1904 



GLEANINGS IN REE CULTURE. 



857 



Jim looked a little astonished, especially 

 when the owner of the establishment replied, 

 "Why, I just broup:ht a jugful;" then friend 

 Lowe looked at me in a kind of comical way 

 and said, "Well, Jim, I don't care very 

 much whether you get the water or do some- 

 thing else, only so you get away off a little 

 while. " At this I suggested our two friends 

 would get at the ignition troubles with much 

 more comfort if all those who were smoking 

 would go for water or sor)iethrng else. By 

 the way, boys, did you ever think that the 

 one who is carrying his burdens to the Lord 

 Jesus Christ not only never swears, but, as 

 a rule, he never uses tobacco in any form? 



Now for the trouble that puzzled me for 

 a good part of two days. One of the boys 

 started the engine, and the other, the young- 

 er one, began listening so intently to every 

 portion of it that I really thought his red 

 hair would become tangled up in the machin- 

 ery. At first they thought the trouble was 

 with the induction-coil. I told them I exam- 

 ined that very thoroughly, and I did not 

 think it possible. Then they tried other 

 places. I confess I could not help being a 

 little pleased to think tliey too were bothered 

 for at least a little while. Finally the older 

 one pushed a long screwdriver down into the 

 center of the machine, and, presto! all at 

 once the explosions commenced, sharp, clear, 

 and perfect — no misses; it was just the reg- 

 ular pop, pop, pop." I wish I could show 

 the grimace on Charley's face as he raised 

 his hand and looked at me with a serio-comic 

 air. Some people pay out their dollars to go 

 to the theater and see the prima donnas pose 

 while the audience cheers and encores. Now, 

 that is well enough, perhaps, if you choose; 

 but give me the boy mechanic who has solved 

 a problem, especially one in the line of elec- 

 trical and chemical engineering, and you can 

 have all the rest. Our text tells us the meek 

 shall inherit the earth; and this nation of 

 ours shall be saved and handed down to pos- 

 terity by just such men as those two boys 

 are going to make — the boys who were 

 reared on the farm, and take to mechanical 

 engineering because they love machinery — 

 the boys who have the grit to study out and 

 conquer this world's problems — the boys who 

 were saved from tobacco, profanity, gam- 

 bling, and all these other things by their trust 

 in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am sorry it is 



* The whole trouble was because the steel spring: on 

 the commutator, sometimes called the " brush," had be- 

 come too weak, or perhaps worn, so it did not press 

 with sufficient force on the cam as it comes around at 

 every revolution of the shaft. This steel spring- was 

 easily removed with a screwdriver, then friend Lowe 

 took my light hammer and gave the spring- just one tap, 

 screwed it back in its place, and the trouble that had 

 puzzled me so many hours was over. I felt vexed at 

 myself to think that, in all my researches, I had never 

 thought of this spring. In fact, I remembered that 

 Ernest had had one just such trouble before. Here is a 

 great lesson for us. A single tap, with a very small 

 hammer, when rightly directed, gave the machine life 

 and abundance of power ; but it wanted brains to " run 

 down " the mischief, as Charley expressed it, and see 

 just where this tap of the hammer was needed. And 

 this whole world is constantly wanting brains and intel- 

 lect to direct not only the muscles of human beings, but 

 the thousands of horse power that our engines and 

 power-houses are furnishing. 



my duty, to be absolutely truthful, to add 

 that Charley, the younger son, is not yet a 

 follower of the Lamb of God that taketh 

 away the sin of the world. He commenced 

 once to swear just a little when something 

 went wrong; but when I expressed astonish- 

 ment and pain, he promised not to do so any 

 more. The machine was all ready to run. 

 It was pushed out of the door, and I told the 

 older one to run it around town so as be sure 

 the adjustments were all right. He called 

 Charley to bring him his hat, and then Char- 

 ley clapped his own old straw hat on his 

 brother's head just as the latter was pulling 

 the starting-lever. This was done in boyish 

 playfulness, for it would be quite a joke to 

 see his brother sailing round town with all 

 the inhabitants watching, for the machine 

 was a new thing in that little town. At 

 first the elder brother hardly noticed the hat; 

 but when he did he stopped the machine ab- 

 ruptly and bade Charley bring him his own 

 hat. And, by the way, the hands of both 

 boys were too much covered with black 

 grease to permit of touching a decent hat or 

 any sort of clothing. Charley, with comic 

 grace, took his brother's good hat between 

 his two wrists, so as not to touch it with his 

 fingers, and gently placed it on his head. 



I paid each of the two boys fifty cents an 

 hour for the time they spent in putting my 

 machine in order; but I rejoiced at the priv- 

 ilege of doing it. It is right and proper 

 to enjoy acknowledging the worth of those 

 who have raised themselves up by their own 

 industry and hard work to the level of skilled 

 artisans or experts— experts who are want- 

 ed everywhere in this age of machinery. 



Before closing I wish to mention how keen- 

 ly I enjoyed my ride through the corn region 

 of Southwestern Ohio. The roads were so 

 fine I often ran well into the night; and as 

 the auto reeled off mile after mile, v/ith the 

 cornfields on either side, lighted only by my 

 lamps, so near the track, and with stalks so 

 tall they almost seemed to meet overhead, 

 it made me think of the Arabian Nights en- 

 chantments. In riding after dark, even on 

 level ground, I can hardly resist the feeling 

 we are going down hill; for hoiv else could 

 this new creation plunge ahead so unceas- 

 ingly, without a horse to pull it? 



Temperance. 



OHIO CITIES OF 10,000 PEOPLE, AND NOT AN 

 OPEN SALOON. 



I have elsewhere mentioned Xenia, Ohio, 

 a town of about 10,000 inhabitants, that 

 voted dry over two years ago. The wets, 

 however, have been boasting that the dam- 

 age to business was so great, etc., that 

 Xenia would go wet the next chance, which 

 occurred only a few weeks ago. Their great 

 argument was, the "speakeasies" did just 

 about as much business, while the city got 

 no " revenue," etc., and many business men 

 were humbugged by such arguments— loss of 

 revenue. Just before election, however, 



