The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-09-25

There were some of the Bowmanville
KrNV1-I people who wouldn't have it that
lHASEES(I Billy entirely witless, and 1t
- was in the expression of this belief
these people showed that they were to be classed
with the wiser ones.
Wise Billy had been hit on the head when he
was nothing more than toddler and 1t was the
blow that set his mind cropping for things that 1t
could never fully grasp. Bowmanville while 1t
is q part of a great city, has green fields and
great forests yet untouched by the ak of natures
tyrsnt Billy roamed the fields and threaded the
forests Like Little Hiawatha he learned of the
birds and the squirrels their secrets. They were
paymates that never made sport of his mental
shortcomings He loved them and they loved
him. The streams beyond the little stream which
farther on in Its course becomes the Chicago
river we're the haunts of bobolinks. 1t was
there that the Italian bird catchers hired by the
big city dealers were in the habit Of setting their
traps to catch rollicking Robert of Lincoln that
he might be cooped up in by cage to pine
away a few brief summer months for the sup
posed pleasure of someone whose ideas Of liberty
did not include bird and beast.
One afternoon the Italians set their traps all
the meadow with captive bird in the lower
compartment. The men went to a hedge by the
roadside to watch results They boy start
keen jump across the meadow. His feet
we're winged. Before the trappers could realize
what up the lower door of the first trap in
line was open, bobolink was freed and the trap
itself was a crushed mass OF wire and sticks.
They tried, but they could not catch this grey
hound of lad. He liberated twelve birds and
smashed twelve traps, and then shot into the
Budlong woods. 1t was Wise Billy who had done
this turn for his bobolink friends.
Wise Billys father and mother sent him to
school, The teachers did not want to receive
him, but he quiet and he showed shortly
that impression could be made upon his disor.
dered mind. He knew about the pictures
than he did about the words but in the course
of a year two he wrote sentences dsjointedy.
1t was poetry that Wise Billy loved, especially
the poetry in which the words sang of birds and
trees and f1owe.E. 1t was an inspiration to hear
Billy repeat BTyant's "Bobolink" and the Lines
to Waterfowl" There a place in his heart
seemed to speak to some little sound section OF
his muddled m nd.
Wise Billy reported at the school one morning
that he was going to be poet. He stood at his
desk and made the announcement out loud The
pupils laughed and laughed The teacher tried
to look kindly, but there was bit of merrment
in her face ''I' bring some verses and show
you,' cried Billy He was keenly alive to ridi-
cule witless though he was.
Wise Billy had found friend He was a man
who tramped the field with round box in which
he put leaves and flowers and with an opera
glass through which he stared at birds. Billy
had come across the stranger near the rivers
edge just west of the Budong wood The man
was picking marsh marigolds Billy told him
he would show him where there were some pret.
tier ones if the man would promise not to pick
them. The stranger seemed struck by this ap-
peal from the boy with hating tongue and vacant