The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-02-11
MICHAEL EARLEs of Seattle. Washinp.

MICHAEL EARLEs of Seattle, Washing
| ton was in the city few days last week
| He went westward 20 years ago and bis
visit of last week is his fist return home
| since. His brother John Earles of Kau
kauna was with him. These boys anG
| Or .Earles OF Milwaukee, an older brother
| were raised In Franklin, this county
| There was little colony of IRISH people
right in the woods, whose passion it wei
to educate their children. The applicant
for the schoo who could "fgure"-a tern
used for mathematics-was pretty certain
to be engaged at what was then regard
| ed good salary. But the boys testeG
his knowledge ofarithmetlc quite effectu
| ally, and some of the older people who
were we'll up in Figures" would lnvar
lably challenge him to intellectual com
bat. Defeat meant such loss of prestige
| that resignation would be wise. But The
teacher who routed his opponents, at once
became master of the situation. DR.
Earlee, then a Lac, was one OF the bright
boys. Many a time he, in connection
with other boys would SIT up nights to
work on some mathematical problem, OF
| ''sum" as it was calledln the local verDac-
ular. When it was solved trap was
| laid for the teacher. One of the boys
with an air of abstraction and apparent
ly in deep thought would approach the
teacher saying 81 can't do this" There
was no putting over a problem. 1t had
to be solved at once. II the teacher was
slow or appeared perplexed the waiting
pupil would seem to grasp new idea
aid would proceed to solve the problem.
1t was dangerous for the teacher if the
pupil beat him. His authority from that
time on was gone But if he ratified
the thing of" and did this during his
period Of probation, he could be an auto
crat.
A majority of the people Of the district
did not have this enthusiastic devotion
for education an1 we're opposed to the
expense 1t entailed. But never did DO.
lltical boss show more ingenuity than did
this handful of Irish people in carrying
their point. They disfranchiced the
others. The annual school meetings
were nothing more than secret conclaves.
When a notice was posted announcing
the date of the meeting 1t was torn dow n
few minutes after 80 that tho others
would have no knowledge. The con-
spirators IN the cause of education would
steal to the school house singly, hurry
through the business which had prevl-
ously been agreed upon, lay good, heavy
tax for school purposes and then adjourn.
The.wriler, when lad who taught in this
district, was present at few OF these
meetings and never found one of the op
ponents of long term OF school present.
They were always outwitted by some
scheme which was kept within color OF
the law. The school was noisy, bolster
GUS one, some times attended by young
men who had attained their majority,
but 1t followed the gospel OF hard work
The teacher had to fight occasionally,
but only with boy of his size" The
young men would not impose upon him if
he could "fgger" and made no attempt to
prevent the chewing of tobacco, privil-
eye which they insisted upon.
When the first generation had grown
up, interest in the school began to flag.
All the Irish people with one or two ex-
ceptions left and the school is now taught
by lady teachers. What sweet time
one of these would have 30 years ago
amid turbulent, but bright and hard
working lot of young fellows!"