The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-03-20
SCHOOLMASTER OF RUSSIAN BAR.
"When is he expected ?"

nlSnI suaSe.
"He taught in Frisco, didn't he ?"
"Yes; guess he was in the de-
partment.
The doctors wife was an authority
on all matters in Russian Bar and on
this last sensation, the coming of the
schoolmaster, she freely enlightened
her neighbor, Mrs. Blunt, a plump
widow, whose minor husband had
died u few months before. There
was not much to gossip about in the
quiet village. The arrival and de-
Tparture of the stage brought the peo-
pie to their doors three times a week
and if 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 schoolmaster and the folks won
dered much if he would have any
trouble with Sam Seymore, the butch
er's boy, or Ike Walker, an unruly
spirit who had knocked down and
pummeled the last preceptor who
undertook to teach him school dis
cipline. The trustees were powerless
in these matters and declared that if
a schoolmaster was not able to "get
away" with the boys in a square
stand-up fight, he might as well pick
up his traps and leave Russian Bar.
On the very evening of the expect
ed arrival, Seymore and Walker, the
leading spirits of the mutinous school
boys, met at pool from which both
were trying to coax a few speckled
trout for supper.
"Have you heard what the new
chap is like, Sam?" said Ike, as he
applied a wiggling worm on his
hook.
"No, have you?"
"Father told Jake, the barkeeper,
that he was very young"
"And small?"
eyes"
81 guess he won't stay long in
town, Ike"
"I think not, Sam. School amt
good for us such fine weather as this
is"
The worthless sat and fished in 81
lence and then Ike produced a bunch
of cigars and passed them to his
friend. At last, finding that the fish
wouldn't bite, they shouldered their
poles and staggered up to the village,
pausing a moment to stone China
mans rooster, which had strayed too
far from the protecting wash house,
Philip Houghton was school
master from necessity, and not taste.
Like many who had been educated
as gentlemen in one sense of the
word, that is, without the acquaint-
ance with any special pursuit that
might be turned to any particular ac-
count in the struggle for bread, he
found himself adrift in California
with nothing to fall back on. Seeing
an advertisement in a city paper for
competent teacher to take charge of
the school at Russian Bar, he answer
ed it, and was accepted at venture.
Putting his few movables together
a pair of old foils and set of well
worn boxing gloves, for Houghton
was an accomplished boxer and fen
cer-he bought a ticket for Russian
Bar.
He found the stage driver a COM
municative, pleasant fellow, who, at
his request, described the character
istics Of his future home. Indeed his
description of the class Of boys
whom Houghton was to take charge
of, was not very encouraging. "You
will find them hard lot, said he,
"and they're all on the muscle too.
"What is about the weight of my
Oldest" asked Houghton, good-hu-
"You see, if l have to ex-
ercise something more than moral
suasion, want to get posted on the
physique Of my men"
"Well, Sam Seymore is about the
"And what is about the size of the
redoubtable Ike?"
"Well, I guess he tops you by half
a head"
30, I guess we will get along well
enough together, said Houghton5
'and Isuppose this is the rstglimpse
of Russian Bar, he added, as turn
in the road brought them in view of
that picturesque village. -,
The stage rolled along the smooth
road and past the great white OAK,
under whose friendly branches the
teanfsters were accustomed to make
their MONDAY halt.
"I'll set you down at the hotel"
said the driver. s'There's Perkins,
the proprietor, that fat man smoking
on the porch.
Houghton confessed to himself that
the prospect before him was any
thing but a prepossessing one. He
was not of combative nature, though
he liked a little danger for the ex-
but a game of fsticutf with
a dirty, mutinous boy, had neither
glory nor honor for man who had
been one Of the hardest hitters in
his college.
The folks were all at their doors
when the stage clattered up the sin
gle street, and the slender-looking
young man by the driver was meas
ured and canvassed before that
worthy had passed the mail to the
doctor, who, with his medical voca-
lion, also found time to run the post
office.
The doctors wife was at her win
dow, and after long survey of the
hastened to commune
cate her opinions to Mrs. Blunt
Houghton washed of the I
Dust of the road and took his seat {
It the supper table. The driver had ]
introduced him to about dozen of
he leading citizens during the few
moments that interviewed between
heir arrival and the evening meal 1
4 4.