The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-30

first girl he met, stopped. in Topeka,
liked it, and has been here ever since
"Aint never went to school," admits
| George, cheerily, but you CANT fool
me-"
This is true; ask anyone; ask the
| children, who can tell pretty accurate
/ ly about such a thing as that
They play all sorts of pranks on
| him-hide his bell, cut his rope, fill
| his keyholes with corn-and each
time he spots the unlucky offender.
"Once," chuckled George, some
| boys hid their books, said they lost
EN-, and somebody done stole 'em
away. I found those books under a
| bridge and when I brung 'em back
| those boys weren't one little bit glad
to see me comm"
Sharpens 800 Pencils a Day.
George sharpens 500 pencils a day
long pencils, short pencils, old pen
ellis, new pencils; and a group of
| sympathetic children watch the pro-
ceedings and wrap up his finger when
the old black knife cuts down too
deep.
He sharpened pencils for their big
brothers, their uncles and their aunts.
Many of their mothers sobbed out
their troubles to him in the dusty
furnace room, which is the rendezvous
of the children today.
The janitor wears a police button,
as he says ito keep the boys down"
'Lemme wear your button, George"
they entreat. and are not in awe of
it at all.
"Only used that button once" he
says, reminiscently, land that was
when a boy rode up my tree. ar
rested him, took him around the cor
ner and let him loose. I wouldn't
hurt one of EN-" he always concludes,
for anything"
George is as popular with the teach
ers as he is with the scholars. He
admires them all immensely and an
nually gives them what he benevo-
lently terms a treat"
Last fall he trotted to every one
of them .and delivered the following
message:
''Iistah whittemore want you in
the manual trai hing room tomorrow
aftahnoon "a 1 o'clock"
Treated the Teachers to Ice Cream.
Every teacher was there. but Mistah
Whittemore was not. Instead they
found George and a huge can of ice
cream, which he served with chuckles
and hospitality.
During his thirty years of service
he has had trouble with only one
principal, who departed many terms
ago. George thinks of it without NAL
ice, but cannot forget it.
He scrubs the halls every Saturday,
but omitted his weekly cleaning one
morning when the furnace was low
and the thermometer lower.
IT want the halls scrubbed said
the principal, coldly.
mo, ma'am,' returned George with
warmth, IF I pour water on those
floors they's goin' be one sheet of ice
by tomorrow mornin'."
Scrub or leave,'' said the eyes of
the principal, and she left the build
ing.
George hobbIed down to the office
OF the superintendent of schools. Bet
tab come up to Polk, Monday morn
ing" said he, "the school amt gwine
to hold us BOTH"
D. c. Tillotson heard the complaints
of the principal after the opening of
school.
What you think he said?" queried
George, awesomely, she told that lady
mine.''
George occasionally tells the children
he's too old to work, and intends to
leave.
Threatened to Go Away.
I'm gwine away" says he, 'ain't
nobody here likes me nohow. I'm goin'
to quit
The children's groans surpass the
walls of the Jews at Jerusalem.
ooh. George, I like you
George, don't go away
Everybody, in this whole school
loves you
George, you amt tellin' the truth?'
George means a tot in a round
red cap, you mustn't go away; you're
just like my papa
But George isn't going away; he's
too fond of the 266 children. Moreover,
the school appreciates him. He's Miss
Gentry's right hand man. He received
81 a month when he went there and is
now getting almost double seven times
as much.
He received at least $50 invitations
to the Thanksgiving exhibition given
this week; he always accepts with
pleasure, and sometimes supplies col
ored quartette, which becomes the most
popular number on the program.
Pm always glad when school opens
in the fall" says George, contentedly,
Il dunno what to do without my chill
dren. 1 like 'em all: they like me.
I'm goin' stay with 'em as long as
they let me- A L. H
LINCOLN'S REPLY TO POOR JOKE.