The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-08-02

i slOulu lulSE Luhl lis lllIuI was gwen
to close observation and deep original
thinking. One of those jottings | more
particularly remember on account OF its
originality.
In German it was worded thus: Die
welt ist eni grosser KunerStall wo jeder
gackert und krahet ie uachdem ihm del
schnabel gewachsen list. The world is Il
vast poultry yard where each one
cackies and crows according to the size OF
MS beak. l regard this rs an original
and truthful comparison. And | will
add in connection with il. that in this
poultry yard, as u general thing the
gamecocks do not strut half rs proudly,
nor crow half as vociierously as the
dastardly dunghill, bantams and the yul-
gar Shanghais.
Mr.. Becker was the first German
Catholic school teacher that ever taught
n class Of Catholic children in this city.
| was of age to go to school, and re-
member what q feeling of awful apprc-
hension seized upon me when the news
was spread that Il master had arrived.
The announcement rung in my ears like
the horrible Name IHekei Fhareg at the
banquet of Balthazzar. 1t seemed to me
AS if there was no happiness left in the
world worth living for; that dread
schoolmaster was ever in my mind. BY
day thought of him; by night dreamt
of him. l regarded myself somewhat
in the light Of beautiful and delicate
Al IL. IL.
frown of the monarch of the ferule and
the strap.
How | only borrowed carcl There
never vas more indulgent teacher II
gentler and kinder friend. The suddcn-
faces of his scholars, following in solemn
procession the hcarse rs it bore his COZ pse
to the grave were the sinscrest and most
indisputable testimony to his goodness.
Our schoolrOom was the upper story of
q house now incorporated in the building
occupied by Mr.. McndcPs furniture fac
tory, at the left side Of the
county Jail, nearly across the
street from the Cathedral. The house
has been very much changed by addition,
made to it. Farmerly il was a two-story
uOllHt, INV ~ l''ll III" ~
stairs and another of the same size
above. There was lofty portico in
front, supported by tall wooden coIums,
and inside the front door there was Il
vestibule from which door led into the
lower room ard a staircase lei up 10 the
second floor. Just ut the head of the
staircase there was landing and win
dow. and a double door which opened
into our school room; one Of the folds OF
which was always closed. | mention
these things infinitely because they greatly
facilitated the lodges which the scholars
resorted to to get ahead of The teacher.
He used to 90 upon the landing, put his
head out of the window and whistle
shrilly for the idlers, who, on. one pre-
tence or another had obtained permission
to 70 out. Meanwhile som" young scapc-
grace, and | sorrowtully confess, in the
language of Virgil, quorum nagan !yurS
f.a, which Artemus Ward translated:
zone of whom | am which, would
post himself behind the fold Of
the door, which was closed, and lay in
ambush. When the the teacher came in.
tie naughty truant would slip out behind
him and 90 hurtling down the stairs like
a rat down the inside of the walls of Il
flame honse. The teacher would turn
around and dart after him, crying Halt
der Bengcl," but he was never known to
succeed in capturing the escaped culprit.
He might easily have discovered who the
runaway was, but he was never known
to make the effort, and it was Just in this
that his'scholars saw his great kindness
and found cause to love him. One of our
principal sources of amusement WAS II
roat which had become daily visitor at
the school house. He was handsome
specimen of his kinda large, grave
looking, long bearded billy goat, with u
noble pair of horns adjoining his majestic
front. This goat had aSngular relish
for paper which had been written on. He
would eat up all the old copy books that
YOU would give him. Whether he tried
in this way to emhody in himself the
wisdom OF the valuable apothcyms
which adorn copy books OF whether
he merely liked to taste the tartncss Of
the ink with which they were scrawlcd
over. We never had any satisfactory
means of finding out from the cornicu-
lased quadruped. He was quite tame and
permitted Us to play with him tamlIiarIy
One day after having previously fcd him
on portion of my copy book, | boldly
mounted his back Before knew what
| WAS about, he had entered the front
door. climbed the staircase and carried
me bodily into the very middle OF the
schoolroum. | had tried to dismouut As
he was ascending the stairs, but the mar
rowncss of the space and the rapldIty
with which he was going made 1t lmpoS-
sible. | leave you to imagine what
shout greeted Us on this sudden and most
unexpected apparition. In dismounting
a sudden move of the goat to one side
sent me sprawlingon the floor where the
beast administered parting salute with
Il pretty sound butt from his horns. This
was nv first and most memorable feat Of
horsemanship.
In those days one room of medium
size was large enough to Accommodate
the boys and the girls, with ample space
between the desks TO afford easy pcram-
bulatlon to the teacher.
Such was the humble beginning of this
splendid consummatiOn; or if you will
allow me to put it in Il metaphor more
expressive than elegant, such was the
tadpole stage of this enormous bulIfrog.
| who belonged to the tadpolc period,
have great difficulty in realizing that 50
large and vigorous frog was the InSic-
nilicant poliwog that | then knew. In
lieu of the narrow second story schoo-
room, here stands this imposing monu-
ment with its suites of airy classrooms,
broad and easy staiTcases and noble hall.
In lieu of the pitiabe corporsls guard
of scholars, there is swarm Of them rs
dense as bees about II hive and still. an
other change occurs to my mind. Thirty
wears ago we German Catholic children
had to submit to be- cOntcmptuou-ly
greeted by tho then prevailing
mob of youthful rowdies with the
Questionable salutation of damn Dutch
Catholics, - and when our blood, stirred by
the gratuitous iudignity would impel u,