The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-29
ycHooIMAsrEa or RUSSIAN BAR.

gCTFG9EMASTER OF RUSSIAN EAhs
From The California CALI
"when IS he expected ?"
They said he was coming IN to-hlghts
stsge.D
9 He taught in Frisco, didn't he. 2,
~ Yes. I guess he was in the department..
The Doctors wife was an authority on all
matters in Russian Bar, and on thas last SEN
s,,ion-the coming of schoolmasfer-she
freely enlightened her neighbor, MRS. biunt,
plump widow, whose miner husband naa
died few months before. There was not
much to gossip about In that quiet village.
The arrival and departure OF the stage
brought the people TO their doors three times
aweek, and If q stranger was noticed ENJOYS
were Immediately dispatched to the hotei 20
learn bis name and business aud the prooa-
bic length Of his stay. But now RUSSIAN
Bar was to have new schooImaster, ana the
folks wondered much If he would nave any
trouble with Sam Seymour, the natchers
boy, or Ike Walker, an unruiy spirit, WHO
had knocked down and pummellcd the last
n,ycnnfor. who undertook TO teach him
school discipline. The trustees were pow
c5less in these matters, and declared that II
q schoolnaster was no. able to "get away
with the boys in square, Stand-up fgnt, lie
might as we'll pick up bis traps and leave
Russian Bar.
On the very evening of the expected arrival
Seymour and Walker, the leading spirits OF
the mutinous school boys, met at a pool,
from which both were cudcirorinS 10 coax
u few specklcd trout for supper.
"Haye YOU heard what the new cnap Is
like, Sam?" said Ike, as he impaled wr'G-
gle-woTm On his hook.
"No: have vou."
"Father told Jake, the barkecpeY, that he
was very young
And small"
eyes" -.
"Guess be won't stay long in town, Ike"
81 guess not, Sam. School ain't good for
us, such fine weather as this"
The worthless sat and fished In silence for
some time, and then Ike produced bunch
of cigarettes and passed them 10 ms trlend.
At last. finding that the fish would not bite,
they shouldered their poles and struggled
up towards the village, pausinS Tor mo
ment to stone Chinaman's rooster WHICH,
had stlaycd too far from the protecting wash
house.
THE scHooLNAsTER.
Philip HoEgilton was Il schoolmastcr from
NECESSITY and not taste. Like many who
have been educated as gentlemen III one
sense Of the word, that is, without Tie
acquaintance with any special pursuit that
might be turned to good account Ill the struS-
gle for bread, he found himself adrllt IN
California with nothing TO fall back on. see
ing an advertisement in city paper Tor 4
competent teacher to take charge OF the
school at Russian Bar, he answered 1t and
was accepted at venture. Putting his lew
lnovables together-a pair of old iolls ana a
T. hos. 1nIp IL
ton was an accomplished boxer ana feDcer-
he bought his ticket for Russian Bar.
lie found the stage-driver communica-
tive, pleasant fellow, who, at his request, de-
sc:ibcd the characteristics of his future home.
Indeed, his descriptions of the class of boys
whom Houghton was to take charge of was
not very encouraging. "Ioull find them
hard Iot," said he, "and they're all on the
muscle, too.'
.What is about the weight of my oldest =
asked Hougbton, good humorcdly. on
sec, if have got TO exercise something more
than moral suasiou, want to set posted on
the physique Of my men,
"NYcll, Sam Seymour is about the strong
est.''
"Aud what is about the size of the re-
doubtable ikCi"
Dwell, l guess lie tops you by half a
head"
80, exrect we'll gctalong we'll enough to-
rct.,cr.o said Houghton; "and | suppose
this is the first glimpse Of Russian Bar" he
added, as a turn in the road brought them
i'll view Of that picturesque village.
The stage bowlCd along the smooth road
and past the great white oak, under whose
friendly branches the tcamsters were accus-
toned to make their noont!me halt.
'l'll set you down ut the hotel" said the
driver.
"Thcrc's Perkins, the proprietor; that fat
man smoking on the stoop."
Houghton confessed to himself that the
prospect before him was anything but pre-
possessing one. He was not of very COM
batye nature, though he liked little danger
for the excitement; but 4 game Of tisticutl
with dirty, mutinous boy had neither glory
nor honor for Il man that had been one Of
the hardest hitterS in his college.
The folks were ali at their doors when the
stage clattered up the single street, and the
slender, good-lookinS young man by the
driver was measured and canvassed before
that worthy had passed the mail to the Doe
tor, who, with his medical ayocations, also
found time to "run" the post-otice.
The Doctors wife was at her window, and
after a long survey Of the schoolmastCr, has
tened 10 communicate her opinions to Mrs
Blunt. Meanwhile Houghton washed of
the red dust of the road, and took his seat
ut the supper table. The driver had intro
duced him to about dozen of the leading
citizens during the few minutes that inter.
vcncd between their arrival and Intervening
mail.
''How do you like our town, Mr.. Housh-
TOM" asked the landlord, graciously, as he
helped his new guest to cut of steak.
"Well, it seems pretty place."
"Whcn you get acquainted you'll find
yourself pleasantly situated; but you'll have
Il hard time with the boys"
$50 they all tell me. Anyhow, am not
uDprepared," said Houghton cheertuy.
Alter supper the landlord remarked con.
fidcntially to the Doctor that "the young
Imam had grit in him, and he thought he'd
be able to make the rifle with the boys"
THE FIRST DAY.
When Houghton arose next morning, and
opened lis window to the fresh breeze
odorous with the perfume of the climbing
honeysuckles, he felt that, after all, a resi-
dence in remote village, even with parcel
of rough boys to take care of, was preferable
to the dusty, unfamiliar streets Of San Fran
cisco. He smiled as he unpacked his foil:
ind boxing. gloves, little sadly, too, for they
linked with many pleasing associations of hi.
undergraduate days.
"Well," he solloquized, as he Strengthened
his arm and looked at the tine!y-developet
muscles, 81 ought to beable to hold my OWL
in II stand.up fight with these TROUBLESOME
pupils Of mine. This is my day OF trial
however, and before noon we shall probabl,
have had our battle out"
The school-house, a raw, untiniShed-look
ing frame building, stood hard by the river