CHAPTER X
Leading the Town to Athletics
"Mr. Morton, we want a little word with you."
"All right---anything to please you," laughed the submaster, lookingat Dick and Dave as they came up to him in the yard at recess.
"We've been thinking over a plan," Dick continued.
"It has something to do with athletics, then!" guessed the submaster.
"Yes, sir," nodded Dave.
"High School athletics, at that," continued Mr. Morton.
"There you're wrong, sir, for once," smiled Prescott. "Mr. Morton,we've been thinking of the High School gym. It's a big place.Pretty nearly three hundred gymnasts could be drilled there atonce."
"Yes; I know."
"There's a fine lot of apparatus there," went on Dick. "It costthousands and thousands of dollars to put that gym. in shape."
"And it's worth every dollar of the cost," contended Mr. Mortonfirmly.
"Mr. Morton," challenged Dick, "who paid for it?"
"The city government," replied the submaster.
"Where did the city government get the money?"
"From the citizens, of course."
"Now, Mr. Morton," went on Prescott, "how many of the citizensget any direct benefit out of that gym.? Only about a quarterof a thousand of High School students! Couldn't the city's moneybe spent so that a far greater number would have the use of andbenefit from the city's big investment!"
"Why," replied the submaster, looking puzzled, "the youngstersin the lower schools have their needs provided for, in some way,in their own school buildings."
"True," agreed Dick. "But what of the small army of clerks andfactory employees of Gridley? Aren't they citizens, even if theyhaven't the time to attend High School? Haven't our smaller businessfry a right to the health and good spirits that come out of gymnasticand athletic work? Haven't our typewriters, our salesgirls andfactory girls a right to some of the good things from the gym.?Aren't they all citizens, and isn't the gym. their property asmuch as it's anyone else's!"
"Excellent," nodded Mr. Morton. "But how do you propose to getthem interested in the use of their property, even if the Boardof Education will permit it?"
"The willingness of the Board of Education can be dropped outof sight," argued Dick. "The Board is the servant of the people,and must do what the people want. What Dave and I want to seeis to have the High School gym. turned over to the young workingpeople of the city in the evening time. Say, two evenings a weekfor young men and two evenings for the young women. We believeit will result in big gains for Gridley. When you put new lifeand brighter blood into the toilers, it increases the wealth ofthe whole city, doesn't it?"
"I declare, I think it ought to," replied Mr. Morton. "But seehere, how are two boys---or, let us say, two boys and asubmaster---going to bring about any such result as this?"
"By presenting it properly through the leading daily of Gridley,"replied Prescott, with great promptness.
"Have you received any assurance that Mr. Pollock, of 'The Blade,'will be for this big scheme of yours?" asked Mr. Morton.
"When we've explained it all, I don't see how he can help beingfor it," rejoined Prescott. "If 'The Blade' takes hold and boomsthis idea, day in and day out, it won't be very long before eveninggym. classes will be filled to overflowing. And the Board ofEducation would have to give way before the pressure."
Then Dave took hold of the subject for a while, talking with greatearnestness. Mr. Morton listened with increasing interest.
"I think, boys, that you've hit upon an idea that will be of greatservice to our city," remarked the submaster. "Yet what put allthis into your heads!"
"Why, sir, it's our last year at the High School," replied Dick,smiling though speaking with great earnestness. "After four yearsof the fine training we've had here, Dave and I feel that it'sour place to do something to leave our mark behind. We've beentalking it all over, and we've hit upon this idea. Will you standby us in it?"
"Why, yes; all that I can, you may be sure. But just what doyou boys expect me to be able to do!"
"Why, help us form the plans and back us up in them. You arereally the leader in school athletics in this town, Mr. Morton,"explained Prescott. "I can quote you in 'The Blade' as to thebenefits that would result in giving gym. training to workerswho can't attend High School. And, in the spring, after a winterin the gym., young men and women could form outdoor squads forrunning and other outside training. Altogether, sir, we thinkwe might make Gridley famous as a place where all who possessany real energy go in to keep it up through public athletics.And such classes of young men and women could have the use ofour athletics field."
By the time that recess was over the submaster certainly had enoughthoughts to keep him busy.
That afternoon Dick and Dave took Mr. Morton around to "The Blade"office. Right at the outset Mr. Pollock jumped at the idea.
"Prescott," he cried, "you've sprung a big idea. 'The Blade'will feature this idea for days to come. You may have a column,or a column and a half every day, and 'The Blade' will also backit up on the editorial page. Now, go ahead and get your stuffin shape. Above all, have interviews with prominent men, especiallyemployers, setting forth the benefit that ought to come to theyoung people and to the city at large. Take as your keynote theidea that the city's duty is just as great to provide physicaleducation as it is to supply learning out of textbooks. You'llknow how to go ahead on that line, Prescott."
