Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-06-11
Scrogum And the District School.

Mr.. ScRoaUM, yes, ScRoGuM will do
but his real name was not SoRoaUM.
call him ScRoGUM less he should be
offended for bringing his real name in
question without his consent. About
IA years ago, [ knew Mr.. SoRoGuM, he
lived in Waukesha Co., Wisconsin. He
lived on farm and was practical far
mer. He had children old enouoh to
60 to school, and he wished to send them
to school, bit the district in which Mr.
ScRoGUM lived, had been so deplorably
managed for some years, that the school
was we'll nigh broken up, and in fact no
teacher could be had, willing to take
hold of the school, ESQ notorious had
this district become. The district ap-
pointed officers every year to see to the
interests of the school, but the real
managers Of the school were not the
district officers appointed, but few
women in the neighborhood Mr.. SCRo
GUM called them "the termigent granny
club, and this granny club had so man
aged for years, that the school was de-
stroyed. Teachers were hired from
abroad, strangers, but as soon as school
was commenced, three or four reckless
boys belonging to some of the members
of the granny club would plot the break
ing up Of the school, and often did it.
If the teacher had stamina to chastize
them for their behavior, four or five Of
these luberly- Gawkics would pounce up
on him, regular fight would be the re-
suit, and during the progress Of one Of
these battles most Of the windows in
the school were battered in, and the
teacher maltreated shamefully. If the
teacher allowed them to take their own
course without calling them to order,
there would be no school at all, but a
general scene Suile tilac, and if the
teacher classified any for bad behavior,
the grannies would be upon him and he
would be driven out of the place, so that
no school, or next to no school had been
in that district for some years.
The matter in reference to the school,
however, was taken up seriously and at
the annual district meeting it was de-
tcrmined that something should be done
to re establish the district school. Mr..
ScRoGUM expressed his views of matters
and things pretty freely. BY the way,
he had in his day been school teacher,
and had good character as such, and
to him the boss-hip of 'the termigent
granny clud, was deplorable absurd
ity, and he told the district meeting so.
The people wanted Mr.. ScRoGUM to
take the school for the winter term OF
four months. "No," said he, "no III
have nothing to do with it, aud III co
all can to prevent any one else from
having anything to do with it IN the way
Of teaching, unless you utterly abolish
the 'termigcnt granny club" Thiswa
a poser, how can the granny club be
suppressed and prevented from inter-
fering with the doing OF the teachers
and the school? "Now, said Mr.. ScRo-
GuM I'll take the school for four months
at so much month, if the officers elect
ed will guarantee to me, that they VIII
allow me to manage the school IN ac-
oordonce with the views | have OF school,
d;scinl;ne. and will keep the grannles
of. I'll risk the boys if the grannles
are kept away" 1t was finally agreed
,bat NJ ScRoGUM was to teach, ana
that the school officers were to stano o0-
tween him and the granny cluo' ~ ),
report spread, "Mr scRoGUM IS 70 'e'OA'
The time came, the teacher prepared
himself The rules by which the scnooi
was to be governed, were posted IN con
spicious placesin the school house. .,r, ns
cry scholar was made to understand 'l'9n
tbe first day. and one item IN the nu"
system was that any scholar that d. did
not Do as the teacher required after
being spoken to twice, should go outside
the scbool-house and fight the school1
master and Mr.. scRoeUM was man OF
tough muscle, and he was prepare prep es,,u - -