Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-11-28
here IL he Knows Who discovered

here IL he Knows who discovered
America"
why, certainly, SIR said the man.
''Has 1t ever done you any good? Has
It ever made any difference to you
whether it was Smith. Green or
Brown?"
But it is knowledge"
Yes, it's knowledge, and that's q
strong pint" whispers the deacon.
Yes, it's schoolhouse knowledge"
says Abnsr, but let me ask you sun
thin. What month in the year d'you
paR pumpkin seeds?'
Pumpkin seeds! Why, what have
pumpkin seeds got to do with educa-
tioa?"
Quite little bit, 1 reckon. This
county ships nun pumpkins every
year to make 100000 10 cent pies. /
don't believe ten farmers kin tell you
when America was discovered, but
they know when to plant pumpkins.
Which is the best fur 'em? / reckon
you kin tell what year George Wash
ington died in, which can't, but d'you
know whar to fasten rope when you
want to drive hog to market?'
BY lingo. but that's strong pint,
and Ahner's got HIM" shouts the dea-
con as he jumps up and down.
The stranger appeared to be sort Of
confused and taken down, but tried to
git cut of it by sayin they were
trifiin with the subject,
pm one as isn't opposed to schools
and education" says Moses Plumber,
but l don't want too many Of 'em.
Pm sayin that everybody orter know
how to read, write and cipher, but
nowadays they want to STUFF children
with q heap that's no good to any.
body"
"But what man Kin know too muchf
asks the stranger. But fur higher
knowledge how would we know that
the earth revolved on it's axisY'
But s'pose we didn't know? S'pose
we nggered that the earth stood still7
Wouldn't We have licked the British
at Yorktown jest the same, and
wouldn't the price of wheat be the
same Ms today? was talkin with
young Jim Benson t'sther day. He
could tell the distance to the sun with
in y mile. but he couldn't tell how
many rails to rod of fence. He could
give the names Of all the stars, but he
didn't know that cuttin hogs tail of
would make him root the harder, prob
ably hopin to find new one. He could
tell when every state come into the
Union, but he didn't know that COW
Kicked sideways instead Of straight
behind
by lingo, Moses, but that's orators
and q strong pint besides" exclaims
the deacon. "In the face Of them facts
can't see how we are to git another
schoolhouse."
You have been i'll at some time or
other in your life?" queries the stran-
ger of Moses.
Il hev. Three years ago was down
with fever and everybody thought. I'd
die"
"But you were saved, and how? II
the doctor who was called in had SIM
ply known about fence rails, hogs
tails and the way COWS kick. where
would you be today? He had gone
beyond readin, writin and fgurin.
1t was his higher education that saved
your life"
THAT'S strong pint ag'in you,
Noses" says the deacon.
Eyes, but didn't call DOCTOR" grins
Moses. my old woman pulled me
through with herb teas and good nurs-
in, and you all know she can't figger
the value of two dozen eggs"
''Then the pint is on the stranger,
and I'd like to see him dodge it"
1.-The stranger was stubbin his toe
ag'in stones in the road and didn't look
happy, but he bUced up and said in
answer:
LET Us take = case right here at
home Here is store. 1t had to be
designed by an architect before the
carpenter could build it. Mr.. Plumber
kin read. write and agger, but kin he
draw the plans fur buildin? But
fur higher education no man could do
it."
yes; It was . smart bit Of work."
acknowledged Moses, but l had con-
siderable tc say to that architect. He
had never heard that thunder would
turn sweet milk sour; he didn't know
cows had only teeth on one Jaw; he
didn't know how to stop hen from
settin, q hog from rootin or dog from
KILN sheep. He even poked his finger
into wasps' nest to see IL the critters
was at home. Pm not ag'in schools,
but IL they 10 to tell eur children that
the earth revolves on its axis why
don't they also tell 'sm that scratchin
a hogs back with q oorncob will help
to fatten hump
'1Thats q. pint, Noses-its pintr'
shouts the deacon as he raps on
bar'l. "Abner and Moses hev made
their pints, and now we'd like to hear
from Lish Billings"
eve got mighty little to say" re-
plies Lish as he sits with his back
bumped up like camel.
"But 1t can't be that an intelligent
man like you is opposed to educationY
protests the stranger.
That's accordin to what sort of edu-
cation 1t is
81 refer to general education. You
look like q man of peace, but perhaps
you have had trouble with neighbor
some timer
Eyes, had trouble with Sam Wheel.
er once"
"And you went to law%
"Yes." ~
ITO go to law you had lawyer. II
that man had only known enough to
read. write and figure, he wouldn't
have bin lawyer. He had to hev
higher education to be q lawyer. Don't
you seeT
II skassly d." says Lish.
but yeu had q lawyer, and so did
Mr.. Wheeler. There was a suit, and
you got jestice."
"That's a pint fur the stranger,
Lish! shouts the deacon.
eyes, mebbe tits, but lemme tell him
how it turned out. Sam shet up one of
my hogs with his, and 1 proved 1t,
but my lawyer lost the case and charg-
ed me $40 to boot. The hog wasn't
wuth over g, but Sam had to pay his
10 .rl Il.