The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-06-03

"BY JINGo, BUT THAT'S A STRONG PINTl''
a day 1t is education that makes
nation. The less education the more
vice and wickedness."
That's Jest the way l look at it"
saws the squar. Il say education be-
fore everything else. but we've got
men in this town who differ with me.
You wouldn't think that leadin men of
a town would be ag'in schoolhouses,
would your
..They must be queer sort of men.
Don't they want their children to know
who discovered American"
That's a mighty strong pint, mighty
strongr' says Deacon Spooner. as he
tunks his cane on the floor and looks at
Abner Jones.
'I reckon you're hittin at me-" re-
plies Abner after whittlin away for
moment, land I've got a few words
to say. I'd like TO ask this stranger
here if he knows who discovered
America"
"Why, certainly, sir" said the may
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 a little bit. 1 reckon. Thi:
county ships 'nuf pumpkins every
year to make 100000 10 cent pies.
don't believe ten farmers kin tell yol
when America was discovered, bu
they know when to plant pumpkins
Which is the best fur 'em? l reckol
you kin tell what year George Wash
ington died in. which | can't, but dyo1
know whar to fasten rope when yo1
want to drive a hog to marketP'
by jingo, but that's strong pint
and Abner's got him?' shouts the dea
con as he jumps up and down.
The stranger appeared to be sort Q
confused and taken down, but tried
git out of it by sayin they wer
trif1in with the subject
Pm one as isn't opposed to school
and education" says Moses Plumbel
''but don't want too many of 'en
I'm sayin that everybody orter kno'
how to read. write and cipher. br
nowadays they want to stuff childre
with heap that's no good to an!
body"
But what man kin know too much
asks the stranger. But fur hight
knowledge how would we know tn;
the earth revolved on its aXis?'
But spose we didn't know? S'po:
we tiggered that the earth stood still
Wouldn't we have licked the Britis
at Yorktown Jest the same, al
wouldn't the price of wheat be Il
same as today? ! was talkin Wi
young jim Benson t'other day. {
could tell the distance TO the sun wit
In a mile, but he couldn't tell no
many rails 10 4 rod of fence. He cou
give the names of all the stars, but
didn't know that cuttin hogs tail
would make him root the harder, pro
ably hopin TO find a new one. he cou
tell when every state come into I
.Cnon, but he didn't know that &C
kicked sideways instead OF stralg
behind"
BY lingo, Moses. but that's orato
and strong pint besides" exclaiI
the deacon. I'm the face of their fat
can't see how we are to gil anoth
schoolhouse."
You have been i'll at some time
other in your lifeY queries the strf
ger Of Moses.
hey. Three years ago was do'
with fever and everybody thought
die"
But you were saved. and how?
tne doctor who was called in had. 81