Wadsworth semi-weekly dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1902-10-31
STORY OF A BOY
Early Life Of the Hon. E. S.
harrington

| 80 - Is WA
The story of a boy is always inter
esting, the story of an earnest, noble
boy who by his own afforts carves his
name high on the scroll Of fame.
Prof M. B. B. Potter seated at the
Riverside hotel the other day told Of
such boy. 1t was thirty-five years
ago when he was principal Of the
schools at Grass Valley, California,
that he had for one Of his pupils a
hardworking by, strong and willing.
but poor. The family were poor The
The father was carpenter, but he had
large family to support, and the wife
helped by taking in washing Edward,
the eldest child, also helped his mother
by delivering the finished laundry work
and by doing other errands.
Prof. Potter at that time was a
bachelor. He is now'marrled and has
son Of thirtY-three. He and four
others, Harry Roberts, Daniel Bell,
DR.. Miller and August Morse, all more
or less famous, kept bach slois hall,
and each. contributed forty-five dollars
month to the mess. Living was high
in those days in Grass Valley.
Edward came one evening after
school with the weeks washing. aid
the boys had just laid in their winters
supply Of hard oak wood, seven cords.
The boy asked if he couldn't get the
job saving that wood. He was only
eleven years old, barefooted, plainly
dressed, but always clean. The men
smiled and said the rainy season would
be on in a month or two and they
wanted that wood in the woooshed
fore winter set in.
But the boy was not to be dlscour-
aged. He said he would carry the
wood into the woodshed first and then
saw it at nights. So they made bar
gain with him. $l,75 per cord. The
cinnamon were saving wood for 5 so.
For the next week or two every
night alter scho1 when he had nl.lke1
the COW and done up the chores at
home this barefoot boy came over to
the bachelors quarters, hung up his
lantern in the Woodshed and sawed
wood till nine O'Clock That was the
hour when his mother required that
he should be home, and Prof. Potter
would co ne out to the woodshe1 and
tell him W, en- rine O'Clock came. The
boy kept earnestly at his job. He was
earning $l2.25 to help his mother and
to buy himself new pair Of shoes for
those bareteet. So we'll pleased were
TIE bachelors with the boys pluck that
they made his present Of fifty cents
cord extra when the work was done.
! That boy was Edward Silsby Far
rington, the Republ can candidate for
member Of congress from Nevada.
Prof Potter who is here in the in
terest of the International Correspon-
dence school of Scranton, Pennsy ylvania
tells other stories Illustrative o. the
character of that Grass Valley boy. 1t
was shortly after the woodsaWing Incl
dent that the Grass Valley school got
up an entertainment to pay for a piano.
A piano those days like everything else
cost money, about five hundred dollars.
Prof. Potter chose young Harrington as
the representative Of his class to take
part in the entertainment.
The show was under the direct super
vision of Mrs. C. K. Waters. head OF
the grammar school department, a
woman Of some theatrical talent. She
exclaimed when she found young Far
rngton was to have part:
"Why in the world did you choose
Edward FarriHgtona He is the green
est, most awkward fellow that ever
saw, and she laid emphasis on the l.
1t is more then probable that the
lady's taste in the matter Of boys was
conect, and that even at that early age
Far ilgton gave promise Of the 22o
Of ayolrdupols that he has carried
around with him on this campaign.
Harrington even today has a plain,
farmer-Iike way about him. He Is all
earnestness. 1t brings tears TO your
eyes to see him try to tell a joke. But no
boy enjoyed sport more than young
Harrington, and Prof. Potter says his
face would get as red as a lobster
playlng baseball He worked just as