The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-01-04

work I am doing. though fear Il Il
not appreciated In some quarters"
| II was now John Whitford's turn 70
| be disagreeable.
mo, sir" he interrupted, ''ar', II
you'll excuse me for saying 90, you are
ON fools errand that IL likely 70
end with more kicks than ha'pcnce.
What do passed. o. rough miners
want WI readin' an writin'? You
don't educate a cow or 1t would
be disconnected with clover field.
1 call II flynn 4 tn face Of Provi-
dence 70 teach sichlilxe TO set at def
ance their pastors an masters. Besides,
| the bosses won't stand IL. There's q
bitter feelin' against you already, an,
mark my words, IL you go foolin' around
much more with your night schools an
literary clubs an fal-lais, you'll find
oretown too hot place TO hold YOU"
Perhaps SO; but meanwhile will do
my duty"
This word duty appealed 20 the old
soldiers best instincts. and In a more
modified manner he continued:
"Yos. duty's duty, an England ex-
| poets every man 10 do mis- duty, which
also / suppose this United States of
America likewise demands; but, sir,
there's an overdoin' of even ones duty.
A ship captain asked my captain TO
send royal marine 10 holystone a
deck. No, sir sayshe. 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.
He 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 squad of adults in
letters an fggers, an pot-hoolxs an
hangers. So you just stick TO your or
ders an let others do likewise"
II know you mean well, my friend,'
said Grey, YEARLY; 'but 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 II 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, II
! was 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 dignifled rebulrc 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 sore bone of
contention in Oretown.
A little more than year ago tho
bosses ruled like feudal barons, and
now their sway was threatened by a
whippersnapper of n 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 vessels, who were actually be-
ginning TO dare TO think for themselves.
And thus IL came about.
There was barn-lilxe 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 its
gross orgies, and by popular consent II
had been closed.
The process of rejectment had been
In accordance with the custom of the
locality. A mob of Infatuated women
and miscellaneous boys had gathered one
evening and CLEANED out" the pro-
prietor, smashing his furniture and
fixtures and nonring 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
n week.
The local journal gave tho powerful
aid of the press TO the enterprise in
this bright paragraph: ''The young
man who sings the ruler at the Ward
schoolhouse is opening n night school
for adults. Guess he'll have his hands
full before he's got through"
The minister refused TO cooperate
with him, the storelxeepers laughed at
him, the bosses treated him with open
ridicule.
But the class grew--from Ave TO Ave
and-twentyi 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 little help
ing those who could not. mo swear
ing" and "No tobacco" were tho only
written rules; while the class kept its
own order, and absolute order, too, rs,
for instance, when Mike Donovan, the
rough of the place, made wager that
he would break up the school one oven
ing and proceeded 20 use insulting Ian