The Chemawa American, May 05, 1926, Image 1

The Chemawa American
Printed at Chemawa, Oregon, and Devoted to the Inten sts of Indian Education
Vol. XXVII
Wednesday, May 5, 192-6
OUR HOBBIES
In the ordinary affairs of life to be open to the charge
of having a hobby is almost equivalent to being con­
sidered a joke. Let us see? To have a hobby is to be
obsessed with some constantly recurring idea, of which
one is ever ready to talk. This is certainly not a
crime—nor is it a joke. It all depends. Many of our
most respected and influential citizens have in reality
ridden to their present positions on their hobby-horses.
It is certainly possible for a hobby-horse to be a good
nag, even though belittled far and wide by those who
think superficially.
In all intricate things the idea must be so fixed in
the mind that it will remain with an individual for
years, possibly for a life-time. The mind is obsessed
with the one great subject, or thought, and considera­
tion of it occupies all of the mental faculties to the
exclusion of almost everything else. So absorbed may
one become with his hobby that he wants to discuss
it with others on every possible occasion. Perhaps the
fellow on the hobby-horse may hope to gain informa­
tion through discussion with others? There is cer­
tainly no joke about this. It all depends, more or less,
on the degree of intelligence manifested by the man
with a hobby.
Sometimes these hobby-horses carry more than their
riders—they may bear home a fortune or fame. Many
of our great men have ridden to fame on what his
neighbor considered a hobby-horse. Many of our
greatest inventions were first a hobby in the mind of
some individual, but eventually the hobby-horse got
into green pastures, more fertile fields, and the think­
ing mass of mankind awoke with startling suddenness
and amazement at an achievement that dazzled the
whole world—an achievement, too, that probably was
to revolutionize certain problems during many years,
if not for all time. Some hobby, that!
Now, in order to bring our idea closer home, in fact,
to get more or less personal, let us suppose that our
students as a body would determine that it should be
their hobby to know their text-books from cover to
cover, wouldn’t that revolutionize things at Chemawa?
Wouldn’t our little world be amazed—stand aghast—
at such an unbelievable hobby?
Who dares to say
that such a hobby on the part of every student would
COPY • 1956 No. 32
not benefit each one? There are hobbies and hobbies
—much depends on the hobby chosen. Really, the
matter is worthy of serious consideration.
ART
He who is careless and slovenly in the discharge of
his tasksis a fellow who is recognized as a “botch”
workman. He soon gains such a reputation that no-
one who desires work well done will employ him.
Little by little the “botch” workman is pushed lower
and lower in the grade of employment offered him
and eventually only the roughest and most common­
place jobs are open to him. The sad part of it is that
the remuneration is usually a trifle below the quality
of the work performed.
The great majority of employers have discovered
that work, whatever the character of it, pays best
when it is done well. They are willing to pay a
living wage, or more, for good work—good, con­
scientious service. Such being the case, it seems that
the person known as a “botch” does not stand much
chance of ever getting far on the road to success.
“Only the best is good enough” should be the motto
of all young people who are starting out in the world
to carve their names on the rock of destiny. It is
possible for all who are intelligent to do acceptable
work, and if they fail to do so and do not succeed the
blame lies at their own doors.
It will carry young people who have their way to
make in the world a long way to endeavor to make an
art of their labors. A thing which is uncommonly
well done cannot possibly be common, for that which
is common is just average, nothing more. In our judg­
ment it is not necessary that one shall specialize in
sculpture, music, painting or letters in order to merit
the title of “artist.” Art is produced in many ways
and in many forms. Work of such a fine character
that discriminating thought, backed up by years of ex­
perience, has entered into its accomplishment must in
the very nature of things rank as art.
When we see a master mechanic handling his lathes
we instinctively pay homage to him as an artist. It
is the same when we see a fine cabinet maker at his
tasks, or a man creating beautiful things out of leather.
(Continued on page 4)