The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-03-16
A SKOWHECAN BOY s.
EXPERIENCE
Gerald Marble Finds That Though
Spending Vacation at the Summer
Resort, There Is Great Pleasure In
Being Self.SuppOrting.

You needn't send me any more
money, father. because | am work
ing now and earning more than
enough to pay all my expenses
E. W Marble rubbed his eyes and
read once more the letter from his
fourteen-year-old son, Gerald, who
had gone to spend his summer vaca-
ton at Boothbay Harbor. For long
time the elder Marble had felt that
his son would compare most favor
ably with the boys of his age in
Skowhegan. but he was hardly pre-
pared for this: for a fourteen-year-
old boy that deliberately chooses to
work during vacation, even in this
hustlng town, is something of a nov
city.
The Marble family had made their
summer home on Capital island in
Boothbay Harbor for several years
before 1910, and as the children had
grown older the Commonwealth Col
ony of Arts and Sciences had attract
ed their attention. This is a sort of
vacation enterprise conducted by A.
G. Randall. in which a fair amount
of study is diluted with a goodly pro-
portion of fun Gerald and his Sis
ter Hattie finally concluded that a
few weeks there would be just the
thing.
They went down at the beginning of
the season in July, but before the end
of the first week the lack of occupa
ton had begun to pail upon the
young man. He hardly felt like
studying, so he went to the superin
tendent and asked to be given some
of the necessary work about the
place. The woodpile seemed to offer
the only opening just then so Gerald
was informed that he could tackle
that When he undertook to do so he
found that the establishment was
without a saw horse. Nothing daunt
ed, he informed the superintendent of
his need, with the assurance that he
would build a horse if desired.
He was told to go ahead, and he
did SO with will Now Gerald
hadn't taken the course in manual
training for nothing, and when the
saw horse was finished, the superin-
tendent promptly decided that he was
too good a workman to be kept at
saving wood. There was quite a lot
of furniture about the place that
needed more or less repairs, some
doors to be fitted and hung, as we'll
as bureau drawers that had to be
planed a bit before they would slide
properly. All this took several days,
bringing in meanwhile more than
enough to pay the board bills.
Gerald's good example proved to
be contagious, and soon the other boys
were looking for a chance to do
things and earn a little money. But
the most of the boys were from the
city. where they had never had
chance to learn to do useful things
with their hands. Even such simple
tasks as chopping wood or raking the
lawn were not properly done without
instruction. Meanwhile the superin-
tendent had discovered that Gerald
was so we'll endowed with common
sense that it was easier to tell him
to show the other boys how to per
form their tasks, than to give the de-
tailed directions himself. After that
Gerald was on the pay roll every day,
but he didn't have to work any hard
er than he choose.
When vacation was over, Gerald
came home with neat sum of money
in his pocket, and pleasant memories
of one of the best vacations he had
ever known. With the opening of the
High school he was promptly elected
president of the Sophomore class, and
a few weeks later was chosen treas
urer of the Y. NJ. c. A. He is pre-
pairing for college where he will
study to become an electrical en-
gineer, and his numerous friends and
acquaintance feel quite sure that his
career will be well worth watching
j. E. T.--Boys' World.