Middletown transcript., 1886-02-12
GRIT.o

| over III CcOClanu Lnere once llVtu d
stout, tall, busy youth who was known
among his neighbors as the "grit bare
legged laddie." One day he called
upon the village school-master and
said: "I wish to attend your even
ing school," T.
"And what would you wish to
study if you come ?" the teacher ask
ed. -
at want to learn to read and write. y
The master looked into the lads
face, shrugged his shoulders in a know
ing way, and said, Every well, you
may come"
The lad could not see into the fu-
ture, nor had he any dreams of great
ness. He only had great desire to
know. He was eighteen years of age
then, and could neither read nor
write +; but before he died he wrote his
name among the great and honored
men of the earth. -
Georges parents and friends were
very poor and were not able to send
him to school. He was born in lit
II hut with mud walls, clay floor,
and hare raffers. His father was a
humble fireman of a pumping engine
in colliery. George helped to earn
the living of the family from his early
childhood. He first herded cows.
Then he picked the stones out from
the Goals. Then he was put to driv-
ing horse that hauled the Goals up
from the pit, and by and by he was
made assistant fireman to his father.
When he was seventeen years of age
he became plugman Of a pumping en-
gine.. So he had climbed, one would
think, to the top of his little ladder,
for what more could be expected of a
lad who at seventeen could not even
read :?
Georges engine became his teacher.
He would take it apart, put it togeth-
er again, studied every part and mo-
tion, and fell in love with it. Some
one told him there were many books
that told about making engines, and
he resolved to learn to read them for
himself.
He was SO hungry for knowledge
that he soon learned all the village
school master could teach him, and he
soon began to think Of making a better
engine than he had ever seen. He
first made locomotive that could run
four miles an hour on a tramway. This
was thought to be great thing at the
time. He soon made improvements
and built railway eight miles long,
and became the first railroad engineer
of the world. Yes, of course, very
many wise men laughed at George,
called him ga crank" "a fanatic"
and the like, just as they did Colum-
bus and Galileo and Morse and all the
useful men who do new and useful
things. But he pushed on. One day
he was explaining to body of wise
men how he intended to build an en-
CINE that would be able to run twelve
miles an hour. A grave looking gen.
tleman, thinking to put him down,
sneeringly said, "suppose one of
these wonderful engines Of yours to
be going along the road at the rate of
ten or twelve miles an hour, and a
COW were to stray upon the line, would
that not be very awkward circum-
stance?:" eyes," replied George,
"very awkward indeed, that is-for
the cowp
The "grit bare-footed laddie." by
his industry and uprightness, became
a teacher of the wise. Even Kings
and princes sought his advice. Great
wealth flowed in upon him. He be-
came a glorious Christian also. He
died full of years and honors, and is
enjoying his eternal reward. He wac
George Stephenson, the great railroad
engineer.
Cyrus w. Field once invited Gen.
Mitchell to address Sunday evening
meeting of newsboys. The sight of
shoeless, ragged, weather-beaten lit
tie fellows seemed to arouse all the
sympathies of the good Generals
heart.
Boys" he began, "when I see you
I feel that I am one ofyou. No one
of you can be poorer or more friend
less than I once was. l have known
all about being poor"
No wonder all the eyes in the room
were fastened on him. He then told
the boys this story:
When I was boy of twelve years
of age I was working for an old lady