New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03

tie rest Of the boys that attended the Brandy
Hi district school He was always busy with
his book while I would be around hshin' and
huntin' IN the woods At school the master was
always proud Of George and he set him up a
good example for the rest OF 70 pattern after.
George was always a bit ahead Of the rest
OF the scholars. He was deeper than the rest
Of US.
why, DO you know that you can't take
walk OF a hundred yards around this stony old
farm Of seventy-f1ve acres without you run on
to rocks with drills holes IN them? George drilled
them holes That's the way he started to study
in geology. He wanted TO find out what was IN
side OF the rocks. and so he drilled holes in them
and split them open.
when you couldn't find George anywhere
about the house or barn all you had TO do to
locate him was 70 step out in the road and
listen Pretty soon you would hear the 'whack'
whacI, whaclz,' OF a hammer on the drill head.
That was George. off a mile in the middle of the
swamp. maybe. diggin into the Intervals of a
rock Father used t. humor George good bit
in his rock drilin because he liked to encourage
all OF US TO learn something. But sometimes
father would saw in his quiet way: 1t would
helm along like sixty if George would drill in the
corn field and on the wood pile like no does into
them rocks But George never shirked work
on the farm when there was work to be done
but he was too big for poor Connecticut farm
TO hold, and he was PAWN the way durin' all
those days he was drilln' rocks and a-studyin'
geology TO make a bigger name for himself than
he could have made up here on the farm George
has become big man now and I'm proud OF
him. even though I did stay back here to farm.
He worked hard to get where he is, and deserves
all his honors and success.
George never had much to say as a boy. He
was the politest boy at school, though not what
you'd call a ladies' man, but he always was
nolit. TO them even In the old Brandy Hill
school house and It wasn't much OF school
then. either Now. used to like to go to the
parties in the winter that were held In the
country round about here, but George hardly
ever went. He would get In a corner close to
the fireplace and study book When George
got through with a book he knew what was be-
tween fits covers He never seemed TO forget
anything.
Father didn't have any great means. but he
waited US ali to have education. and when
George showed an inclination along that line
why father helped him the best he could he
attended school at Dudley for term or so, and
then one term went TO the State Normal Schooi
In Britain
when George next left home he went to
teachin' school IN e little place over the line
from here in Rhode Island. There he earned a
little money and kept up his studyin'. He got a
chance to go South as a teacher, and when the
Civil War broke out he was private tutor in
the family OF a Southern planter. Georges
sympathies were with the North and he deter
mined to come North. He had a hard time 10
get away, but finally Gid get through, and he
brought the news UP In this region Of the first
running of the blockade.
Was he 6 determined boy7 Well, I should
think he was. He would never give up anything
ne ever lacked, and yet with all of his perse-
verance he was as gentle and kind as
could be-
He wouldn't let any one beat a horse on the
farm or pound any OF the critters Once we
had hired man helpin us In the busy haydn
time. The hired man was drivin' a big load of
hay from the held 70 the barn. and in a swampy
spot that he had to drive through the wheels
got stuck. George was rakin hay back in the
field when he heard the hired man beatin' the
horses over the backs with big CAD Down of
OF the rake he got and went for that load of hay.
Father and / stopped work and watched him