The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-06-17

man stood close to the door, The
scholhouse was close to the road. II
had been raining and was quite muddy
Just as the teacher was taking down
the whip, the young man opened the
door and started down the road as fast
as he could run. The teacher went
right out after him and away they
went down the road both in their bare
heads, making the mud fly. The young
man finding that the teacher was 60
Ing to overtake him jumped over a
high fence into the field, and continued
to run. II took the teacher little
longer to get over the fence and this
gave him the start again. When they
got to little run that ran through
the field, It was bank full, and the
young man prepared as he ran to
jump over. The teacher tried to get
him before he got over and was not
prepared to jump and had to go back
a few steps to get force enough to
get over. The young man got the start
again and got over another high fence
into Mr.. Gates orchard before tho
teacher could get him. That teacher
has been dead q number OF years, bu:
the young man that made the fastest
race Of his life that day is still living
is an old respectable gentleman, is
resident Of Mt. Vernon. and is here
today with us. He has been laughing
while I have been telling this. Tho
story is not new to him.
n My friends, we have seen many Won
derful things come to pass since we
were children together more tasn
seventy years ago. Two generations
of people have come and gone off the
face of the earth since then, and what
q change has come to this countrr
since then. We read In children's
story books Of fairies that would
change rude huts into beautiful places
and savage animals into beautifn
birds, and rough and unseemly coun.
tries into beautiful cities and towns.
If some fairy or magician with mystic
power would come now and transform
the. country where we lived when We
were children into the same condition
that is was then and we could go this
afternoon and see the old River sch Dol.
house in Miller township and the olc
log cabin schoolhOuse In Milford Just
as they were then, how quickly We
would be on our way to see them.
Let us consider that this transform.
alton has taken place and that we can
60 this afternoon and see everything
just as It was then. VIII we go in
autos? Oh, no. We would fright
en- the people along the road out Of
their senses. They would think we
had been sent here from some other
world on some mysterious errand.
But We will get conveyances and start
as soon as possible. We will go south
on the Granville road five miles.
What old familiar sights we are see
ing as We pass along. In one field
we see three or four men moving
grass In a meadow with scythes and
boys spreading It out to dry and men
raking 1t into win.rOws with old fash.
iOned hand rakes. In another field, we
see five or six men reaping wheat
with sickles and throwing It down In
piles, a handful at time, Here now
we are passing by barn, the door is
open, what are the two men pound.
Ing on that pile Of straw for? Oh.
that Is nothing new to US, we have
seen that often. They are threshing
wheat with falls. We are now to the
end of our five miles going south.
We must turn and go west q mile and
half. Then we turn again and go
half mile south again. We now
stop In front of little low log house.
It Is the River dwelling and We are
opposite the old River schoolhouse.
viii we open the gate and drive to
the schoolhouse? No, there is no gate.
We had never seen gate at that
time. A rail fence Is all there Is In
front OF the house. We must leave
our rigs and walk across the field.
We are now almost there. What a
stiffness comes to us as we stand by
the door. We feel as though we are
on sacred ground. Men and women
have crossed the ocean and Travelled
thousands OF miles and spent thous
ands of dollars to view the Pyramids
of Egypt, the Colosseum at Rome
the Alhambra at Granada, and the
Chinese Wall. but we are now to view
a scene that to us Is grander than
anything Of which the old world car
boast. We now open the door and &c
In. We have to cover our faces tt
hide the tears that are forced to oul