Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-05
THE SCHOOLMASTER OF RUSSIAN
BAR.

"They said he was coming in to-night's
stage"
''He taught in Frisco, didn't hep
Eyes; | guess he was in the depart
ment"
The DOCTORS wife was an authority on
all matters in Russian Bar, and on this
last sensation, the coming Of a schoolmas-
ter she freely enlightened her neighbOr,
Mrs Blunt, plump widow, whose miner
husband had died a few months before.
There was not much to gossip about in
that quiet village The arrival and de
parture of the stage brought the people to
their doors three times 2 week, and if q
stranger was noticed ENJOYS were imme-
diately 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 wondered much if he would have
any trouble with Sam Seymour, the
butchers boy, or Ike Walker, an unruly
spirit who had knocked down and pun
meled the last preceptor who undertook
to teach him school discipline. The Trus-
tees were pOwerless in these matters, and
declared that if 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 expected
arrival, Seymour and Walker, the leading
spirits of the mutinous schoolboys, met
at pool from which both were trying to
coax few speckled trout for supper.
Have you heard what the new chap is
like. Sam?" said Ike, as he impaled a
wriggling worm on his hook.
"No, have yOu?"
Father told Jake, the barkeeper, that
he was very young.
"And small?"
"Yes"
"Guess he won't stay long in town,
Ike"
at guess not, Sam. School amt good
for us such fine weather as this"
The worthless sat and fished in silence
for some time and then Ike produced a
bunch of cigarettes and passed them to
his friend At last, finding that the fish
would not bite, they shouldered their
poles and struggled up to the village,
pausing a moment to stone Chinaman's
rooster, which had strayed too far from
the protecting wash-house.
Philip Houghton was a schoolmaster
from necessity, and not taste. Like many
who have been educated as gentlemen in
one sense of the word, that is, without the
acquaintance with any special pursuit
that might be turned to any particular
account 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 answered it, and was accepted at a
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 fencer-
he bought ticket for Russian Bar.
He found the stage driver a communi-
cative, pleasant fellow, who, at his request
described 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
you'll find them hard lot" said he,
land they're all on the muscle too"
what is about the weight of my
oldest?" asked Houghton, good-humor-
edly "You see, if l have to exercise
something more than moral suasion, /
want to get posted on the physique of the
men"
"Wen, Sam Seymour is about my
strongest"
And what is about the size of the re-
doubtable Ike?"
"Well, guess he tops you by half a
head"
xOh, IeXpect We'll get along well enough
together" said Houghton; "and 7 sum-
pose this is the first glimpse of Russian
Bar" he added, as turn in the road
brought them in view of that picturesque
village.
The stage bowled along the smooth
road and past the great white oak under
whose friendly branches the Transfers
were accustomed to make their noontime
halt
"rll set you down at the hotel" said
the driver "There's Perkins, the pro-
prietor; that fat man smoking on the
stoop."
Houbgton confessed to himself that the
nrosnect before him was anything but a
nrenossessing one. He was not OF very
combative nature, though he liked little
DANGER for the excitement, but game of
fsticuff with a dirty, mutinous boy had
neither glory nor honor for man that
nod been one of the hardest hitters in his
college.
The folks were all at their doors when
tbe stage clattered up the single street,
and the slender, good looking young man
nv the driver was measured and canvassea
before that worthy had passed the mali
to the doctor, who, with his medical yoca-
fion also found time to run the Post
office
The doctors wife was at her window,
and after long survey of the schoolmas-