St. Landry democrat., 1882-05-06
THE G. II. X. r. II.

playground Oh LII. InWdCkeIIl 5 SC1Ool
during the noon recess. Nobody was
playing baseball Or football, but the
running and rushing, the whooping and
general racket and riot were something
uncommon.
"Who ever heard such noise?" ex-
claimed DR.. Thwaekem himself, putting
his head out of an upper window.
"What in the name of commOn-sense
hare those boys found to play at now?'
DR.. Thwackem soon discovered. 1t
was Erasmus Jackson's new game.
Erasmus jackson was the pride of the
whole Institute for the inyenting of new
games, and this was his latest effort.
Erasmus had organized the one hundred
and twenty-three other boys into the
Great Royal Kamtschatka Railroad.
Erasmus was its President, of course.
The ground of the Institute hap
pened to be a pretty good-sized plot OF
unoccupied town ground adjoining the
school. 1t ran clear through from street
to street. Across this from corner to
corner ran a double track marked out
with sawdust. Along it could be seen
rushing, with an appalling whooping
and signaling, strings of boys, ten at a
time. These were the passenger trains.
Freight trains, consisting of from fifteen
to twenty boys, alternated with these;
they moved more slowly, but with a
wonderful putting and letting off of
steam.
Every few minutes a loud hurrahing
and the blasts of certain cracked tin
horn warned everything ahead upon
wheels Qegs) to clear the track for the
Royal Moscow Lightning Express. Mos
COW is not in Kamtschatka, but Erasmus
Jackson said that that didn' make any
difference. The general Office of
the company was at Moscow.
AS the Doctor looked on, amused, the
brakes were applied to the express with
suddenness that nearly threw it heels
over head. That, however, was to avoid
a collision with freight train, and a
purse of marbles was Immediately made
up and presented to the express engi-
neer by the passengers, who owed their
lives to his presence of mind.
Upon my word" exclaimed DR..
Thwackem, chuckling, it S truly quite
shocking to think Of SO narrow an
escape"
All at once o new idea entered the
good Doctors white head. He looked
down to the southeast corner of the
playground; there was located Timbuc-
too, the other terminus of the railroad.
Timbuctoo isn't in Kamtschatka any
more than Moscow, but Erasmus Jack
son said that it sounded just as well as
If it was. "t
The Doctor looked to see if close to
its ina ginary towers lay a great pile of
cut cord-wood. Yes, there it was; just
as somebody had thrown it from a
wagon.
gest it," said the Doctor to the sparrows
chattering on a bough close by. cit
won't hurt their fun. It IL do them
good, and her good" ..,,f.., ~
He pulled his head inside the window,
and left the sparrows to chatter. TAX
ing his hat, he walked down stairs, and
out upon the steps. - .tsna
"Boys! boysp' he called in his kind,
clear old voice. rs.. .....-.. -...r...
The Royal Kamtschatka Railroad roll
ing stock resolved itself quickly into a
circling group Of one hundred and
twenty -four boys, closing around the
Doctor on the steps.
The Doctors eye twinkled. He made
low bow.
81 should perhaps have said Mr..
President, Stockholders and Officers of
the-what is it?''
"Great Royal Kamtschatka Rail
road" came the deafening answer.
"Thank you," responded the Doctor,
slipping politely out of the necessity of
repeating the rather long name Of the
company. He continued: "On OBJ
serving your splendid system of road
management thought has occurred to
me. I wish to respectfully submit it to
you. Do you see that red cottage,
which nobody lives in, down by your
fourishing city of Timbuctoo? Good.
And now will you kindly turn and
perceive that other red cottage, rather
larger, not many yards from your noble
railroad depot of Moscow? You will
notice that they are just diagonally
across from each other. Very welt.
Our old acquaintance Widow Pitcher,
who sweeps our school-room SO thor
oughly for us, bought two cords OF
hickory from Farmer Nee yesterday,
and told his boysto dump them at her
red cottage on the left side of the
school play ground upon Spring street.
What did Farmer Mee's boy do but
come to town early this morning, and
dump every stick of the hickory along
side the red cottage to the right side
Simmer street. Poor Mrs. Pitcher
woke up, and looked across to the other