The story of StreatorBeing an account of the growth of its institutions civic, social and industrial, with special reference to its manufacturing and business interests; together with an outline of its early history and life sketches of some of its leading citizens . as was the cus-tom in those days, had to go down into the coalmiius at nine years of age. Every morning atfive he had to descend into the pit, and therewere many winters that the poor lad never sawthe sun shine except on Sundays. But the boyhad a thirst for knowledge, and Scotland then 148 THE STORY OF STREATOR. as now, foremost i
The story of StreatorBeing an account of the growth of its institutions civic, social and industrial, with special reference to its manufacturing and business interests; together with an outline of its early history and life sketches of some of its leading citizens . as was the cus-tom in those days, had to go down into the coalmiius at nine years of age. Every morning atfive he had to descend into the pit, and therewere many winters that the poor lad never sawthe sun shine except on Sundays. But the boyhad a thirst for knowledge, and Scotland then 148 THE STORY OF STREATOR. as now, foremost in love of education, furnishedthe pit-boy an opportunity. For seven years hewent to night school, grounded himself in thefundamentals of an education, and finally quali-fied himself as an engineer. In 1882 the lure of the new world touchedthe youth, and he sailed from Glasgow for theland of dreams with only a steamship ticket andten dollars in his pocket. He came direct toStreator, arriving here with only one penny inhis ]iocket. This penny he still prizes, and once-paid $ for its recovery after its loss in theHeeiuin fire. On airiving here, finding no worlc at histrade, he found employment as a section handon tlie railroad at $ per day. Later lie got. B. T. Keating. worlc in the Coal Run mines as mule .Iriver,which he accepted confidently, though Aviien liewent to harness his mule it was t!ie first time liehad put strap to horse or mnle. Of coursehe succeeded, as such assurance aud energymust, and he became successively mule boss,then engineer, and still later superiutendent ofthe mine. In the latter capacity Mr. Keatingwas the first to hoist coal out of the lower veinin 8treator. During his strenuous years in the mines hepassed through many vicissitudes and dangersfrom mine floods and gas explosions. Still onthe_ sunny side of sixty, in the ripe maturity ofa vigorous manhood, he looks back on his hard-ships with a smile; and if he has any pride in any of it, i
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidstoryofstrea, bookyear1912
