The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-12-11
WORK AWAY, BOYS.

WORK AWAY, BOYS.
These are years Of advancement in
many ways, and good men, men of skill
and power, inventive men, are needed to
carry on the progressive history of the
age. We would stimulate the boys of to-
day to work on in spite of all hindrances
or discouragements, to make the wisdom
of the past their own, TO cherish any
fresh suggestions that come into their
minds, and to persist in such practical
experiments as may lead them into ways
OF usefulness and distinction. AS an en-
couragement to do this, we will recall the
lives of some who have struggled and
achieved success.
Who was poorer than Hugh Miller at
his start in life? An uncouth lad, plod-
ding in stone quarry, lodging in the
loft of barn on bed of straw, feeding
on oat meal, nothing more, and surround
ed by rough, ignorant men. In the inter-
walls of labor young Miller wandered
along the shore, among rocky crags, with
hammer and chisel in hand, cutting out
odd petriications which seemed of no use
at all, and carefully observing the man
ner of the qualifications of rocks, there
by prying into all the secrets of geology.
The result to him was world wide fame,
and gave to us some of our richest treas
ures of literature and science.
You know how the boy Watt found out
the tremendous agency of steam. When
the aunt of James Watt reproved the
boy for his idleness and desired him to
sit down quietly and read book and not
be meddling with the lid of the ea-kettle
lifting it off and putting it on again,
holding first cup and next silver
spoon over the steam as it poured forth
from the spout, she little thought he was
investigating problem that was to lead
to the greatest OF human inventions-the
steam engine.
And it is said that we are indebted for
the important invention in the steam en-
CINE called "handgear,' by which it's
valves are worked by the machine itself,
to an idle boy, Humphrey Potter by
name, who being employed to open and
stop valve, found that he could save
himself the trouble of attending and
watching it by fixing a plug upon a
part of the machine which came to the
place at the proper times in consequence
of the general movement. What does
this prove? That Humphrey Potter might
be very idle, but at the same time very
ingenious. 1t was continuance not the
result of accident, but of observation and
successful experiment.
The father of Eli Whitney on his re-
turn from journey, which had taken
him from home for several days, inquired
as was his custom, into the occupations OF
his boys during bis absence. He receiv-
Eli, who, the housekeeper reluctantly
confessed, had been engaged in making
fiddle "Alasp said the father, with an
ominous shake of the head, II fear that
Eli is my scape-gracel" To have any
thing to do with fiddles, the father
thought, showed mind only fitted FOL
trihesl Little did he think that what
seemed mere fddle-faddle was the
dawning of an inventive genius thai
should rank among the most useful anC
effective in arts and manufactures.
1t 10 related of Chantrey, the celebrated
sculptor, that when boy he was observ
ed by gentleman at Sheffield very bust
ly cutting stick with penknife. HI
asked the youth what he was doing. s..
am cutting old Fox's headp he replied
Fox was the schoolmaster of the village
, The gentleman then examined it, pro
nounced it excellent and gave the you'll
sixpence. Years afterward the strange
, heard of him as one of the creates
sculptors of the age.
! The first panels on which William Ell
t ty, the celebrated painter, drew, were tn
[ boards of his fathers shop floor, and hi
= first crayon lump of white chalk. Nov
| was q oCuSlOlC WOuIun
, and instead of ecolding the boy for dis
3 figuring her nicely swept floor by hi
) chalk marks, see what he wrote sool
| afterward to a friend: II shall neve
: thank my mother enough for her patienc
4 with my first trials, and the promise tina
} she gave me of some colors mixed wit
: gum-water instead of chalk. I was s
5 delighted could hardly Sleep"
A Young West, the great American paint
l or, first began to display his skill in draw
: ing, and learned the method of preparing
4 colors from the teaching of some ROAMING
Y Indians, but being at loss to know no,
to lay on these colors, neighbor toll
i him this was done with brushes of camel
3 hair-of course there were no camels i
7 America, and he bethought him of ia
D vorite cat, whose back and tail supple
v his wants. and thus, day after day, he Ia
!. bored secretly in the attic of his mother
: humble dwelling. having forgotten a
school duties in his greater love for pain
= ing.-Neao York Observer.