The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-03
Little Folks Column.
BEGINNING OF A CAREER

NAO SNNSSN "a OA HHCAAS y ~ HO
passed the shop of the local photog.
rapher a man came out and epoke to
him. do you want a jobH" he asked
The boy said promptly, Yes, sir"
ut is not a lively one. You have to
sit still and watch things" the man
said. do you think you can keep
awakeQ"
II can try, sirl" the boy said; go,
after a little more talk, he got the job.
Il was not a lively one. H9 had to
sit upon q housetop and watch a lot
of Photographic negatives to make
certain that they got just enough light,
none too much. He did the work we'll.
The photographer caught him
mapping, nc. matter how suddenly he
came upon him. In a little while he
showed that he was as intelligent as
trusty.
Then the photographer noticed that
the lads clio jhee, though worn, were
always clean and decently mended.
A little inquiry proved that the new
boy was a widows soma widow who
bad very little besides her children
and her trust in the Lord. The little
her son earned was g very material
help TO her. She was eager TO have
him in school. All told, he had been
there less than two months, but she
could not send him; he had neither
the tine nor the clothes for it.
Sitting aloft day after day, the lad
fell to studying the heavens. There
had come into his hands a volume of
DR.. Thomas Dicks Practical Astron.
omy. At first he found it dry read.
ing, but in a little while the study Of
It mad redoubled his interest in his
ever. beloved sky. H. longed above
every thing for a telescope, which
would enable him the better to search
out it's glories, lis mysteries. By help
OF his kind employer, he at length
rugged up an apology for one-some-
thing whose limited powers only
served to whet his appetite for real
telescope revelations.
He began to go to Sunday school.
His teacher there grew interested in
him and his ambition. Through her
aid and counsel, joined to that of
other friends, he went seriously to work
to secure the coveted instrument. A
second hand one was offered TO him for
5000. Hs sent for it, but found it 30
unsatisfactory that he returned il.
Expressage both ways cost him $50 ne
could very iii spare. However he got
the moneys worth in experience ex
peTience which determined him to be
satisfied with nothing less than a tele-
scope Of the very first class.
To get money for SUCH a one he
worked and saved. A shabby coat had
no terrors for him if the shaObiness
meant something toward the desire Of
his heart. Yet he was only frugal,
ne yer niggardly, and always generous
10 a friend. Pretty SOON he was aole
to buy a telescope OF the very best pat
tern. 1t had a five incn refracEor.
Wnen it was duly in position upon the
root, WHARF he mad spent so many
working hours, he was about the hap
pat young fellow in the world.
N gat alter nigat, he secured the
heavens, noting and rec ording by
means OF dra wings the many wonder
ful things ne saw there.
BeeIdes a good telescope he had phe-
n9menally keen sight. That is evi
denced by the fact that With this five
inch ~reftactor, an instrument below
the first power, he discovered and de-
scrioed a dozen comets. Providence,
perhaps, had put it into the mind Of a
rich man to offer prizes for just such
discoveries. They were not very big
prizes, but altogether this selt-taught
astronomer won enough Of them to
give him q welcome thousand dollars.
He had, however. rebuffs as we'll as
helps from the big outside world. The
American ASS )ciation for the AID
vancement Of Science met in his native
city noe long after he had Begun his
study of the hsavens. He WIS pre-
sented to its president, Simon New
como, and began modesTly to speak
of what he had done aud hoped to do.
"Humphl YJu had better put away
that telescope! l. is too big anyway.
You can do nothing with it; you had
better study mathematics than waste
your time star gazing" said the great
man. Toe beginner left him half
heart broken. But after the first smart
he resolved thai he would study ma5h-
ematics, and he did.
Times whirligig brings some re
- 49, urso;ot,u Eiftann