Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-03-31
"sHINEs" AND ALGEBRA.

A Good story Of a Connecticut Boot el,.,
and his Lucky Meeting with VI,
Professor.
The only excuse for making this e,o..
about town is that the opening sce.y
occurred near the Union Station in nv
city. The professor was one Of tie ya,'
faculty, and he was trying to xii t,a
while waiting for New Haven trai.
He observed bright looking italian baa
with a shine box slung across his srs
seated on the station steps, ear,esiu
porting over a book. After a few minute
he approached the youngster and asE.s
him If he would like to shine his ioo,,
The bootblack went TO work viRornsis
placing the book on the ground close nv
where he gave II an occasional sharp loot
while shining with vigorous and skim
hand The professor noted his alertna,,
and asked what book II was that proysi
so interesting. expecting to hear that h
was a thrilling story of "Old Sleuth." a,
something of that sort. He was SURPRISE
when the sinner replied with unconceT
that Il was an algebra.
80 you're studying algebra, are YOU
said the professor.
YES, sir, and I'm stuck DO you kno,
anything about algebra2" responded In,
youth. both sentences in the same breath
Now this professor was one Of the
notable mathematician of Yale, and +
sounded queer in his ears to be asked /,
he knew anything about algebra.
well, I know a little about 1t. Whats
the matter? Perhaps / can help you"
BY this time the shoes were shined. and
the boy placed his book in the hands n,
the man to whom intricate mathematlcal
calculations were not difficult at all Il
was the work of a moment to clear tn,
mind Of the aspiring young calculator
and he fairly danced with delight
why, I've been working at tina, "a,
two DAYS. don't see how / could have
been so stupid" declared the now en-.
very much, SIR
But this book grows more difficult a.
you proceed. What are you going to Do
when. you get stuck again?" asked the
friendly gentleman.
81 don't know. Only keep at it, sup
pose"
Now, I'll tell you what to do" said the
gentleman, Offering the boy his card
when you get stuck again, you writ.
to that address and / will see that yog
get Strengthened out. Remember, now
And the professor rushed off to catch hls
train for the City Of Elms.
Not more than three days elapsed be.
fore the mail brought a letter stating that
the bright-eyed bootblack had again got
stuck" with his mathematics And the
return mail brought the much needed
help. A few more days, and another ap.
plication came for assistance, and gain
the wonderful knowledge came as quickly
as before. This kept up for a time, and
then the professor began to advise the
young man how to improve his condition
Leave bootblacking and get Job in
blacksmith shop. or some place where
you can learn the use OF tools" was the
instruction. The boy went over to Eas.
Berlin and secured a place in big shOp
there. The correspondence and the in
struction continued.
A letter brought the Injunction: Save
your money"
The reply came back: 81 am saving
every cent 1 can"
This went on for three years, and that
blacksmiths apprentice over in Berlin had
come to know a good deal about figures
He was a skilful manipulation of all the
tools of his trade, and then came the
proposition that gave the young black.
smith the happiest moment of his life
The professor invited him to come to New
Haven to become his special pupil. with
out expense to the young man except for
board. The offer was made in such way
that the young man felt no hesitancy in
accepting it, and the way he went TO
work now that he was relieved Of the
nine hours in the shop each day gave
the best evidence of how well he ap-
preciated what the professor was doing
for him.
He was not a student of the unFy.rsity
but the influence OF the professor obtained
some privileges for him that were valu-
able. He became not only a skIfu
mathematician, but a remarkable skilfa
manipulation Of apparatus.
At the end of two years there was an
opening for the young blacksmith mathe
matician. The General Electric COMPANY
wanted young man of just the talents
and training. and when the professr
recommended him a favorable offer Sc
cured his services. The young man went
to work just as he went at the algebra
five years before, with a vigorous deter
mination to master all the difficulties in
his path, and he did so. In two years he
was receiving salary of $4,000 a year.
1t would be a delightfully."- imaginative
ending of this story to say that the pro.
fessor has fallen sick, and is in need and
that the young man is supporting him
But that isn't the case at all. The pro-
lessor is quite well. and is attending
strictly to business at the old stand
-lFrom the Hartford Courant