Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-04

"BY JINGo. BUT THAT'S 4 STRONG PINT"
n day. 1t i. education that makes a
nation. The less education the more
vice and wickcdness." .. .-....
That's Jest the way 1 look at it,"
says the squar. Il say education be-
fore everythin. else, but we've got
men in this town wEo differ with me.
You wouldn't think that leadin men of
town would be agin schOolhouses,
would you:"
They must be queer sort of men.
Don't they want their children to know
who discovered American
That's n mighty strong pint, mighty
strong" says Deacon Spooner. as he
turks his cane on the floor and looks at
Abncr Jones.
Il reckon you're hittin at me-" re-
plies Abner after Within away for
moment, land I've got few words
to say. I'd like to ask this stranger
here if he knows who discovered
America"
why, certainly. sir" said the man.
Has it 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 a
strong pint whispers the deacon.
'Yes, it's schoolhouSe knowledge"
says Abner. "but let me ask you sun
thin. What month in the year d'you
plant pumpkin seeds:'
Pumpkin seeds, Why, what have
pumpkin seeds got to do with educa-
tion?"
quite n little bit, l reckon. This
county ships 'nuff 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? 1 reckon
you kin tell what year George Wash
ington died in. which / can't. but d'you
knew whar TO fasten a rope when you
want to drive a hog to market:"
BY lingo, but that's n strong pint,
and Abner'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 20
git out of il by sayin they were
trifiin with the subject.
I'm one as isn't opposed TO schools
and education" says Moses Plumber,
but l don't want too many of 'em.
I'm sayin that everybody orter know
how TO read. write and cipher, but
nowadays they want to stuff children
with a heap that's no good to any
body"
But what man kin know too much?'
asks the stranger. But fur higher
knowledge how would we know that
the earth revolvcd on its aXis:''
But s'poSe we didn't know? S'pose
we tiggered that the earth stood still? |
Wouldn't we have licked the British |
at Yorktown jest the same. and |
wouldn't the price of wheat be the |
same as today? 1 was talkin with |
young Jim Benson t'other day. He
could tell the distance to the sun with |
in a 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 n 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 oratory /
and a strong pint besides exclaims |
the deacon. In the face of them facts
l can't see how we are 10 git another
schoolhouse."
You have been i'll az some time or
other in your life:" queries the stran-
ger OF Moses.
Il hev- Three years ago l was down
with fever and everybody thought I'd
die"
"But you were saved. and how? II
tire doctor who was called in had sim