Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-01-03
SELECTED STORY
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SCH00LMASTER OF RUSSIAN
BAR.
When is he expected 2

stage
HE taught in Frisco, didn't her,
Eyes, | guess he vas in the depart
meht"
The Doctors WHO was authority Oh all
matters in Russian Bar, sod on this last sen
sation-the coming Of schoolmaator-sh she
freely enlightened her neigbbor, Mrs.
Blunt, plump widow. whose miner hus-
band had died a few months before There
was not much 10 gossip about in that quiet
village. The arrival and departure of the
stage brought the people to their doors three
times week, aud ifa stranger was noticed
ENJOYS were Immediately dispatched to the
hotel to learn his name and business, and
the probable length of his stay But now
Russian Bar was to have new schoolmas.
ter, and the folks wondered much if he
would have any trouble with Sam Seymour,
the butchers boy, or Ike Walker, an unru-
" spirit, who had knocked down and pun
meled the last preceptor, who undertook to
teach him school discipline. The trustees
were powerless in these nattera and decsar-
ed that If a schoolmaster wa. not able to get
away With the boys in q square, stand up
fight, he might So well pick Up his tracks
aud leave Russian Bar.
On the very evening Of the expected arri.
val, Seymour and Walker, the leading spir.
its of the mutinous school boyp, met at a
pool, from which both we're endeavoring to
coax few speckled trout for supper.
"Have you heard what iae new chap is
like, Sam said Ike, as he ;lnpaled wriy.
gle worm on his hook
mo; have you p
Father told lake. the barkeepsr tina. he
was very young"
And small ?"
Yes
"Guess he won't stsy long III town, Ike. +"
II guess nos, Sam School amt good
for as, such fine weather as this y
The worthless sat and fshed 10 silence for
SONG time, and then Ike produced bunch
Of cigarettes and passed them to bis friend
At last, finding that the fish would rot bite,
they shouldered their poles and struggled
up toward the village, pausng for a moment
to stone Chinaman's rooster which had
strayed too far from the protecting wash
house.
THE sCHO0LMAsTER
Phillip Houghton was a schoolm aster
from necessity, and not taste Like many
who have besn educated as gentlemen in one
sense OF the word, that is, without the ac-
quaintAnce with any special pursuit that
might &c turned to COED account in the
struggle for bread, &c found himself adrift
ia California. With nothing to fall back on
Seeing an advertisement in city paper for
a competent teacher to take charge Of the
school at Russian Bar, he answered it and
was accepted at venture Putting his
few moveables together-a pair of old gols
and Get of well-worn boxing gloves, for
Houghton was an accomplished boxer and
fencsr-hs bought bis ticket for Russian
Bar.
He found the stage driver commuuica
tive, pleasant fellow, who, at bis request,
described the characteristics Of his future
home. Indeed, bis descriptions Of the elias,
of boys whom Houghtou was to take charge
Of, was not very encouraging you'll fad
them bard lot, said hs, land they're al
on the muscle, too"
"W hat is about the weight of my eldest p
asked Houghton, good hun,oredly. "You
sec, If | have got to exercise something
more than moral sussion, want to gel
posted on the physique of my men,"
We'll, Sam Seymour is about the strong
est"
"And what is about the sizs Of the re
doubtable Ike ?"
well, | guess he tops you by hall a
head /"
"Oh. expect we'll get along well enough
together said Houghton; land I suppose
this is the first glimpse of Russian Bar" he
added, as turn 10 the road brought then
in view OF that picturesque village.
The stage bowlsd along the smooth road
and past the great whits-oak, under who's
friendly branches the transfers were accus
toned to make their noon-tme bait
"Pll set you down at the hotel" said th
driver. There's Perkins, the proprie tor
that fat man smoking on the stoop'
Heughton confessed to himself that tn
prospect before him was not Of very com
fortIng nature, though he liked little dan
ger Tor the excitement; but a game of fist
cut with dirty, mutinous boy had neithe
glory nor honor for man that had been on
OF the hardest htters in his college.
The folks were all at their doors whe'
the stage clattered up the single street, an
the slender, good looking young man by tn
driver was measured and canvasse1 befor
that worthy had passed the mail to the doc
tor, who. With his medical avoca tons, ais