His Master's Voice
Knowledge can be gained by discovery or education. Newton discovered gravity by watching an apple fall from a tree, or so it is said. Scientists discover things through experimentation or study of related subjects. Students gain knowledge by consuming information delivered through various media, often assisted by teachers, mentors, etc. Whether the knowledge is new or simply passed on, it forms the basis on which its recipient builds skills useful in further endeavors.
Knowledge is valuable. Beyond the basics needed for humans to interface with their world, such as the use of eating utensils or tieing one’s shoes, the acquisition of mental skills is a life-long process engaged to a greater or lesser degree by all of us. Those who aggressively pursue this task usually benefit from the extra level of wisdom they collect. Those who excel at gaining knowledge tend to become successful in whatever career or avocation they chose.
This is a story of one man's search for knowledge and how he used it for the benefit of mankind. It is a story of a mild-mannered common man who became a hero - a legend in his own time.
Maddox stumbled into Browning's laboratory, a converted horse barn he called his "Happy Place. It was a dark and stormy night and the homeless orphan was looking for something to eat and a dry place to warm up for a few minutes. Browning was in the midst of an experiment that he hoped would prove the intrinsic reliability of his newly developed semi-automatic pistol. At first, Browning was resentful of the interruption to his work but he quickly saw a special glint in the eye of the young one, which he correctly interpreted as "genius in the rough."
John Moses Maddox
Instead of throwing the boy out into the rain-soaked muddy streets, Browning offered a crust of brown bread and some hot soup to the young urchin and allowed him to sit by the fire whilst experimentations continued. After the chill of the night and grueling dampness left his young body, Maddox began to take an interest in the amazing things going on around him. As he timidly began to ask questions, it became clear to Browning that the youngster had a fertile mind and was capable of soaking up knowledge like a sponge. Browning concluded that he had indeed found a possible heir to his intellectual legacy.
As the night wore on, young Maddox became more attentive to the sounds of the tools twisting and turning, scraping metal on metal, and the occasional "Argh!" and "Aw Shit" that emanated from the mouth of the Master. Browning eventually decided that giving the new arrival some menial tasks to perform would keep him busy enough to distract the persistent questions and so assigned young Maddox the duty of sweeping the hearth and adding wood to the fireplace. Neither intended for this to become a permanent arrangement but that's exactly what happened.
Late in the night sleep finally overcame both, who reclined on soft pads accumulated around the workshop discarded from previously delivered packages of parts and supplies. At mid-morning Browning was awakened by a chill in the air and a gnawing void in his stomach. The former occasioned by a weakening of the fire and the latter by the length of time his work had distracted him from a decent meal. Upon opening his eyes, Browning noticed a lump curled up in a corner of the room and remembered the arrival of the street urchin he'd taken in from the cold. After breakfast, he thought, he'd have to decide what to do with the child.
"Come with me to the main house," said Browning "we shall get some breakfast and talk about your future here."
The two walked across a narrow patch of lawn that separated the Browning manor from the Happy Place. Once inside, young Maddox marveled at the furnishings and accessories which he thought of as quite luxurious, although Browning's station in life afforded him not more than a moderately well-to-do lifestyle. He had attained some financial success at firearms design but had not yet been recognized as the foremost intellect in the field that he actually was. The world was full of Luddites at the time and most of his achievements were years away from receiving the acknowledgment they deserved. Nevertheless, Maddox felt as though he'd been dropped into the lap of luxury and was smart enough to make no waves.
A servant presently produced rashers of crispy bacon, mounds of buttermilk biscuits, fluffy cheese omelets, and bowls of grits gently wafting steam as pats of butter melted on the surface. This was more food than Maddox had seen in a month and he didn't hesitate when invited to partake his fill. During their time together at the breakfast table, Browning discovered that Maddox did not know his parents and could not remember the last time he'd been in the care of an adult. He was an orphan that was smart enough to get by without help and street-wise enough to stay away from the evil that lurked about the city. It crossed the child's mind that enough things could be stolen from this place to provide funding for quite a few days but he decided to act on that plan only if he faced eviction. Meantime, he reasoned, the old man seemed to be a kind sort and the surroundings were comfortable; to say the least. Maddox mustered up all the polite conversation he could and generally tried to endear himself to his benefactor - a fortuitous strategy, as we shall see.
Browning decided the keep the boy around to perform menial tasks while evaluating his ability to learn enough to become productive. Although he had worked alone almost exclusively, Browning found enough for the young visitor to do that he actually became useful. The boy applied himself thoroughly to every task he was given but still found time and energy enough to become interested in the things going on around him. Through casual conversations and carefully crafted questions, he eventually acquired enough knowledge to actually become useful for more than sweeping the floor and feeding the fireplace. Maddox, over time, became Robin to Browning's Batman. Once, feeling proud of himself for the amount of information he had soaked up, Maddox suggested a change to a design being developed.
Browning replied to the suggestion, with his most authoritarian accent: "There are some things, my boy, that we will never do."
Through years of study at his mentor's knee, Maddox learned of firearms design and became skilled in the application of proven mechanical principles. Quality of workmanship and complete rejection of taking shortcuts became absolute. He learned that simple solutions are better as long as they really are solutions and not just bandaids to mask the problem. Many of the things that led to the stellar reputation Browning built were implanted in the young street urchin that stumbled into his workshop on that cold and dreary night in the far distant past.
Maddox truly listened to His Master's Voice.
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