1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



967 



the wako of most other boys— indeed, he 

 was even called peculiar. In spite of dif- 

 licidties and in spite of discouragements, 

 he electrijied his audiences, who sometimes 

 complimented him, and at other times were 

 disposed to make fun when his experiments 

 did not turn out just as he told them they 

 would. About this time he engaged the 

 services of one Samuel Hates, who acted 

 as an assistant, door-tender, etc. In one 

 of their journeys from one town to another 

 it became necessary for them, as they 

 thought, to ford a stream. Young Root de- 

 clared that the water was too deep, and in- 

 sisted upon miloading the apparatus from 

 the wagon, which he did. Bates declared 

 that it was perfectly safe, and accordingly 

 the two, with the hoise, began to ford the 



cuniarily, it gave him an insight into hu- 

 man nature which doubtless has been of 

 great value to him in his subsequent life. 

 Nor was this the only course in the study of 

 human nature in his early experience. It so 

 happened that there was a country school 

 (one of the pioneer style), which no teacher 

 liad been able to teach through a whole 

 term. The big boys had boasted that they 

 could '' lick and put out any teacher '' the 

 directors might send, and heretofore they 

 were successful in carrying out the fullest 

 intent of their boasts. The last teacher, a 

 college graduate, after being forcibly ejected 

 from the building, cried because the boys 

 wouldn't let him in again. When a young 

 man of slight tigure in the person of A. I. 

 Root, applied for this school, the directors 



AMOS IVES ROOT. 



stream. They very soon got beyond their 

 depth, and the horse, impeded by the wag- 

 on, sank ; and Bates, not being able to swim, 

 went down likewise. Amos, who had ac- 

 quired the art, swam for the shore till he 

 could swim no longer. With presence of 

 mind he sank down and crawled toward tbe 

 bank imtil out of the water. Having lirst 

 emptied the water from his lungs he called 

 for help, and then pushed a rail out to a 

 point where the receding ripple showed his 

 friend had just gone down, never to return 

 alive. This was not the first instance in 

 which Mr. Hoot saved his life by swimming. 

 The second time was from the waters of the 

 Ohio River. 



While these tours among the people in the 

 interest of science did^not enrich hini pe- 



accepted him. I can assign no reason for 

 such acceptance, in the light of former ex- 

 perience, unless it was the wiry appearance 

 and the determined face of the new appli- 

 cant. Every thing went well for a time in 

 the school ; but finally one or more of the 

 big boys contrived to "create a disturViance. 

 The result was. the new teacher was over- 

 powered by one of the brute forces. The 

 latter called out, "• Come on, boys, lefs put 

 him out.'" ,\. I. Root has a terrible temper 

 when aroused. Now fuiious, with an al- 

 most superhuman effort he flung his burly 

 opponent over, and, before he could recover 

 himself, placed his foot upon his throat and 

 deman<led of him to lie still or suffer the 

 consequences. Young Root then asked the 

 other boys if tliey were ready to obey. Or- 



