Oh, that class of nabobs! How thoroughly Gadsby _did_ know its
parsimony!! And how thoroughly did this hard-planning man know just
what a constant onslaught by Youth could do. So, in about a month, his
"Organization" had "waylaid," so to say, practically half of Branton
Hills' cash kings; and had so won out, through that commonly known
"pull" upon an adult by a child asking for what plainly is worthy,
that his mail brought not only cash, but two rich landlords put at his
disposal, tracts of land "for any form of occupancy which can, in any
way, aid our town." This land Gadsby's Organization promptly put into
growing farm products for gratis distribution to Branton Hills' poor;
and that burning craving of Youth for activity soon had it sprouting
corn, squash, potato, onion and asparagus crops; and, to "doll it up a
bit," put in a patch of blossoming plants.
Naturally any man is happy at a satisfactory culmination of his plans
and so, as Gadsby found that public philanthropy was but an affair
of plain, ordinary approach, it did not call for much brain work to
find that, possibly also, a way might turn up for putting handicraft
instruction in Branton Hills' schools; for schooling, according to
him, did not consist only of books and black-boards. Hands also should
know how to construct various practical things in woodwork, plumbing,
blacksmithing, masonry, and so forth; with thorough instruction
in sanitation, and that most important of all youthful activity,
gymnastics. For girls such a school could instruct in cooking, suit
making, hat making, fancy work, art and loom-work; in fact, about any
handicraft that a girl might wish to study, and which is not in our
standard school curriculum. But as Gadsby thought of such a school,
no way for backing it financially was in sight. Town funds naturally,
should carry it along; but town funds and Town Councils do not always
form what you might call synonymous words. So it was compulsory that
cash should actually "drop into his lap," via a continuation of
solicitations by his now grandly functioning Organization of Youth.
So, out again trod that bunch of bright, happy kids, putting forth
such plain, straightforward facts as to what Manual Training would
do for Branton Hills, that many saw it in that light. But you will
always find a group, or individual complaining that such things would
"automatically dawn" on boys and girls without any training. Old Bill
Simpkins was loud in his antagonism to what was a "crazy plan to dip
into our town funds just to allow boys to saw up good wood, and girls
to burn up good flour, trying to cook biscuits." Kids, according to
him, should go to work in Branton Hills' shopping district, and profit
by it.
"Bah! Why not start a class to show goldfish how to waltz! _I_ didn't
go to any such school; and what am I now? _A Councilman!_ I can't saw a
board straight, nor fry a potato chip; but I can show you folks how to
hang onto your town funds."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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