The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09

 speech delivered Friday night at the H. literary session at the Jefferson theatre by G. W. Johnson of Vandiver. MT. John- son in his plain, straightforward way told how he had just learned to read and write at the age of 57 years.
 His speech, taken stenographically, should be an inspiration to everyone and should prove an Invaluable document in Alabama's campaign against illiteracy. Here is his speech just as he delivered it:
 Ladies and Gentlemen: I am slow to think and very awkward spoken, am an uneducated man. raised up in the woods right after the civil war, three families lived In five miles of us and I was raised up almost wild, growed up and married quite young raised Il children, but I had ambition enough to give them an educa- ton, and the way I managed to give them an education, if there wasn't public schools, hustled around and gave part of my earnings to a teacher to teach them. n+
 TO TEACH OLD FOLKS
 "It rocked on until I was 57 years old, and last summer our county superinten- dent came to my home, when I come in out of the plantation, my wife told me that MT. Williamson had been there and he wanted to teach moonlight school. We'll, said what does that mean? She says he wants to teach the old folks. I says I wonder now who got up any, thing like that? Well, I says to, her, hesirated little bit, and I says I am going. I says to her when is he going to begin this thing? She told me what day. Nearer the time come the more |. studied about it and the anxiouser was to see the time come. That morn ing I heard MT. Williamson was in the settlement ready to commence the work. does up my little mornings work. the hour had arrived, walked into the house and l says to my wife, what will have to carry: She give me little first reader and little copy book and a pencil. Well, I says, is this all? She says that is enough for you. started out, and as started out thought this, we'll, all this 57 years is past and I have raised Il chill dren and the baby boy now in the fifth grade, and here am I can't write my name. and I went on to the school house
 This was as dark to me as midnight and nc moon and me blndfolded. I went On to the schoolhouse, MT. Williamson got thillas regulated. I told him to write my name. He wrote my name, I begun to make inarKs around. I improved, and in about an hours time I could write my name by heart.
 had learned to write my name, and commenced on the alphabet then and soon learned that and then one day MT. Williamson put down F twice and he says twice two is four. twice one is two and that made 2i. We'll I caught that and l put down then 26 with it. knowed that made 5I. and wren went to add up had 1e and called him to me and said what must do with this. Why he said put down one, put down an ought and carry one and twice two made five and that made 50, and I learnt from that how to add. added up my cotton crop perfectly, then the greatest week of en- joyment that I ever had was going to that school.
 IN LOVE WITH HIM
 'T thought well of MT. Williamson al- ways, but he teached us so good and kind that I just naturally fell in love with him and at the close of the school, in few days MT. Hobdy come along and he taken by picture and I was in the fod- der field pulling fodder. He told lets go to the house and take my picture up there and I did so. I tried Him to let us put on better clothing, but he insisted oh that will do he was in a hurry and young man accompanied him from my house over the mountain to Dunivan and when the young man came back, he told me that MT. Hobdy said for me to write him a letter. We'll got my book, my pencil, I went out under a shade tree, where nothing would bother me and I carried my capital alphabet with me. knew that had to start every letter with a capital letter and I was deter mined to write 1t myself, as I was as hon. the Bible. We'll I sat down and wrote him a letter and I looked over 1t and thought maybe because knew what it was nobody else didn't know what 1t was. I carried 1t to young man, Il says to him do you know what this thing is? says can you read this? He looked at it and he says yes sir. He says that is pretty we'll done. He read it. now I says you put this in the envelop and seal it up for me. and you back this to Mr. Hobdy at Montgomery and he did so. MT. Hobdy answered it and you don't know now how proud I was.
 1T have been superintendent of the Sunday school. Baptist Sunday school, Vandiver. Ala, and had to memorize my opening exercises by heart.
 MONEY COULDN'T BUY TT
 ''No. money couldn't buy from me what I have already learned. what a great pleasure 1t is to me-. I would be proud have learnt this. if just knowed ARa tg lAs months even to live. trust