Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-06-13

II was now John WhllfJsl q .lrl +.
be disagrcenblc.
mo, sir he interrupted. "a1', !
you'll excuse me for saying 10. you ar
on n FOOLS errand that Is likely I.
end with more kicks than haptnea
What do passed. O. rough mias.'
want WI rcadin an writin'? ,'tr
don't educate a COW or it woai
be discontented with cloysr asld
| call it fyin' I TIL face o. progl
dcnce to teach sichike TO set at dal
ance their pastors an masters Basle4
the bosses won't stand It. There's ,
bitter fcelin' against you already, an
mark my words, II you 90 foolin' around
much more with your night schools an
literary clubs an fal-lals, you'll iint
Oretown too hot a place to hold you"
perhaps so; but meanwhile will dc
my duty"
This word duty appealed to the old
soldiers best instincts, and In more
modified manner be svntinued;
Eyes. duty's duty, an England ex.
poets every man to do his duty, which
also suppose this United States Of
America likewise demands; but, sir,
there's IN overdoin OF even ones duty.
A ship captain asked my captain to
send n royal marine to holystone n
deck. No, SIR sayshc. The sailors
have their duty, an the royal marines
have their duty; an tho duty Of the ma
rines isn't to do the duty of the sailors.
lie was tried by court-martial and
they did their duty an acquitted him. "
VERY good, but
"Your duty Is to teach the boys an
gals, There's nothin in your commits
sion about drillin a squad Of adults in
letters an fggers, an pot-hooks an
hangers. So You just stick to your Or
dcrs an lot others do likewise
II know you mean we'll my friend"
said Grey, YEARLY; "but you do not
understand the question. You have
old world notions The prosperity of
this great land Is IN illustration OF the
good policy Of educating the masses.
Right here In this northern peninsula
Of Michigan, where crude English
thought is dominant, we are behind
the times. Where would the United
States have been II such men as INixon
and the other members of our school
board had been at the head Of its af-
fairs?'
well, I'd mind my own business, II
was You an let
"Sct me the example, Mr.. Whitford.
Mind your own affairs and you will
not get beyond the depth Of your
understanding"
With this digniiled rcbuke the young
man left the room, ind Mrs. Whitford
solaeed her spouse with the suggestion
that those who played with edged tools
often cut their fingers.
This night school was sore bone OF
contention In Oretown.
A little more than q year ago the
bosses ruled like feudal barons, and
nov their sway was threatened by n
wlippersnapper Of u boy who had come
among thon, nobody knew whence nor
cared, and by This and other such base
laeans had a|ienatea the allegiance Of
'aeir vilssels. who were actually be-
ginning to dare to think for them
selves.
And thus It came about.
There was barn-likc building which
had been used us n saloon and dance
house, but had attained such evil repu-
tation that the by no means fastidious
morals Of Oretown were shocked at It's
gross orgies, and by popular consent It
had been closed.
The process of cjoctmcnt had been
In accordance with the custom of the
locality. A mob of Infatuated women
md mischievons boys had gathered one
evening and "cleaned OUT the pro-
prietor, smashing his furniture and
fixtures and pouring his liquid poison
into the gutter.
On this ruin OF vice and squalor
Frank Grey built his great work of So
cial reformation.
With his own hands he tidied up the
place, mended the windows, put In
rough tables and chairs, and boldly an
nounced that he would, without re-
Enumeration, teach adults reading,
writing and arithmetic three evenings
week.
The local journal gave the powerful
aid OF the press to the enterprise In
this bright paragraph: "The young
man who sings the ruler at the Ward
schoolhousc Is opening u night school
for adults. Guess he'll have his hands
full before he's got through"
The minister refused to cooperate
with him, the storekeepers laughed at
him, the bosses treated him with open
ridicule.
But the class grew-from five to Ave-
and-twenty; to forty, to hundred
till at last he had to close his doors
against the crowd Of applicants.
It was mutual aid association, those
who could read and write a little help
ing those who could not. mo swear
ing" and mo tobacco were the only
written rules; while the class kept It's
own order, and absolute order, too, as,
for instance, when Mike Donovan, the
rough Of the place, made wager that
he would break up the school one even
ing and proceeded to use insulting Ian
guage to the teacher, u dozen strong
hands sent him crashing through the
window into the street below, and for
ever put stop to his further pursuits
in the fields OF literature.
Then another grievance, Out Of the
night school grew Cuba harmless
affair, where tobacco was allowed, and
coffee and numerous newspapers, and
out Of this club sprouted branch
which bore the deadly poison of rank
soeialism--at least, SO said Capt. Petit.
grub Wixon, This was the Talking
clllh ns Gray had christened L nj