New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1862-03-28
NEW OREGON HOWARD COUNTY, IOWA, MARCH 2S, 1862

Il
even to the casting out Of half the schol-
ars. He said l should have my own
way and he pledged his word that
the committee should not interfere in
any way, nor under any circumstan-
ces.
At the appointed time packed up
my wardrobe and school-books and
started for G. When 1 reached the
village l learned that my school was in
q distant part of the town-in rugged
region known ase Ruacboue Hollou
On the following morning Mr.. Brown
took me over in his sleigh. l found
my school-louse upon the edge of
quite settlement, which was located in
a wide valley, with high bleak noun
tains upon all sides. | was taken at
once to the place where l was to board,
and in this latter respect l was fortun
ate.
My hosts name was Elias Bonney.
II Q was a well-to-do farmer--about fortv-
five years of age, firm, intelligent
man, and one Of the selectmen of the
town. He had five children that we're
to attend the school-the oldest being a
girl of nineteen, named Lydia, aud the
youngest a boy of seven.
Mr.. Brown remained to dinner, and
then took his leave and, l was alone
with Mr.. Bonney, I began to inquire
particularly about the school. My host
shook his head with q dubious express
sion.
You know what boys are.' he said !:
Especially if they've had their own way
for a long time. For SIX winters we've
had no school that could be called a
school. There are quite a number of
stout boys, and they generally con-
trive to get the master out at the end
OF the week. But l think they'll find
it hard work to put you out
1 don't know l replied. But l
really shouldn't want them to try it, for
I'm not apt to be very considerate when
acting on the defensive against nero
brute force
Bonney said he should think 'twould
be dangerous for the scholars to make
the attempt. But he added, with
another dubious shake of the head, the
boys are not only stout and hearty, but
You must remember there are a num-
Der Of them. Once get 'em started, and
they don't fear anything, They've had
some pretty stout masters to deal with
But how many are there in the
school, l asked, who are really
bad, who arc ready to 60 ahead in ally
evil pranks p
Bonney pondered a few moments. and
then replied
why, there's only two of them that
are really ugly ; and even they amt
bad neighbors. They're kind and ready
in cases of need, but they seem deter
mined to resist the school-master.'
We kept up the conversation, at in
tervals, until bed time, and when l re-
tired for the night l had made up my
mind as to the nature of the work had
to do. l had learned enough to assure
NE of several important facts. In the
first place, each succeeding teacher had
gone into the school-house with the firm
belief that he had got to fight his way
through. This very feeling had served
to excite this combatiyeness, so that
his first position to the scholars was
an antagonlstic one. The result had
been inevitable. At fighting the large
scholars were handy, they had prepar-
ed for it and expected it, and consc-
qucptly were easily led to an exhibition
of their pugnacious qualities.
On the next morning, | went to the
school-house a little earlier than the
usual hour tor commencing. l found
the building nearly new and looking
clean and meet. l liked that. 1 went
in and arranged my books on the desk.
Mr. Bonney had given me the key to
his desk, at the same time informing
me that he believed there were some
implements there l might need. l
found a heavy rock-maple terule: some
two feet long by two inches wide, and
three-quarters of an inch thick.
1t was perfect club, and was,
moreover, enough to excite the ire Of