The Monroe journal., 1922-12-29
EDUCATED HIMSELF ON
SIN DOLLARS a MONTH
The Story of ID. VI. Sharp. A Trinity
College Senior. Rivals That
Abe Lincoln
By Henry Belk

Here IS a story that belongs in the
catalogue alongside that one about
Abe Lincoln and his pine knot illum-
nation system. Ii is a story built
Os the same sort of material The
hero is d. NJ. Sharp. aged S5, and a
member Of the senior class at Trim
ity college. Durham, y. c. His is the
story OF young man who dreamed
dreams. who realized that faith with
out work IS dead. With little more
han the dreams as a foundation on
Nh ch TO build. Sharp finished high
ShOOl when tx was 22. waited eleven
years and entered Trinity and now
'nds himself planning on going 10
TALE.
Sharp woke Up one morning in his
wentieth year Of existence with the
knowledge that he had been called to
preach the gospel.
But il would not be fair for me
.l go out and begin telling people
BOW to live when | didn't know what
was talking about. | must get an
oGucation." Sharp told himself.
He was then living in Ashboro. 50
he sought cut the president % the
AShboro Chair Company and laid his
case before him.
Well" said the president. IF
ycu have such ideas as that in your
head, | suppose | will have to help
YOU" He did. Sharp was given
job in the finishing department OF
the factory for one hour each after
noon, five afternoons a week. On Sat
urdays he worked 10 hours. Paid at
the rate of ten cents an hour, he
rev Sl50 at the end of each wek-.
6 a month.
How to live On So month was
Re question that had to be settled.
Sharp did il. For 81 month he
rented a room which contained a bed
chair and a table, but no bed
clothes for the bed. This left S. a
mon.h for food. clothes and spending
money-and the Young man who felt
called to preach and knew that he
nuSr have an education if he would
properly lead his flock, did it.
For the entire school year he
studied and cooked. and slept in the
bare little room, A small skillet was
about the extent of his cooking
utensils and bread and beans was
he principal dish on the menu card.
The school year out, Sharp tried
hand at selling soap, toilet ar
,icies, and books. The people liked
Ge straightforward earnestnesS of
the young fellow, and when he went
Jack to Ashboro the next year he
as a little better off for his school
ing, But the old room and So
month job was resumed again.
At % he graduated from the
AShboro high school. Just at that
me he could not see his way clear
o go to college, so he took job as
Mail carrier, and in few years was
larried. But the old conviction that
should preach would not die and
after ten years, Sharp set about get
ting his house IN order to enter Trim
ity college. He made fruit tree
deal that gave him little money to
start on.
The fall of 1920 found his family
moved to Durham. and Sharp enter
ing upon his freshman year at Trim
V at the age of 33. But it has not
been as hard for him here as it was
at Ashboro. During the time he has
been here he has supported himself
and family. built himself a home
"to keep from paying rent" as he
expresses it-and driven his own au-
tomoble,
How did you do it? ?" asked one
of the other fellows at Trinity who
unds it hard serambling to keep him
Elf at Trinity on his own hook.
Work. replied Sharp, as he
slipped in the clutch and drove off
v.,h a wave of the hand.