THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
accessible to those two more modern conveniences.
I have spoken of printing as an educational factor of the world in gen
eral, but I would call your attention specifically to the advantages of
working in a printshop. Such an opportunity, if persistently taken
advantage of and followed long enough, is a liberal education in itself.
Benjamin Franklin, whose ability as a scientist and whose influence
on our history are too well known to need repeating, was too poor to
attend school, but Ins great desire for learning found satisfaction in the
various printing establishments where he was employed from early
youth to maturity. He was a man learned in advance of his time—a
fact made evident by the wisdom of the philosophy that he preached.
George D. Prentice is the name of another famous man.
Horace Greely, at one time editor of the New York Tribune, bril
liant-minded and influential, acquired most of his knowledge while
connected with printing. He was a statesman of international fame,
admired by his enemies as well as his friends.
To give the subject a local application, and to bring it nearer home
I will mention a few prominent men of our own section, with whom,
and their qualifications, you are all familiar: The late Harvey w ’
Scott, editor of the Portland Oregonian; C. S. Jackson, editor of the
Portland Journal; Colonel Watterson of the Louisville Courier-Journal
and General Harrison G. Otis of the Los Angeles Times, are examples
of printers who have attained notoriety. The success of these men proves
that the work of printing is valuable training, whether pursued as a vo
cation or used as a stepping-stone to some other occupation.
Four of our class are printer boys. We probably owe as much to our
instruction in this line of business as to our schoolroom teaching. What
ever our calling in after life, we are thankful that we have had the op
portunity, while at Chemawa, of climbing a few rungs higher by means
of our experiences in the printing office. We believe that printing should
be classed with.the fine arts, for certainly, aside from the nourishment of
the body, there is nothing more essential than the nourishment of the
mind. With no exception printing is by far the most important of all
the inventions of civilization.