The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-03-23
JAMES It. CLEAvEs. Printer.
"Tho Grit Baro-logsod Laddio,"

Sixty years ago, a stout youth OF eighteen
wears old, who had been known among his
neghbors us .grit bare-legged laddie," called
on poor village schoolmaster, and said
Iwould like to attend your evening school,
sir"
.what do you wish to study" asked the
teacher. :, =,
Il want to learn to read and write, replied
the lad.
The teacher looked into the lads face with
a somewhat scornful glance, shrugged his
shoulders, and said:
very we'll, you can attend.
Now, if that bony lad had said to the
teacher. Il mean 10 become great inventor,
to DO the companion of rich and noble men,
TO hold conversation with kings, and to write
my name among the great men of the world,
/ dare say that teacher would have called
that boy a fool for chcrishing such wild
dreams. Yet that poor bony lad, who at
eighteen did not know the alphabet, did all
those things before he died.
Who was he? His namo was George
Stephenson, the great railway pioneer?
Ii was not tho fault Of young George that
he was ignorant, it was only his misfortune.
His parents were too poor to send him to
school. lie was the son of fireman Of a
pumping engine in n collicry. His birth
place was a cottage with clay floor, mud
wall and bare raftcrs. lie had to help earn
his living from his earliest years, first by
derding and barring up the gates of the
mine ut night, Next he was put TO picking
stones from thecoal, and after that to driving
n ahorse, which hauled coal from tho pit
By-and-by he was made assistant fireman to
his father When he was seventeen he was
made plugman Of a pumping engine.
higher post than his fathers and had climbed
rs il seemed, to the top of his ladder. What
hope was there for a youth who could notrcad
at seventeen?
But George had hope in his breast. His
engine was n lesson book to him. He took
it apart and put it together again, studied 1t,
loved il, and when he was told there were
books which told about engines, he made VI
his mind TO go to school.
To school he went, and soon learned al
that the village master could teach. When
twenty wears old he was made brakesman,
and began to think about inyenting better
engines than he saw about him.
His next work was railway eight miles
in length, and from this point he went on
until he was known as the great railway pro-
neer o. the world.
George was often laughed at by men who
thought themselves much wiser than he
One day he was proposing to build an engine
10 run twelve miles an hour. a grave-look-
ing gentleman thinking to put han down,
sIid:
Suppose one Of these engines to be going
along railroad at the rate OF nine or ten
nils an hour, and that COW were to
stray upon the line, would not that be very
awkward circumstanccT
Yes replied Mr.. Stephenson, 'ycry awk-
ward indeed-ior the GOVT
Thus, by his own industry, did the grit
bare-legged laddie, climb to u very high place
among men. and even kings, sought his ad-
vice, wealth flowed into his purse; his name
was honored, his character respected. AT a
ripe age he died and went to his eternal re
ward.
Let this sketch cheer on the boys and girl'
to patient effort in the path of duty. Learr
something every day. Press forward! b
good, and you will prosper.