The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1954, Side 30

28
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Spring 1951
fluence from these sources. But in his
letters he often discusses at length
ideas and passages from h.is readings.
In 1894 Stephansson gave a lecture,
On Reading Books, at a meeting of a
newly established Icelandic Reading
Club in the Markerville district. I
would like to end this short and some-
what disjointed account with a brief
translated passage from this lecture:
“There are those whom reading has
educated, men who have not only ac-
quired amusement and knowledge
from books, but much rather sharpen-
ed and increased the power of their
own spirits: have drunk spiritual
strength from books as the grass drinks
a spring shower. Of course, I realize
that culture, thus understood, is not
of much weight in the pocket, un-
related as it is to position and wealth;
it can neither be weighed on a com-
mercial scale nor told in gallons; there
is some doubt that because of it you
will get more butter from the milk or
dozens more eggs from the henhouse,
since culture cannot be thus measured.
But one thing is certain: it makes
man himself more suited for all use-
ful undertakings, more human than
if he had to do without it. It makes
him more sensitive and keener for all
that is beautiful and good, and con-
nects him more closely and intimately
with his race and nature. It interprets
to him the runes of the past, explains
the tongues of the present and shows
him the future in a clearer vision. It
prevents his life from becoming barren
and isolated from everything like a
rock which has rolled forth upon a
grassy field and lies there motionless
until it sinks into the earth. It pro-
longs the short life of man by ages, be-
cause the perception and sensitivity of
a truly educated man reach far beyond
the span of experience of any single
generation.”
C. P. Haltalin
A graduate of the University of
Manitoba in Electrical Engineering,
Mr. C. P. Haltalin has been with the
Engineering Department of the Win-
nipeg Electric Company since 1929.
Prior to his present appointment he
served as Assistant Electrical Engineer
and Supervisory Engineer. As Manag-
er of the Operating Division he is re-
sponsible for the operation and main-
tenance of all generation, transmission,
and distribution facilities of Winni-
peg Electric Company, as well as the
power plants and transmission proper-
ties of The Manitoba Hydroelectric
Board.
By courtesy of PHASE
★
ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. R. Swanson has been appointed
on the board of Directors of Burns -k
Denton Ltd., members of the Invest-
ment Dealers Association of Canada.
Mr. Swanson is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ragnar Swanson of St. Boniface,
Man.