St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-02-06
Trouble in School Forty Years Ago.
To the Editor of the Caledonian: :

To the Editor of the CaledOnian:
The following story was given to me
by a gentleman who was acquainted
with both parties concerned, and he
vOuches for its correctness. ...u
In a certain school district in Yer
mont, about forty years ago, lived Adam
Salter, plain, honest Yankee farmer,
whose children attended the school
which was not very far from their home
Mr.. Salter was six feet tall and pretty
large generally. He was not extremely
learned in books and had never read
civil law, but he was law unto him
self, always feeling it his duty to defend
the honor of his house when assailed,
especially in school matters. He be-
lieved it was his duty to excommuni-
cate all teachers of that school who
were so impudent as to chastise any of
his children, and when he started he
never failed to make matters so IN
pleasant for the teacher that the school
would soon close in general row.
The particular season to which this
story refers, that school had run upon
some such reefs, and gone, as the Irish
man would say, "intO two halves" in
the midst of the term; the teacher was
thrown overheard, and the committee
thought it unsafe to put the old craft to
sea again on so disturbed water. So
be went to the village and hired GER
tain merchant, whose name was Timo-
| thy Dudley, to take the school and fl
nish out the term. He was to have his
own price for wages, but on condition
that he should govern the school and
teach it clean to the end of the term
without smash-up. This he under
took to do and entered upon the work
The school room was finished up in
the good old style, with Il row of seats
and desks around the room, facing to
the center, and line of seats in front
of these desks for the small children.
with Il stove in the middle of the open
space, or about the center of the floor,
thus leaving quite an open field foI
ideas to grow in, or for riot to rage, as
the case might be. ...
Tim. Dudley was Yankee of the
purest stamp, more than six feet above
the floor, broad shouldered, with a
large head set square upon his short
neck. His eyes were black and large,
seeing every where without nervous ac-
ton, and every. motion displayed
strength of body and presence of mind
His face was one never to be forgotten
after once seen-full of beauty when
quiet, but full of terror when his mettle
was up. Any person could see by &
few minutes conversation with him
that Tim. Dudley could not easily bt
taken by surprise, and had in his dis.
position an element that men better moi
tamper with.
Things passed off smoothly in the lit
tie school room for while, but one
morning when Tim. came, he was sur,
prised to find the large boys struggling
in a regular fight, and Adam Salter'.
son, cutting right and left with his
great jackknife, had laid ont one O
them with deep cash in his leg.
Careful investigation into the matter
revealed the fact very clearly, that JUS
one big boy must be punished and thai
was the son of Adam Salter. Here wa.
the rub. To take that boy in hand wa.
to start Adam for him with all his dogs
which was certainly not very desirable
on the other hand, to wink at the morn,
ing fight and let the boy go uupunisheC
in any wise, would tie his hands ano
let mislule gallop rough shod over him
Tim. did not debate the question for +;
moment. He was there to rule, an(
he would do it.