The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-31
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN AT HIS DESK.
From a Copyright Photograph By Russell & Sons

He used to keep his hat on while
teaching the boys. and paced about
the room, umbrella in hand, shooting
out questions, not disdaining to tell
good stories, and bouncing on delin-
quentS with satire and mock politeneSS.
The boys worked like beavers all week
and sometimes on summer days balmy
sleep claimed one of them for its own
before he knew it. Such a boy was
likely to be awakened with a vigorous
prod of the umbrella, and to hear
Chamberlain say, Good night, Jones.
No objection to your going to sleep,
only please don't snore." He taught
the boys for over two years, managing
to keep the rather tough young propo-
sitionS in first rate order, yet never re-
sorting to the harsh measures which he
had authority to use. Those who re-
member him at that time say he was
a model teacher.
There are a good many who remem-
Der Chamberlain the teacher. His for
mer pupils are continually turning up
! in London and recalling old times to
him, and when he went to America as
] British commissioner in the fisheries
/ discussion, couple of prosperous mer-
chants called and introduced them
selves as two Of his old boys"
| When he ceased to teach in the Sun
|
trustees of the Birmingham church, in
which he is still interested and to the
support of which he contributes
! literally.
| Perhaps his zeal in church work was
not altogether free from political am
bition. Chamberlain was not a fluent
speaker in his early youth. The right
word didn't always come in the right
place, as those who knew him then
were reminded only a few weeks ago
when in the midst of great public
speech he got stuck for a word. hem
med and hawed and twisted in vain,
and finally turned to Mrs. Chamber
lain, who was sitting on the platform.
and asked her what word it was he
wanted. She told him and he went
on without any further trouble
Realizing, probably, that he must
talk well on his feet if he was going
to get along in politics, he Joined, if not
founded debating society in the dis
trict of Birmingham in which ne lived
and which still fiourishes under the
name of the Edgbaston Debating So
ciety, and from which have sprung
many of BiTmingham's most famous
citizens When he first undertook to
speak there, he was often nervous and
faItering, even to the point Of break
ing down entirely. He kept at it.
IIOWeNbI, anu SUN JCCdIiLC IL power III
the society, especially strong in argu-
ment, and active in the discussion of
social questions from the political
view point 1t was his work in the
debating society that won for him his
first political place as a member of the
town council. Then he became mayor.
and pushed through municipal gas and
water and street Improvement schemes
that caused Birmingham to be regarded
as one of the best governed cities in the
world; was reelected twice, and then
sent to parliament.
It was the debating society scheme
that got him into municipal politics,
the municipal improvement scheme
that got him into parliament, the wood
screw monopoly scheme that made him
a millionaire. Now for a scheme to
place him in the ranks of the states
men. But perhaps it is not fair to call
the home rule split a scheme; let's call
it an opportunity.
When Mr.. Parnell delivered his IA
nous declaration of independence for
Ireland, and Mr.. Gladstone had allied
himself to the Irish party. the turning
point in Mr.. Chamberlain life came.
He was radical; the chairman of his
parliamentary division, Mr.. e. j. Smith,
now famous as the inventor of the
trades combination scheme, was a radi-
cal; and Mr.. Chamberlain's worknen,
numerous enough to be strong Dnliti-
cal factor were also radirak L is