Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-24
THE nOST VENTURESOME YOUNGSTER IN
rlONTPELIER, VERMONT.

man'ls life Is enough at time. ! VIII
recharge tile cannonl"
He did so, but the charred wood g-
nted the powder and the fash eXplod-
ed In his face, His hair was snged
and his eyes were closed. Cropping his
way to the rain barrel, he plunged his
head into II. The pain was intense. but
George was more worried about his
appearance He asked anxlously how
he looked. The boys were compelled to
admit that his swollen lips and powder
blackened neck and face were not at
tractlye.
Never mind" said George. after
II stops smartlng II viii look better
During the Mexican war General Tay-
lor became the hero par excellence 10
the boy Dewey. Eagerly he read the ac-
counts in the village newspapers OF the
successive victories won by the Ameri-
cans, and "Old Zach, who licked the
enemy every time" became Dewey's
patron Saint. In the sham battles which
the boys conducted at the time George
Dewey always impersonated General
Taylor, and generally had TO win a
fight before he could induce q playmate
TO take the part Of Santa Ana
Among the playmates OF George
Dewey was the son of a miller, who
owned a mill on the banks OF Dog
River. In the summer season there
was none too much water George was
fond Of the company OF the miller's
son, and considered II a shame that he
had TO work In the mill when he should
be playing, lie thought the matter over
and finally hit on the solution OF the
and finally hit on the solution
of the problem which was
at once adopted. Whenever the
two boys planned an expedition for
a certain day they would go to the mill
on the evening OF the preceding night
and set the whole wheel in motion.
1t was great srort to see the wheel re-
yolye and to realize that they were
responsible for the revolving machinery
Then again It would drain the mill
pond and that meant vacation for
Jack on the following day. They
worked this trick cusseccfully several
times, but were finally discovered by
the miller, who logged both Of them
soundly and impartially
BROKE A SUBMARINE RECORD
George was the most venturesome
boy in Montpelier He was sure to be
the first one to test the strength OF the
newly formed ice, and many a time he
broke through and narrowly escaped
drowning. He was bound to excel, n
possible, In all feats OF skill, strength
and daring The story of his swim
ming under water is a familiar but
typical one Of his boyish career. It
seems that some strong lunged boy had
dived from the bank into the water and
swan to certain post out In the
stream before coming 10 the surface
For years this had stood as a record
and was accepted as tradition in
Montpelier. As George Dewey grew in
strength he determined TO beat that he
cord One day when big crowd lined
the bank he announced his intention OF
SURPRISING the record or dying in the
attempt"
He dived from the bank and remain
ed so long under water that all were
alarmed and thought him drowned.
Suddenly he came to the surface but
was so exhausted that he sank again
and would have drowned had not some
strong swimmer brought him 10 shore.
He was almost black In the face, but
soon regained his breath. His first
question was, Did beat him." When
told that he had beaten the record
many yards he was delighted and
soon regained his strength.
For long time young Dewey was un-
decided as to whether he would prefer
to be n soldier Of circus performer He
organized a circus, which he conducted
with much success In the barn. charg-
ing five pins admission for children and
ten pins for "grownups." Any one over
ten years old was n "grown-up." The
performance was a combined theater
and circus. A buffalo robe served as
a drop curtain, but DR.. Dewey would
not allow them to use candles as foot
lights. The acts were mainly acroba-
tic, and George was the star performer,