The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-06-15

L ly;z9na that night school for the miners.
must not be neglected. It. is the best
work 1. am doing, though / fear It ia
8 not appreciated IN some quarters.
1t was now John Whitfords turn to
& besdisagreeable.
!. No., sir" he interrupted, IAN, II
you'll excuse me for saying so, you are
/ on Yss TOOLS erraud that is likely to
end with more kicks than ha'pence.
What do . passed. o. rough miners
want, VII readin' an writin'7 You
don't educate q cow or 1t would
be discontinued with clover field.
/ call it flynn j. tn face OF Provi-
dence to. teach sichlike to set at deh-
ance heirpastors an masters. Besides,
the bosses won't stand it. There's
bitter feelin' against you already, an,
mark my words, If you 60 foolin' around
much more with your night schools an
literary clubs an fal-lals, you'll find
Oretown too hot place to hold you"
Perhaps SO; but meanwhile will do
my duty"
This word duty appealed to the old
soldiers best Instincts, and in more
modified manner he continued:
eyes. duty's duty, an England ex-
poets every man to do his duty, which
also. I suppose this United States of
Il America likewise demands; but, sir,
there's an overdoin' of even ones duty.
"A ship captain asked my captain to
send royal marine to holystone
deck. mo, SIR says he. The sailors
have their duty, an the royal marines
have their duty; an the duty of the ma
rines isn't to do the duty Of the sailors
Y He was tried by 8 court-martial and
they did their duty an acquitted him. I"
Every 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
ders an let others do likewise.
II know you mean we'll, my FRIEND"
said Grey, YEARLY; 'sbut you do not
understand the question. You have
old world notions. The prosperity of
this great land is an 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 if such men as Wixon
and the other members of our school
board had been at the head Of its af-
fairs?''
"Well, I'd mind my own business, If
Twas you an let"
"Set me the example, Mr.. Whitford.
Mind your own affairs and you will
not. get beyond the depth Of your
understanding"
With this dignifed rebuke the young
man left the room, and Mrs. Whitford
solaced her spouse with the suggestion
that those who played with edged tools
often cut their fingers,
This night school was a sore bone OF
contention in Oretown.
"A little more than a year ago the
bosses ruled like feudal barons, and
now their sway was threatened by q
whippersnapper Of a boy who had come
among them, nobody knew whence nor
cared, and by this and other such base
means had alienated the allegiance of
their vasseis, who were actually be-
ginning to dare to think for them
selves.
: i. And thus it came about.
There was barn-like building which
had been used as 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 :ejectment had been
in accordance with the custom of the
locality. A mob. of Infatuated women
and mischievous boys had gathered one
evening and Cleaned out" the pro-
prietor, smashing his furniture and
fixtures and pouring his liquid poison
into the gutter.
g On this ruin Of vice and squalor
Frank Grey built his great work Of So
cial reformation. 5.:.-,...s.
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-
1nuneration, 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: 'sThe young
man who sings the ruler at the Ward
schoolhouse is opening a night school
for adults. Guess he'll have his hands
full before he's got through"
The minister refused to cooperate
with him, the sturekeepers Laughed at
him, the bosses treated him with open
. ridicu1e. :.
But the class grew-from Ave to fve-
# 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 q little help
ing those who could not. No swear
ing and '9No 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 a wager that
he would break up. the school one even
ing aud proceeded to use insulting LAM
puape to the teacher. a dozen strong
hands sent him crashing through the
window into the street below, and for
ever but a stop to his further pursuits
! IN the fields Of literature.
Then another grievance. Out Of the
u night school grew club--a harmless
affair, where tobacco was allowed, and
coffee and numerous newspapers, and
out 81 this club sprouted Q branch
which bore the deadly poison Of rank
socialism lat least, so said Capt. Petit