Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-03-05
GETTING AN EDUCATION
What Came of "Wasting MY
Time" at School

Taint no use to talk about it, Phebe,
of my money in sendin' that boy to no
hifalutin' schulz. All ever learned, 1
got at the old deestrict schulz, an I
guess it's good enough for any of our
boys"
But times have changed since then,
father. Fifty years ago a young man
could begin life with a smaller amount
of book-learning than is now necessary
for him to possess, if he would compete
with others for the honors and posi-
tons We hoped to see our boys gain.
We have toiled early and late for thirty
years, on this farm, Joseph, and while
there has been much of happiness in
our lives, yet the knowledge that we
have never been able to gain much to
lay aside for rainy day has caused US
anxiety for the future'' %. z-,M :"
eyes, that is just what I am trying to
make you understand. We haint got
but c thousand dollars in the bank now,
an want to buy that piece Of medder
of Deacon Asher. too; but you want to
fool it away in sendin' that boy off to
college. yum, I never could more'n
half understand you, Phebe."
I was an unwilling eavesdropper to
this conversation between my parents.
I had come in from the yard with pail
OF milk in each hand Ind to tighten the
too heavy burden the care of the dairy
placed upon my little mother, 1 stood
in the milk-room straining the milk
for her, when they came into the gar
den by the side of the room, and
was made an involuntary, yet, must
confess, a most anxious listener. NV
entire life had been passed upon the
farm, and one who has endured the
hardships of farm life for few years
knows how irksome such a life can be
made, if the main idea is to work more
with Drawn than brain. I was in my
eighteenth year, and the only surcease
from labor had been the few winter
months passed at the district school.
These few months of each year had in
deed been an oasis in the hard life, and
the grains of knowledge CLEANED from
the chat threshed among US by the too
often incompetent teacher, who was So
cured more times because he could be
gotten cheaply than because he pos
sessed any particular ability for a
teacher of the young, were eagerly
picked up and added to as opportunity
would permit I had at last, by hard
work evenings, after the chores were
done, fitted myself to pass the prepara-
tory examinat ton at the Sta tie Industrial
University, and now desired the consent
and assistance of my father to take the
four years course in mechanical engi-
neering.
My father was DOT an unkind man at
with the ideas of his own Importance
and power that he could conceive of
nothing higher or grander in a boys
life than to be able to initiate himself.
No one in the whole neighborhood could
keep up their station" in binding grain
with him, while at barn-raisings, corn
huskings, hog-killings or log-rollings
no one who knew him would for q mo-
ment attempt to equal, let alone trying
to excel him. It was true that Deacon
Asher's new hired man, stranger in
these parts, had attempted to throw him
in wrestling match at one of the rails
ings; but he was quickly sent to earth
with bruised head and chagrined
spirit, which raised my father another
notch in local fame, although it gained
him an enemy in his defeated antago-
mist. Father was heavy, muscular
man, as may be imagined, and l gave
promise of nearly equaling him PHYSICAL
~, but there the resemblance ceased.
He was ligbt-haired, while resembled
my dark-halred mother in complexion
and disposition. WAS FOND OF athletic
sports but did not care to indulge in the
rougn matches of the neighborhood
which SO frequently engendered ill-feel-
ing. Ny three brothers, all older than
myself, took naturally to the farm life;
they had grown up uneducated'
o. p -s az = & 81 o.. = i. .