Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-11-04
HOW THE MINER WON.

HOW THE MINER won.
BY Lieut-Col J. A Watrous l. S. A.
What can't man accomplish if he
Scoops his eyes open. his mind active. his
hands ready and Away, put, forth his
best ctlolt."
Do YOU give it up:
Yesy 80 do /.
Nearly seventy years ago boy baby
few into the home Of a poor family in
England His parents came to Wiscon-
sin and located in southwestern Wi9con-
sin sind the father went to work in the
lead ailno=.
Whom the by wac i. after he had
done good deal OF hard work 20 aid in
supporting the family, and before he bad
had cbal 10 spend day IN school
be went 20 service in the mines. with his
father. and The better part OF the next
thirteen years he helped ia producing
,he lead supply, 50 it win be seen that
he was wholly without school privileges.
But that doe, not mean that be was
rot a student.
Every noon, while he was in the mines.
after his fifteenth birthday he hurripdly
wallowcd the cold dinner and gave c.o5e
attention. first. to learning his letters.
then u putting them To use in a -pelier
and later in reader
That was all the school The English
bad ever attended his own
For time his father operated q thre~h-
ng machine a few weeks in the autumn:
his hoy was helper, at first. but whcr
he was Is he knew all about and could
manage the machine better than his
father could. and was given full charge,
the father going back to the mine
While the crew Was resting, after dim
ner. the feeder and manager was attend
ing school-llis schooland pored over
speller, reader and geography, 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 making
such good record IN threshing grain
that the father said to him. You can 70
to Milton academy for term when the
season is over That was what he
wished above all things
The old thresmng machine hummed
louder and longer than ever. if possible,
and when the work was done il was
found that the transplanted Johnny Bull
had chucked enough bundles OF wheat
into the singing cylinder to put 10000
bushels of wheat into bins and oats
bundles enough to make $4,000 bushels.
1t was a record breaker for those early
days and all OF the boys in the neighbor-
hood began TO take notice of the light
haired lad from Great Britain
While in the midst of his rejoicing the
Young mans greatest disappointment
ramc, His father found that he needed
all Of the money the youngster had
earned as Il thresher. and could not let
linn 60 to Milton academy.
Etlt it did not break his spirit OF head
oil his pursuit al an education He
sought the privilege ot working for a
RcighbuJ fN a feW weeks before gong
iGto the miEc4 for the winter At digging
potatoes. hu,kmg corn. helping 10 do the
tall hutrhCr|pg he earned sd. With
Fart ot tina, he bought a chcar suit of
clothes and a pain Of $3.50 boots. lie
etjil had $40
Before daylight the next morning
Wearing the best clothes ha had ever nos,
~r~,rd. lee started, on foot. To Cale,a Ill.,.
eighteen miles distant Before ratiuv
the slices of bread Without huttcr and
aG app'p bg had taken aiou. far dinner.
he "cHf 70 % bookstore and made two
purchase, Wob~t,r'@ unabridged die.
t'm"N and am English grammar. thc
tuimrr so~ts@- ~ AID the latte. 81 so
iiI~ ttttt fortune. except 80 cents WA,
2o'tr, hHt He Wa~ the happjt-t young mau
81. s