The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-01-17
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Our readers are no doubt familiar with
the able articles on ''Coal," which have
appeared from time to time in our columns.
We take pleasure in presenting to them
this week the likeness Of their author,
MR. ANDREW Roy, Of Trumbull county,
Ohio
Mr.. Roy is the seventh child of David
and Mary Roy, and was born in Palace
Craig, Lanarkshire Scotland, on the 10Th
Of July, 1884, and is now in his 39th
year. Those who are familiar with his
childhood, say he displayed evidence of
remarkable talent at a very early age. II
would seem that ms parents believed in
the foolish practice of sending their chill
dren to school as soon as they are able to
prattle in order to get rid Of them, for We
learn that the subject Of our sketch was
kept under the parental roof until he had
attained the age of seven, when we
ind him entering the mysterious presence
of the pedagogue.
The father being anxious to know what
progress his son was making, about the
third week took him to task, and found to
his great astonishment that he had not only
learned the alphabet, which was the most
he expected him to do, but that he had
mastered the whole primer, which consist
ed, As most all primers do, of words Of
two or three letters, such as ba, do, ra,
&c, &c. In very short time he could
read well enough to be put in the Testa-
ment Soon afterwards he was advanced
to the Bible class The fifth day after he
entered the class there was an examina-
tion, and our young student kept skipping
from one to another, until he reached the
head of the class, a position held by a
young girl about his own age The fatal
question came, and the young girl not be-
ing able to answer, young Roy was pro-
NOTED to the post Of honor This wound
ed the feelings Of the young girl so poig-
nantly that she wept bitterly, and our young
scholar not being able to resist the tears of
one so tender, restored her to her former
position-an act for which he received the
commendation of the whole school. Anoth-
er exploit in his early school days, was the
committing to memory the Eighteenth
Psalm, which he did in a remarkably short
time. 1t was Psalm his father was very
fond of, and one day he said ANDREW, ]
will give you sixpence if you learn the
Eighteenth Psalm in two weeks" Tins
was tremendous offer to ANDREW, and he
set to work Immediately at the task, and
by eleven o'clock that same night he had
committed every word of it to memory.
Before going to bed he called his father
and repeated every word of the Psalm to
him.
When eigh, years old he was placed in
the mines. This he thought the proudest
hour Of his life. The irst morning he was
to 90 to the mines he arose at one o'clock
and waited until four, the time for going
to the pit. That night, when he returned
no ne, he walked up and down the street
showing himself to the other boys, not
through any vain conceit, but from a com
menda5le pride at being usefully employ
ed. This, however, interfered with his
schooling. which was neglected until he
was in his eleventh year. We now find him
in a night school, in which he made rapid
progress in writing When thireen his pa
rents removed to Cleland, where there was
celebrated night school. As an incentive
to learning the head Of every class got a
medal as a reward for their application.
In every class young Roy entered he car
ried off the medal He felt 50 confident Of
1 his ability that he hung his medals on the
window, knowing the boys could not take
them from him. And thus he passed his
time, during the day working in the mines
and at night in. school
| At sixteen he emigrated TO this country
and worked in the mines of Maryland, Peo-
pie Swash, Georges Greek. In 1856 he went
to Illinois, and worked at Du Quoin. Here
he measured the cars and found them too
large, and through his advice the men re-
fused to work until they were made
right, which was done. But MR Roy was
discharged From DuQuoin he went to
Rock Island, Galesburg, Shyboyden, Eu-
reka, Avon and Placerville, and in 1860
started tor Arkansas Here he read the
report of DIR. owen, of New Lanark. In
Arkansas he acquired farm Of forty
acres of land, and was doing very well but
seeing war was inevitable, he took up his
march again. Before leaving he gave a
power of attorney to a neighbor, who sold
his land and pocketed the proceeds. We
next find him, at the commencement
of the war as private in the 10th Battal-
ion Reserve Corps Pennsylvania Volun-
teers. He was in several battles during
the late war, and in the seven dsys's fight
before Richmond, was shot through the
body in bayonet charge, was left on the
field sixteen days and nights, and taken
prisoner. The wound was believed TO be
mortal. A lieutenant and two sergeants
were with him until the army retrested.
While speaking of his condition they re-
marked "What pity for him to die 50
far from home and friends" He heard
them, and replied
Had o. many lives - / have hairs,
could not give them TO q neblsr cause "
He, with several hundred Others, were sent
to Richmond. He was told by the Con-
federate surgeons that he could not live
three days. He wrote to his parents stat
ing how matters stood, but kept il in his
blouse, knowing that il he died his com
rades would forward the letter. In Au-