Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-11-01


his hands ready and always puts forth
his best efiort?"
Do you give it up?
Yes? So do l.
Nearly seventy years ago boy baby
flew into the home of a poor family in
England. His parents came to Wis
consin and located in southwestern
Wisconsin and the father went back
to work in the lead mines.
When the boy was IL, after he had
done a good deal of hard work to aid
in supporting the family, and before he
had had a chance to spend a day in
school, he went to service in the
mines with his father, and the better
part of the next thirteen years he
helped in producing the lead supply,
so it will be seen that he was wholly
without school privileges.
But that does not mean that he was
not student.
Every noon, while he was in the
mines, after his fifteenth birthday, he
hurriedly swallowed the cold dinner
and gave close attention, first, to
learning his letters, then to putting
them to use in a speller and later in
a reader.
That was all the school the English
lad ever attended-his own.
For a time his father operated a
threshing machine a few weeks in the
autumn; his boy was a helper, at first,
but when he was IS he knew all about
and could manage the machine better
than his father could, ant was given
full charge, the father going back to
the mine.
While the crew was resting, after
dinner. the feeder and manager was
attending school-his school-ano
pored over speller, reader and geog-
raphy, until it was time to hitch up
teams and start in for the last half OF
the day, which ended when it was too
dark to operate.
One season the youngster was max
ing such a good record in threshing
grain that the father said to him,
You can go to Milton academy for a
term when the season is over" Tha,
was what he wished above all things
The old threshing machine hummeo
louder aud longer than ever, If posi-
BILE, and when the work was done IL
was found that the .lansplanted John
ny Bull had chucKe5 enough bundles
of wheat into the singing cylinder to
put 10000 bushels of wheat into bins
and oat bundles enough to make 49,.
900 bushels.
1t was a record-breaker for those
early days, and all of the boys in the
neighborhood began to take notice OF
the light-haired lad from Great Britain
While in the midst of his rejoicing
the young mans greatest disappoint
ment came. His father found that he
needed all the money the youngstel
had earned as a thresher, and could
not let him go.to Milton academy.
But it did not break his spirit OF
head off his pursuit of an education
He sought the privilege of working for
a neighbor for few weeks before go
ing into the mines for the winter. Al
digging potatoes, husking corn, help
ing to do the fall butchering he earned
$21. With part Of that he bought q
cheap suit OF clothes and pair o
$3.50 boots He still had $40.
Before daylight the next morning
wearing the best clothes he had ever
possessed, he started. on foot, to Ga
lena, Ill.,, eighteen miles distant. Be
fore eating the slices of bread without
butter and an apple he had taker
along for dinner, he went to a book
store and mad1 two purchases Web
ster's unabridged dictionary and al
English grammar, the former costing
So and the latter $3.50.
His little fortune, except so cents
was gone, burt he was the happiest
young man ia that part of the country
as he sat by the roadside, half a mile
toward home, and ate the apple ant
bread ard looked at pages of his die
tionary.
He reached home before dark, bear
ing his two treasures, having made tn
thirty-six miles without once thinkine
his lot was hard one.
That winter, at the noon hour in the
mines, his school time was devoted t.
learning how to write, and in the prac
lice of writing lessons. In the spring
he was a fairly good penman. Even
ings he studied grammar or PERI ser
the ample pages of his dictionary.
Then came the great war. He want
ed to enlist under the first call, but hfl
services could not be spared: but hi
went as soon as he could, and tool
along some books, thinking to do nue.
studying, burt the captain of his com
Dany put stop to that when he mad,
The miner-student the company's order
ly sergeant. Every man who has beer
soldier knows that the orderly. O
hrst sergeant, has the hardest task II
the company, and is busy every hou
= tie dav. Student life was ont o
the question, in that Office.
Captain said the colonel to tn
officer commanding the young man
company. Il shall have to take you
orderly away from you, want to max
a lieutenant OF him"
And they put a pair OF straps on hi
shoulders, and a month later he wa
commanding a company. IN camp, o.
the march and in battle he was all tina
an officer should be.
Before the war was over he wa