The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-13

Christmas presents for his friends. One of
his most ambitious efforts. and one in
which he manifested the greatest interest,
was a bird house. IN making which he used
twelve different tools.
When Tom is in doubt about the kind of
wood he is handling. he helps out his fin
gers by smelling the wood. and by this
sense alone is able TO distinguish eight
different varieties, He Is not only pains
taking and careful In his work but keeps
en- accurate and systematic record of all
that he does, describing each article that
he makes and setting down the length of
time he was occupied on 1t and other de-
tails.
His mechanical bent finds expression
even in the summer vacation, which he
passes on a farm He spends a considera-
BILE part of his time in fitting up contriv-
ances which require skill and patience.
Last summer he rugged up an elevator in
the barn without assistance or direction
from any one, getting the materials, con-
ssting of rope, pulleys, blocks and chain,
together himself, and so adjusting them
that he could pull himself up and let him
self down again. He Is extremely active
and venturesome, but seldom gets hurt He
climbs trees as nimbly as any other twelve
year-old boy, and has been discovered on
the roof of the house measuring the Chin
neys and making other Investigations to
satisfy his curiosity.
One of the first Indications that Tom
ever gave of his mechanical ability was
in connection with mischieVous prank
OF the kindergarten "A few days ago. II
was discovered that the water had been
turned on in the dressing room and the
faucet taken apart The matron called
up the little blind boys and questioned
them about It. but one and all denied
knowing anything about &c. Finally she
thought of Tom He cheerfuliy confessed
that he was the author of the ace and pro-
duced the missing pieces Of the faucet from
among his playthings.
The matron endeaVored 10 impress him
with the sense of having done wrong, and
tod him that he ought to do all he could
to repair the mischief he had done. He
responded to this appeal With prompt
alacrity, and to her surprise replaced the
pieces in their proper relative positions
with the ceierity and dizziness Of a skilled
workman.
On the lot adjoining where Tom lives
new building is being erected by the kim
dergarten, aud he has followed the course
OF its construction with the heenest inter-
est and enjoyment. As soon as lessons are
over he wants to go at once to the new
house, and he knows as well as any one
of the workmen just what sort Of mate
rails have been used and how they have
been put together.
His highest ambition AT present how
ever, Is TO travel This desire was In
srared by the tales that We're told him
by two of the teachers from the kndergar-
ten who took a trip TO the Pacific coast
last summer. He manifested the greatest
interest i'm the places they had visited, and
wanted to know about all the things that
they had seen that differed from his own
experience and surroundings. Among 9TH
er things. they told him that they had
Travelled 5000 miles since he had seen them
last.
We'll" Tom observed calmly, when /
am a young man, twenty years of age, /
will travel 1900 miles" ..r-