Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-05-19
by j. s., WAIHALLA, s. c

And bore tho common surname, Brown
Tho child grow up, but ncor grow tall
y And since ho was abnormal small,
Whato' CT ho did-whcro'r he'd 90,
His comrades called him "I,ittlc joe"
+ His fathor owned somc farming land,
Whose tillagc called for ono moro hand,
+ And Joe soon learned to plow and cart,
With steady hand and willing heart,
= And holpcd to raise the nccdful grain,
A growing household to maintain.
Tho winter months he spont at school,
And studied hard and lived by rule,
Gained such IL tastc for school house lor,
Fhat-naught besides he, valued more.
Snch progress mado i'll wisdom's ways,
AS won his teachers special praise.
Joo caught ambitions rising flame,
And vowed ho'd lift on high his name,
And make it shine Oh hstory's page,
A jurist, statesman, or sage.
Each Springs return for a now start,
Behind tho plow, or on the cart,
Showed such change in youthful taste
AS made him wish farm work days past
From work To books he was not slack,
*,
And tho transition to the plow,
. Was not the change he wanted now.
IIo was not lazy, this all knew,
Work to his taste he loved to do,
And mover Stunned it as rule,
Till tasto had changed through books an(
school.
IIo sat up lato into the night,
A l. g
And for the pleasure it would yield,
Took one along into tho field,
Resting his oxen Oft and we'll,
TO trace the story it would tell
Tho father saw with anxious looks,
This tardy work and love of books,
And truly thought, that this slow way,
OF plowng ground would never pay,
And since tho lad to books inclined,
Hold let him>take his bent Of mind,
And prosecute the manly aim,
or making for himself n namo.
The times were hard and money rarG,
And Farmer Brown had none to spare,
But oxen had, already broke,
And well accustomed to the yoke.
~ I'til VI bhcSt iic gay" HIS SD!li
And told him thoy were now his own,
TO do with as he chose to do,
Because he knew tho lad was true.
Then early in tho instant spring,
Aa happy as 2 new crc"m2h king,
His working garb aside he hurled,
TO plow bis furrow through the world.
His habits at this higher school,
Showed due regard to every rule,
And dcforcncc to the teaching 70 rcc,
And all the studies in his course.
lie formed no habits that were bad,
But still improved the good he had,
Discarded cards, and the drink curse,
Which lead from bad, still on to worse;
While young, joined church and kept his
VOWS;
On Sabbaths worshippcd in Gods house,
Aud in tho chapel he'd repair
At sound of bell that rang for PRAYER.
With CAD in hand he drove away,
Somo twenty miles on tho first day,
And on tho second, happily,
IIo reached CALHOUN ACADEMY,
Th' objective point he had in view,
Ere to his homo he bid adicu.
A stranger now in strange place,
And but youth, with bashful face,
His courage had testing SPELL
The sequel shows he stood it well.
lic had no cash, nor had his sire,
The oxen his, to sell or hire;
!!o so!d Chem 80 q t1wii Landlord,
TO pay ahead his bill for board
1fo gave his notes for teachers pay,
And made them good future day
1Io taught, read law, the crmino wore,
And four times served as governor;
To senatorial h0nor& came,
With all tho force Of n great name.
A business mind, quito apt in trade,
Was shown in the first trade he made,
OF his OK team, his board to pay,
And this to fortune led the way.
lie prosporcd much, successes rare,
Made him at length millionaire.
Success, all round to few is given;
Ifo had it, died, and went to heaven.
Such was JOo Brown, to Georgia dear,
Whose life began twelve miles from here,
Whose carly struggles, triumphs great,
To noble deeds should stimulate.
Young man, look upl No TOLL no crown,
by toll arose tho great "JoE Brown"