Morris tribune., 1881-09-22
THE MISTAKE AROUT HAMP SEE.

"Hamp See a Ounce! Well may be SO;
but arter what I've seed, it nd take a smart
er schoolmaster than you to make me think
So"
1t was old Riley Vaughn who spoke, and
although old Riley had no education, his
hard sense and sound Judgment were re-
spected by all the men who sat there In the
village postoffice waiting for the mail. He
had grown prosperous by dint OF hard work
and good Judgment, and his neighbors were
accustomed to ask for and to respect his
opinions.
a did not say precisely that, Mr..
Vaughn" replied Mr.. Penruddock, the
schoolmaster. Il only said that my best
efforts to educate the boy were rendered
futile and nugatory by reason of his mex
plicible inability to grasp and retain so sim
pie thing as the accidence of the Latin
verb"
"That means, in plain English, that he
amt got no grip on what you teach him,
don't it?" asked Riley.
"Yes, that is what mean," replied the
schoolmaster, with something like shud-
der at old Riley's English. "But l will
make an honorable exception in the matter
of mathematics. He seems iustinctively
Yes" drawled old Riley; "one of your
boys tole me Hamp could fgger out how
long it I'D take for cistern to get full eff
they was three pipes o! different sizes a
runnin' mo it, and two others O still diff
ferent sizes a-runnin' out.
yes, he is an expert in the pratical ap-
phcation of arithmetic; and yet even in
arithmetic his standing is not good, be-
cause he seems incapable Of mastering the
exact terms of the FORMS and rales."
Well, now look here" said old Riley,
rising and striking the counter with his big
fist; Its jest comes to this here; the boy
amt got no grip on your words an things,
but he's got good grip on idees an prin-
ciples, an it's my belief that's the inside O
sense. I don't want to be unnecessarily
offensive, but you an all schoolmasters
like you ought to teach parrots. They
don't want no idees; they jest WANT the
words, and that's your notion o learnin'
That's the trouble O. this here country
down here; men learn words, an kin make
speeches, but they can't do nothin'.
Now I've seed that boy Hamp See do what
nary man in this country could do.
bought the fust reapin' machine rs was
ever seed in these parts, an when it came
it was oil to pieces, and packed in boxes.
I sent one arter another for all the black
smiths an wheelwrlghts an carpenters
hereabouts, to set the thing up, an I'm
blest eff one on 'em could make out which
end o the thing was foremost. Not one on
EN- could put any two pieces together.
That ere boy hung round all the time, with
his forred creased up like, an finally he says
Well, try, says L; an eff you. git her to.
gether, I've got five dollar bill for YOU
Maybe you won't believe it, but afere noon
that very day that there reaper was reapin
wheat like dozen hands. The boy jest
seed right into the thing. Now I say et
he's Ounce, the sooner most people in
these here parts, loses their senses an gifts
to be ounces, the better twill be for all con-
cerned." And with that old Riley stalked
Indignantly out OF the post-office.
Notwithstanding all that old Riley could
say, however, public opinion was against
Hamp See. It was certain that he was dull
in his lessons. He could not keep up with
Mr.. Penruddock's classes, and instead of
studying his Latin verbs, ne was perpetual
ly interrupting the schools by asking MIR.
Penruddock to explain things like thunder
and lightning, and the presence of shells in
the rocks on the mountain, and the curious
ways that plants Lave of taking care OF
themselves-things which had no relation
to the work of the school. 1t was agreed
that Riley Vaughn could not know anything
about education, besause he was not him
self educated. 1t was even said-and this
came to Riley's ears-that he was preiudi-
eed against education.
Even Ramps mother was discouraged
Hamp was always put ering" she said, in.
stead of attending to his books.
Why" she said, "hes been fooling with
spring up on the hill back of the house
the whole season through. He's laid pipes
to bring the water down here, and now he's
turned the whole house into mill" Then
she would show her visitor what Hamp had
done. He had constructed an ingenious
water-wheel with which to make the most
of the power afforded by the spring, and
had set it at variety of tasks. A stretch
of line passed under the floor of the house
and bands were passed through the fool
to the churn and the sewing machine, and
even the sausage chopper could beattached
at will. II don't deny that it's handy, and
saves work." said his mother. And now
he's made sort of fan in the dining room
and has set it going too, so that it keeps
the flies off the table. If we had baby in
the house it would rock the cradle. But
it's discouraging about his studies. Mr.
Penruddock is in despair, and says he
don't know what's to be made of the boy
The summer proved to be very dry one
and the gardens especially suffered for wa
ter. When the people began to complain
Hamp had an idea. He always had an idea
when an emergency arose. He went into
his mothers garden and worked all day
digging trench down the middle, and
making little trenches at right angles to the
main one, SO that every bed was surround.
ed by them; and the larger beds crossed az
well. He was very careful to keep all these
trenches on one level. Wien he had finish.
ed, he laid drain from his water wheel
to the main trench, so that the waste water
after turning the wheel, was carried into
the garden and emptied into the trench
Little by little the main trench filled; ther
the water trickled into the smaller trenches
and as the spring from which it came was
anever failing one, the garden was supplied
with water throughout the dry, hot summer
and such a garden nobody in that region
had seen that season.
People said that Hamp See certainly was
handy sort of boy; but they were sure te
add. Its pity he is so dull"
One day old Riley Vaughn was Offering
extravagant prices for horse. mule OF OF
teams 10 maui stone. lie had taken con-
tract to supply from his quarry the stone
for the railroad bridge over the Buehy Run
and now the time for delivery was near al
hand, and no teams could be had. All the
horses were at work on the crops, and il
began to appear that old Riley must either
lose money on the contract by hiring horses
and mules and teamsters at ruinous, prices
or forfeit the contract itself. He tried in
every direction to get mules and wagons
Offering twice the usual wages, but still he
could getvery few. He was in real trouble
with loss of several thousands of dollars
threatening him.
One day Hamp. who knew what trouble
Riley was in, went down to the creek, and cut.
ting several twigs began setting them up a
distance from each other, and sighting
from one to the other. The few teamsteri
who were of work watched him curiousIy
but could not make out what he was doing
He went up the creek with his sticks, NOV
ing one of them at time, and always care
fully sighted from one to another, or rath
er from one over another to third. Ii
this way he worked up to the quarry, which
was Immediately on the creek, nearly
mile above the point where the bridge wal
to bebuilt.