The Shasta courier., 1865-02-04
A SKETCH.

Or the doors of the blacksmith shop, thu
tavern, the village store, and on the guide
board down by the cross roads, people fol
several days had noticed little handbills call
ing together the taxable inhabitants of "
g to take into consideration the propriety O
building new school house." The village
pastor, on the preceding Sunday, had alst
read the notice from the pulpit, adding {
most urgent solicitation to all of his male
hearers to '' come OUT" and do what they
could towards obtaining the much needed
building.
1t was scarce dark, when few persons
congregated around the door of the old schoo
house at the bottom of the hill, waiting until
the proper moment to enter. They were
coming from all directions-from over the
hill. from the four roads that met by the
school house, and numbers came stalking
| across the fields.
Soon one of the trustees appeared, with a
couple of tallow candles, and large key
| After inserting the latter in several aper-
| lures (all of which extended entirely through
| the doori, he succeeded in unfastening the
door, and the people poured in.
The little fourteen by-eighteen room was
| speedily filed; the people crowding on the
| resting upon the benches. Numbers gather
| a spark ST fire within. This position, how
ever, afforded the. opportunity Of ejecting
tobacco juice against it. and of rolling the
exhausted guilds beneath it.
The audience was divided into two parties
the one in favor of the new school house,
and the other opposed to it. 1t was known
that the latter were five or six in the maiori-
ty, and that they were very determined in
their opposition. The friends of education
were resolved to be conciliatory, knowing
knowing that they could not otherwise
succeed.
Directly tall man arose and said:
Gentlemen, | nominate as chairman of
this meeting, Samuel L. Jones, Esq, Is the
| motion seconded?'
A half dozen shouted "Ayep' The nom-
inee was known as one of the bitterest oppo-
nents of the new cchool house. Our friends,
however, voted for him. They knew that his
election could not be prevented, and that as
chairman he would be more harmless than a
mere voter. Besides, they wished to seem
friendly toward their opponents, and here
was good opportunity
Samuel 7. Jones, ESQ.,, sat in majestic
silence, and when the tall spokesman
announced that he was unanimously
elected, without dissenting voice." he sat
moment, as if to digest this honor, arose,
walked with calm dignity to the table,
surveyed the audience and said:
Fellow citizens, it is necessary that we
should have secretary. Who will you
nominate?
81 nominate Aaron Reed" called out a
weak voice by the stove, from which quarter
also came grum II second that nomina-
tion.'
Aaron Reed was young gentleman of
eighteen, who was reading law, and was
regarded as the rising phenomenon of the
place. There had not been a gathering of
any kind, of late, at which he had not
figured as secretary or vice president He
had essayed, on one or two occasions, q
political speech, and was warmly applauded
by the admiring adherents of his own party
He always wore his overcoat flung over his
shoulders, and fastened by one button
beneath his chin. This he deliberately laid
aside, walked to the desk, sat down on a
chair without a back, pulled out a gold
pencil, and calmly awaited for the meeting
to progress.
"Now, fellow citizens, we are ready for
business" said the chairman. "Will some
Que please state the object of the gathering?"
What farce was this Was there one
present who had not known the object for
the past two weeks?
Now came pause-the lull that precedes
the tempest. Our friends waited for the
opposition to take some step; but seeing that
such was not their intention, Mr.. Brown one
of the trustees, arose and pleasantly said:
Mr.. Chairman, the object of this meeting,
as stated in the notices, is to take into con
sideration the propriety of erecting a new
school house. As this is matter in which
every one present is interested. it is not our
wish that anything be done hastily, or with
out due deliberation. Therefore, Before any
vote be taken, l would ask that there be a
free interchange of views. am well aware
that there is considerable opposition, but
trust the most of it will disappear. The
objections, as they have reached me-. are,
first, the heavy taxes that will be necessarily
incurred by building school house. and
secondly, that we don't need school house.
To this latter objection shall briefly refer
This building was erected over forty years
ago, when the oldest of us were boys. We
received our education in it, and have some
veneration for these walls. While it was
good enough for those days, contend that
1t is not good enough now. These hacked
and mended desks, these walls from which
tha plastering is falling, these little, dirty,
window panes, these backless chairs, these
two faded pictures of the hemispheres, these
low ceilings and broken porch-and most of
all, this little room, into which we have to
squeeze our children, so that they have
scarcely breathing room-all these have
served their day.'s
Mr.. Brown sat down. His few remarks
were intended as a feeler," and to bring
out the opposition. Near the stove was a
coughing, splitting. aheming, and shutting of
feet, as II some person was making ready to
rise A dozen smiled, (among them Mr..
Brownl, for they knew what this meant
"Nnele john" one of the opposition, who
sent three children to school. was getting
ready to throw bomshell among his enc
mics. round, red face, with an Illuminated
nose, slowly came up like the rising moon.
above the horizon of the stove, and he shouted
IN voice that could have been heard a
lquarter of mile away