Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-04-26


The ''Bare-icgsed Laddie."
- Sixty years ago, stout, bony youth of
eighteen years old. who had been known
among his friends as 'bare-legged laddie.
called on poor but worthy village school
master and said z : : = =
g. Il would like to attend your evening
school. SIR -
What do you wish to STUDY the teacher
asked. e az NAAs9f.z &'E
i want to learn toread and write, said
fhelad. 2&AEE AS COG
Phe teacher looked into the boys face
with somewhat scornfIl. yet plying
look, shrugged his shoulders. and then
said-~.~ ~ - So s-l--a- :.
Very well. you can attend
Now if that bony lad had said to the
teacher.-1 mean to become great inven-
tor, to be the companion Of rich and noble
men, to hold conversation with kings, and
TO write NV name among the great men of
the world, the teacher woald perhaps have
called the boy a fool, for chershing such
wild dreams Yet that poor lad, who at
eighteen. dill not know the alphabet, did
all this before he died
Who was he? His name was George
Stevenson. the great railway pioneer.
1t was not the poor boys fault that he
was ignorant. it was only his misfortune.
His parents were too poor to send him TO
school. He was the son of the fremen of
a pumping engine IN a colliery. His birth
place was a cottage with clay floor. mud
wall, and bare rafters Hehad to help earn
his living from his earliest years, first by
herding cows, then by barring up the gates
of the mine at night. Next he was put
TO picking stones from the coal, and after
that to driving horse to haul coal from
the pit By and by be was made an assis-
tant fireman 4 o his father. AT seventeen he
made the plugman of a pumping engine--a
higher post than his father's--and had
climbed, as it seemed. to the topmost round
of his ladder. What hope was there for
youth who could not even read at seven
teen?
But George had hope within his breast.
His engine was a lesson-book to him. He
took it apart and put il together again
He stuiiedit. Lowell il. and when he was told
that there were books which told about
these engines, he made up his mind to so
TO school.
To school he went in the evenings. and
worked by day; and was not long in learn
ing all the village masters could teach
When twenty years old he was made 4
breaksElan. and began to think about in
venting better engines than he saw around
him
Thus working. reading. thinking. he kept
on. avoiding all bad habits, until he built
alocomotive that could travel at the rate
of four miles an hour on common road.
This was great affair at that time.
His next work was a railway only eight
miles long. and from this he went on until
finally he was known as the great railway
pioneer ofthe world
George was often laughed at by men WHO
thought themselves much wiser than he.
One day he was proposing to build an en-
CINE to run twelve miles an hour. 4 gen
tIeman thinking to take him down from
his position, asked
Suppose one of the engines to be going
along galway at the rate of ten miles an
hour. and that cow were to stray upon
the track, wonld not that be a very awkard
circumstance
Yes. replied Mr. Stevenson, it would
be very awkard indeed-for the cow.
Thus BY his own industry, did the 'bare-
legged laddie' climb to very high place
among men. Great men, and even kings
sought his advice; wealth flowed into bis
purse, his name was honored, and his char
acter respected. At ripe age he died in
peace and went to his eternal, sure reward.
Let this sketch of the 'bare-legged lad
die cheer on the boys and girls to patient
effort in the path of duty Learn some
thing every day Press forward Be good
and You viii prosper. lsvs