for doubt? Do you know that I am the one that spoke in the grove this afternoon? Isn't it barely possible that some other fellow that looks like me spoke in the grove and that I am another person altogether?'' But let us see if the speaker kept squarely to his own propositions. He discoursed at length upon mind and matter. Matter, he said, is inert, passive; cannot move unless something moves it; hence mind. Mind does everything. The speaker here introduced and old sylogistic argument in proof of immortality:-- Nothing moves unless something moves it; [side 3] something is moved; therefore mind, perhaps, of man; a world moves, therefore an omnipotent mind -- God. The above syllogism is not altogether faultless. One school of scientific thinkers, including Edison, holds that the ultimate atoms of matter are endowed with life and intelligence and that they exercise the power of selection; that, in the atom, mind and matter are inseparably united. According to these theorists, then, as atoms make up the mass of matter in the universe, there can be no mind. or intelligence not connected with matter. As there are many kinds of atoms, their infinite combinations produce all the phenomena, mental and physical, in the universe. Therefore to this class of thinkers the fact that matter moves would be no proof of the existence of an "eternal thinker" outside of all matter. Now the above is one of the many fine spun theories to account for the mysteries that surround us. As a theory -- belief -- it admits of doubt. It's supporters are mainly scientists, and true scientists are as grateful for evidence against, as that in favor of, their theories. Doubts are welcome. Prof. Rork, however, would remove his propositions, involved in the above faulty syllogism, entirely from the domain of theory and suffer no troublesome doubt, to come within hailing distance. He gives another syllogism to brace up the first, as follows: Nothing can't make something; something is made: therefore an eternal thinker -- God. Then God is something: but how did he come into being? Was he created? If so, there must have been a pre-existent creative being -- indeed an endless line of creators, for something cannot come from nothing. Or did he always exist? If so, the complication is the more complicated; for it is as easy to conceive the universe as always existing as to conceive of a non-created creator of the universe. We are here landed in a labyrinth of difficulties from which many a thinker as wise and honest as Prof. Rork has beat a hasty retreat. In fact the origin and destiny of the universe are entirely beyond human conception, and each bold thinker who forms an opinion or constructs a theory should have unlimited toleration for all other opinions and theories, for one is about as good as another, though personally we profess a preference for opinions based upon scientific research. The last syllogism of the professor's is on a par with the Hindoo proposition that everything must have a support: The earth rests on the back of an elephant; the elephant stands on the back of a turtle and the turtle -- well -- what it stands on is nobody's business; people mustn't be too inquisitive. Or another oriental conception: that the earth rests oh the horns of a gigantic bull and when that patient animal shakes his head there is an earthquake. Well, there are lots of things in heaven and earth not explained in Prof. Rork's philosophy -- nor any other. Take it all in all, however, we were highly pleased with Prof. Rork's lecture. It no doubt set his audience to thinking, which was a sufficient success in itself. In Missouri hugging parties have been introduced to swell the church treasuries and a paper gives the follow scale of prices: Girls under sixteen, 25 cents for each hug of two minutes; from sixteen to twenty-five, 75 cents; schoolma'ams, 40 cents; widows, according to looks, from 10 cents to $2; old maids, 3 cents apiece, or two for a nickel, and not any limit of time. Ministers are not charged. Editors pay in advertisements, but are not allowed to participate until everybody else is through. CALL [side 4] TALENT NEWS.
Talent, Or. October 15th, 1893.
LOCAL ITEMS.
Travis Lynch returned from California last week. Severe colds, akin to la-grippe, are prevalent in this neighborhood. Miss. Anna Belle Briner of Ashland is visiting relatives in Talent. Miss. Jennie Reams of Jacksonville has been visiting friends and relatives in Talent for the past week. W. J. Dean was going about with two canes last week a result of a severe attack of lumbago. If you don't like the way "syllogism" is spelled on 2nd page, you can supply the other l. A religious revival is now under full headway at Talent, conducted by Revs. Wood, Butler, Smith, Black and Kahler. Andrew Briner has purchased and moved onto his father's place on Anderson creek. A blue cross on the margin of the paper indicates that your subscription has expired. A prompt renewal cheereth "'ye editor muchly. Ben Dyer has moved into his new quarters where he has ample room and everything arranged in the most convenient manner. It is one of the beat appointed blacksmith and wagon shops in the valley. Mrs. Frances Glanden, of Seattle, is visiting her brother, John Moreland, of Talent, who has been in very poor health for several months. Miss. Jessie Beeson, who has been slowly failing in health for a year or more has gone to Ashland where she will spend several weeks under the care of Mrs. Dr. Webster. The many friends of the young lady have strong hopes that she will fully recover. Flour selling at $13 a 1000 in this valley. Too cheap! Who's to blame? Rain, rain, rain, about one half the time for the last three weeks! The infant son of N. D. Brophy has been very sick for several days, but is recovering. John Cabler, from the upper end of the valley, has rented John Holton's place near Wagner creek. During the next two weeks the bulk of the apple and, pear crop. in this valley will be gathered. The crop is unusually large and of excellent quality. Wm. Abbott's saw mill on Wagner creek must be doing a lively, business judging by the quantity of lumber that passes down the road daily. Found -- Today, in the street near Mr. Foss', one new hog skin glove. The owner can have same by calling at the News office and paying price of notice. Some one, whose brains, if he has any, must all lie back of his ears, removed a bolt from Rev. J. L. Wood's buggy the other night. The maliciousness of the act is shown by the fact that twine was wound around in place of the bolt so that the buggy would go but a short distance without coming apart. As a result Mr. Wood was thrown from the buggy and severely bruised about the head and shoulders. We should feel inclined to use language other than polite to adequately express our opinion of a person who would commit a deed like that. Really it is possible that any one of sound mind could do it? We think not. At all events, such an individual ought not to run at large. Place your subscriptions with the Ashland News Stand for any paper or magazine published on earth or any where else. Hasty will haste to get 'em and save you cost of money order and postage. A very unique matrimonial advertisement came to hand too late for insertion in this issue. It will appear in our next. Boys, this is your chance. |