Century Chest transcription 153
July 23, 1901
Mr. Ehrich
I have taken too much liberty to volunteer my letter but I feel it is the duty of every intelligent man to take an interest in such a noble work. So you will pardon me and if it is not worth taking in you will be so kind as to let me know.
Prof. J. Shatz
Temple [?] Theater
Colo Springs
Letter 2
Colorado Springs, Colo.
July 23, 1901
Mr. Ehrich,
Dear Sir:
I have heard that you are going to put away a Century Box. This is something necessary for our future generation. They shall see how much energy and time we wasted. And I also heard you are going to have a little biography of now individuals. I was born in Yanso [?], Polland [sic] in 1866, raised in Germany. I came to this country at 15 years of age. I had a hard struggle till I went to college and graduated as an oculist. At an early age I saw evils and wrongs in society and I tried to correct it but I made a failure just as others have done. And I have come to the conclusion mankind will not be elevated to a perfect harmony till prejudice, hypocracy [sic], and low [?] selfishness disappear. To accomplish that people must raise better children instead of better cattle. And people will see then the neccessity [sic] of having a temple of reason, where no creed, no sect, no denomination, shall be heard of; having nothing but free discussion, free expression, and free platform, with the aim of universal brotherhood. We must have a place to reason together, and if we shall reason before we act our actions will be noble.
If the people will not change this aim to utilize all their mentality how to get money then we will go back to barbarism. But if the people will use some of their mentality how to elevate society to a perfect condition then in a hundred years from now the people will look upon us as insane to keep up a large band of murderers called soldiers. Then every man will be a law to himself and guided by conscience.
Prof. J. Shatz