By the next day Gridley had something new to talk about. By thetime three days had passed the matter was being discussed withgreat seriousness.
Employers saw, and said that the time young men spent in a gym.would not be spent in billiard rooms or other resorts of a harmfulor useless character. Young women who went to the gym. wouldbe home and in bed early, instead of staying up most of the nightat a dance. All who entered the gym. classes would begin to thinkabout their bodily condition and plan to improve it. Improvedbodies meant a better grade of work and increased pay.
Dick wrote splendidly on the subject. "The Blade," editorially,gave Dick & Co. full credit for springing the idea. The Boardof Education, at its next meeting, authorized the superintendentof schools to throw the High School gym., open evenings for thepurpose indicated. It also voted Mr. Morton an increase of payon condition that he take charge of the evening gym. classes foryoung men. One of the women teachers was granted a like increasefor assuming charge of the evening gym. classes for young women.
Dick Prescott, on behalf of the High School boys, guaranteed thatthe most skilled in athletics among the High School boys wouldbe on hand to aid in training the young men, and in getting upsports and games for the gym. in winter, and for the athleticfield in the spring.
As soon as the classes were opened they were crowded to theirutmost capacity. All of the younger portion of Gridley seemedsuddenly anxious to go in for athletics.
"Prescott and his well-known comrades of the High School appearto be leading in the very vanguard of athletics this year," stated"The Blade" editorially.
Dick and his friends could not, however, give as much aid to thenew scheme now as they intended to do later. They were in themiddle of the football season, and that had to be carried throughfirst of all.
Yet it was a big evening for Dick, Dave and their chums when theHigh School gym. was thrown open for the forming of the gymnasticclass for young men.
Almost three hundred presented themselves for enrollment. Scoresof the leading citizens were also on hand to see how the new planwould take. Among these latter was Herr Schimmelpodt, the retiredcontractor, who was always such an enthusiastic booster for HighSchool athletics.
"I tell you, Bresgott, it vos a fine idea of yours," cried thebig German, as he stood in a corner, looking on, while Dick talkedwith him. "This vill keep young folks out of drouble, and putdem in health. It vill put Gridley to being twice as good a town,alretty."
"Hullo, Mr. Schimmelpodt," called a youn
g clerk, passing in trunksand gym. shoes. "Don't you get into a squad to-night? This woulddo you a lot of good."
"Maype, if I go in for dis sort of thing, I crowd out some youngmans who needs it as much as you do," retorted the German, blinking.
"But don't you think you need it, also" laughed the clerk?
"Now, led me see," pondered the German. "Young man, you thinkyou gan run?"
"I know I can," laughed the clerk, leaping lightly up and downon his soft gym. shoes.
"I yonder if you could reach dot door ofer dere so soon alrettyas I gan?" queried Herr Schimmelpodt.
"Will you run me a race?" grinned the clerk.
"Vell, you start, und ve see apout it."
Tantalizingly, the clerk started. Then he glanced back over hisshoulder. There was a great noise on the floor of the gym. HerrSclhimmelpodt had started. He was so big that he made a gooddeal of noise when he traveled. But he was going like a streak,and the clerk began to sprint in earnest.
It was all in vain, however. With a few great bounds Herr Schimmelpodtwas close enough to reach out one of his big arms and lay holdof the fleeing clerk. That clerk stopped suddenly, with a jolt.
"Vy don't you go on running, ain't it?" demanded Herr Schimmelpodt.
A crowd formed about them.
The reason why the clerk didn't continue his running was a verygood one. One of the German's big hands encircled the clerk'sthin arm like a bracelet of steel. The clerk struggled, but hemight as well have tried to break out of irons.
"You vant me to bractise running, so dot I gan catch you, eh?"grunted the German. "You vant me to eat breakfast sawdust fora dyspepsia vot I ain't got, huh? You vant me to dake breathingeggsercises ven I can dake more air into my lungs, alretty, danyour whole body gan disblace? You vant me to do monkey-tricksmit a dumb-pell, yen I gan do things like dis?"
Suiting the action to the word, Herr Schimmelpodt grasped theclerk by one shoulder and one thigh. Up over his head the Germanraised the unhappy young man. Herr Schimmelpodt's arms fell androse as he "exercised" with the young man for a wand.
Everything in the gym. had stopped. All eyes were on this novelperformance. Roars of laughter greeted some new stunts that HerrSchimmelpodt performed with his human wand. The great Germanwas the only one who seemed unconscious of the hurricane of laughterthat he was causing.
At last the German put his victim back on the floor.
"Yah, young mans, I am much oblige dot you show me how I needeggsercise. I feel much better alretty."
Red-faced, the clerk fled to the other side of the room, followedby the laughter of the other gymnasts.
Yet Herr Schimmelpodt's good-natured performance had great value.It taught many of the young men present how far this generationhas fallen behind in matters of personal strength. Mr. Mortonhad easier sailing after that.