The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-02-09
THE VERY BOY.
Stood by His Principles and What
Came of It.

There's a boy in the electrical
shops that I want to recommend to
your attention." said the superin-
tendent of the Eureka Manufacture
ing company, as he and the president
came down the steps of the office at
the noon hour.
"He has an inventive turn of mind,
and has already made several sug-
gestions that have saved us lot of
money"
Hold old is he?"
Fifteen. He is mere child"
what about him." asked that
shrewd old gentleman.
But he has mans head on his
shoulders. There he is now-the lit
tie fellow that just threw that hand
spring. He's the queerest possible
combination of childhood and man
hood that ever 1 saw. What in the
world is he up to-"
AS the superintendent passed a
fair-haired, slightly built lad disen-
tangled himself from crowd of fifty
or sixty workmen who were hurrying
into the street and hid behind the
corner of the building, peering keen
ly toward a figure coming slowly
down the road. The object of his at
tention, a man of almost gigantic
mould, was dressed in his working
clothes, having evidently just come
out of the rolling mill, where he had
no doubt been pudding iron. In
spite of his dirty, stained garments,
he presented not only an imposing,
but an attractive appearance. His
great head was finally poised upon his
broad shoulders. His features were
strong, his blue eyes keen, and his
heavy shock of hair so fiery red that
his shop mates called him the 'Vol-
cano." The boy permitted him to
pass the corner, and then, with an
agile spring, bounded onto his huge
backand flung his arms around his
neck.
"You little imp" the two observ-
ers heard the giant exclaim, and they
saw him hoist his evidently not un-
welcome burden across his shoulder
and start down the street on run,
the boys musical laugh ringing out,
and the crowd cheering.
That's his crony-Mike McGin-
MIS-" said the superintendent.
"Queerly mated pair the presi-
dent replied.
"Perhaps you never heard how
they became friends"
mo"
"Well,. this little shaver's name is
Alfred Atherton. He lived in a little
town up in the State somewhere;
and when his parents died couple
of years ago, he struck out for him.
self, and came down to Cincinatti.
For few weeks he sold papers, then
got into the messenger service, and
finally landed here. He was good
natured and clever, making many
friends, but exciting some hostility
by his indomitable teetotalism. While
he was not aggressive about his tenn
perance ideas, it became perfectly
evident that he disapproved of his
shopmates' habits of rushing the
growler.' They resented this, of
course, ridiculing, abusing and
tempting him cruelty. Nothing could
move him, however, and they resort
ed to the scurviest trick you ever
heard about.
Eight or ten of the biggest and
roughest boys in the shop devised
scheme to inveigle him into one of
the saloons, and either persuade or
force him to drink glass of rum.
Somehow or other they got him in
side the door, and, failing to make
obey them voluntarily, began to
threaten. We'll pour it down your
throat they said. You will?' he
said with flashing eyes. We'll see!
My father fills a drunkard's grave,
and I promised my mother on her
dying bed that I'd never drink a
drop! Now, make me break that
promise if you CAM With these
words still on his lips, the little
shaver flung off his coat and set his
back against the wall.
''In jiffy the crowd was on him,
and he went down, but fighting like
a wildcat! Several of them held his
mouth open and one was just going
to pour the whiskey into it, when this
same big Irishman sprang from his
chair, and, seizing them one after an
other, flung them across the room as
if they had been five pound bags of
salt. When he came to little Ather-
ton at the bottom of the pile he pick