The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-02-03
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' Wv '''N '''H"Nh''ht a' an
"a''y "g": hut whrr" heap hnrL. anil
cheap newspapers abound. i.nnraurr i, in.
cNrnsahl" in amy one ,nssrssiu,r ordinary
"a'"'a' abilities for acquiring knowledge
III" apprentices. the mechanic in fact,
youths and men in every department, of l.,
l'"r. can iinI some leisure for ;m,,,v;,,,
'h''r minds and increasing their stock of
That knowledge is rowcr,'il they have the
desire.
Some Of the most learned, most d;s,;u.
S"'>hcd ana most useful men tha, the world
has produced, rose from the humblc>t sta :
tons IN life 10y their own excr,ions. Self.
taught men have been the most successful
IN all departments of human invention and
enterprise; and self culture, when steadily
and earnestly pursued, gives the greatest
strength to the intellectual powers. We
have been led to these remarks by meeting,
in ] tc English paper. with the report of a
short speech made by Mr.. Charles Dick.
ems, before the Institutional Association Of
Lancashire and Cheshire, organized for the
Improvement of the working men of the
district. Mr.. Dickens was selected to dis.
tribute the prizes, and in dscl,aryine the
duty, he said:
Let NE cndcavor to recall, MS we'll us NV
memory will serve me, from among the
most interesting cases of prize holers and
certificate gamers who will appear before
you' some tw" or three most conspicous cx-
a'nples. There are two poor brothers from
near Chorley, who work from morning to
night in coalpit, and who will in all
weatl'ers, have walked eight miles a nirht.
'hrcc nights week, to ;ttcnd the class in
which they have attained distinction. There
are other two poor bows from Bollin-,on,
who began life as picrccrs ut Is. or Is. Cd
per week, and the father Of one Of whom
was cut to pieces by the machinery ut which
he worked, but not before he had himself
, founded the institution in which this son
has since come TO Inc taught. These two
boys will appear before YOU TO night TO
take the seconded prizes in chemistry.
Cheers.
There is plasterer from Bury, sixteen
years of age, who took u thir,l.cIa<s certiti
cate last year at the hands Of Lord Brourh
man; he Is this year again successful in Il
competition three times as severe. There
Is "a wagon maker from The same place, who
new little or absolutely nothing until lc
WAS grown man, and who has learnt nj,
he knows, which is a great DIAL in the local
institution. There is a ch:irmaker, in very
humble circumstances, and working hard
all day, who walks six miles a ninl,l ,hr..
nights week to attend the classes in which
he has won SO famous II place.
There is Il moullcr in an iron E,uulrv
who whilst he WAS working twelve hours =
day before the furnace. got up at four o'clork
III the m"r"'"sto learn drawing. [Chccrs.
The thought Of my lads, he writes in his
modest account of himself, 'in their rcace.
i"l sl"mb"rS above me, gave me frcsl,
courage, and used to ,hinl, that if should
never rcc'lve any personal benefit ! might
instruct them when they came to be of an
aS: To understand the mighty machines aul
engines which have made our country, Eng,
land, prc.cminent in the worlds history.'-
Loud cheers. There is a piecer at mule
frames, who could not read at eighteen, who
Is now man of little more than thirty.
who is the sole support Of an aged mother.
who Is arlthmetical teacher in the instilu.
t'on in which he himself was taught who
writes Of $imsclf that he made the rcsolu.
''on never to take mp subject without
Keeping to it, and who has kept to It with
such an astonishing will that he is now well
vcrscd in Euclid and Al! zebra, and is the
best French scholar in Stockport. TChecrs.1
lhe drawing classes in that same Stockport
a'e taught by blacksmith and the pupils
OF that working blacksmith will receive the
highest honors Of tonight. [Cheers.1 +
Well may it be Said of the good blacksmith
as 1t was written Of another of his trade.
by the American poet
% Toiling. rejoicing, ,sorrowing.
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begun,
Each evening sees its close;
Something attempted, something done.
Has earned nights rcpose"
[Cheers. Ladies and gentlemen-to pass
from the successful candidates to the dele
gates from local societies now before me,
aud 70 content myself with one instance
from amongst them. There is, among their
number, most remarkable man, whose
history have read with feelings that
could not adequately express under any cir
cumstances, and, least of all, when know
he hears me; who worked, when he was u
mere baby, at hand loom, weaving until he
dropped from fatigue-who began to teach
himself as soon rs he could earn IS. n week
-tvhn 10 a hot