The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-04-17
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THE BOY WITH GuMPTION.

Gumption is an old word and a very good
word, although it doesn't appear in the
dictionaries remarks, the Chicago Record.
Gumption isn't smartness, although people
who have gumption are often called smart.
Gumption is kind of high-class common
sense.
In little town out in South Dakota
there lives boy who has gumption, and it
will pay you to watch him for the next few
years. He may do something that will
surprise you.
Not long ago the town in which he lives
decided that it would improve its water
supply. Out in the country the land is so
flat and the rivers are 80 sluggish that good
water is very hard to obtain. SO the town
council decided to have an artesian well
driven in the public square which should
go down far enough to strike the hidden
springs deep in the earth.
A force of we'll drivers were employed,
and the drill, churned by a steam engine
began burrowing into the earth. OF course
all the boys in town watched the progress
OF the work, and one of them-the boy
with gumption soon understood just how
well-drills worked, and was looking almost
as eagerly as was the foreman for the first
sign of water.
But one day, when the well had reached
a depth of something more than one hun
dred feet one of the men let slipa drill key
when the drill was up, and it fell to the
hole. A drill key is il little wedge of steel
a few inches long and little larger than II
man 5 finger.
Here was pretty fix. No more driving
could he done until the key, which chock ed
the bottom of tie well, could be removed
All the afternoon and most of the next day
the whole force Of men was busy trying to
fish it out, hut all without avail Then
the foreman, who was in a bad humor,
ordered Il new drill point placed on the
drill. He would see if he couldn't cut
through the obstruction and grind it to
pieces. But the key was one of the best
chilled steel, almost as hard as diamond,
and the drill made no impression on it
whatever 1t only dulled the tools and
spoiled the temper of the workmen.
After that each man took his turn at try
ing to get the drill key, hut not one of
them succeeded At last the foreman said
that they would have to abandon the well
entirely and begin again in some other spot,
even at the loss of al! the work they had
done so far
But AT this moment the boy with gump-
ton, who was more interested than ever in
the work, stepped up, and said timidly:
" think can get that key out.
"Pooh.' said the ill-natured foreman.
"What do you know about it?''
.! don't know much-but will you let
me try?'
Go ahead, if you want to-" was the
answer
We're through with the we'll"
SO our boy with gumption went home
In half an hour he returned with a ball of
stout Irvine and a horseshoe magnet which
belonged to his father. He tied the mag
net to the end of the Irvine and let it down
into the WELL. You may guess his hands
trembled and how pale his face was. For
all these men and boys were watching him,
ready to laugh when he failed.
But boy with gumption usually suc-
ceeds This one did. When he drew up
the Irvine the magnet appeared, and cling
ing to the magnet was the little steel wedge
that had caused all the trouble.
And then such cheer as there was for
the boy with gumption Next day the
drill began churning again and the foreman
who was no longer ill-natured, placed two
ten dollar gold pieces in the hand of the
boy who had gumption. This pay was
little enough, when the saving in time and
are considered.