The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-09-13
One Of the Old. Time Pedagogue..


The Bows were of French descent, and
both possessed the French love of for
NAL manners, including what may be
styled stateliness of personal carriage.
Ulysses wore at all times a fantastic
queue at least four feet long and large
pumps that always were brightly pol
ished. His stern face was thin and hard
as a prize-fighter's in full training, and
his eyes were filled with the glitter of
subdued ferocity. Of his pupils scores
are living to-day, all of them far adj
vanced in years. Many and almost
marvellous are the anecdotes they tell
of the famous pedagogue. He might
have been called the great inventor of
fortunes, Nothing could surpass his
Satanic ingenuity in the invention and
elaborate execution of grim novelties in
punishment. No ragged boy, so often
and so soundly beaten that he verify
believed himself to be rag carpet, and
the tall, tireless master a bean pole,
could tell what was coming next. His
chief instrument of torture, as we'll as
the scepter of his authority, was slab
ruler, which he called his 'sbroad
arrow" 1t was about four inches
broad, an inch thick, and nearly two
feet in length. Weighing over 200
pounds, and with arms like q human
windmill, Dr. Dow was able to apply
this corrective weapon with herculean
force and vigor upon the writhing body
of an offending urchin.
Improbable as they may seem, the
following are few of the many strange
stories told of DIR. Dow and his inquisi-
torial methods of punishment. One of
his most sinister, and, in fact, his favor
lite method of fogging a pupil, was to
put him In what he whimsically called
the notch. 1t consisted of a semi-cir-
cular opening, cut in large deal table,
and big enough to admit the body of a
full-grown boy. Now it is Master John
Smith who is to be savagely whipped.
civilian Brown, the saddlei'' thunders
he of the heavy ruler. William leaves
the desk. enters the aperture, and leans
his body forward.
"John Smith, mounts roars the
master. John, with shudder of dread,
stretches his body upon the body of
William Brown.
''Peter Jones, croupier!n again bel
lows the master. Peter climbs upon
the table, holds down Johnnie's head
and adjust his pantaloons for the blows
that are imminent.
Joseph Jinks, David Trip, the
stirrupsl' once more shouts the school
master. Masters Jinks and Tripp step
forward, extend Johnnie's arms, and
tightly grasp his hands to prevent
struggle. All being in readiness, the
massive ruler descends with MANY a
merciless whack, whack, whack, that
more than one boy hears thereafter in
his dreams and wakes with cry of
terror to find the hot tears scalding his
cheeks. Poor Johnnie cannot even
squirm, and he realizes that so much
as muffied moan will call down upon
his piniened frame an additional series
of whacks.
Another pet scheme was what DR..
Dow called "Spanchezzling." He laid
boy upon the floor, spread-eagle
fashion, with four boys to hold his feet
and hands. Then this scholastic Nero
would stand over the PROSTATE lad and,
with tantalizing slowness, pour a d.
minutive stream of water into his face.
In one corner was cruel structure
called '.The Gibbet." Upon this an
obnoxious boy was stood and the infer
nal machine could be so regulated as
to bring his head against the ceiling.
This, in a literal sense, was the summit
of tortures. But, horrible dictu! atop
was a superstructure known as "The
Pinnacle" If the culprit moved an ell
or made as much noise as a mouse,
then would be Numbered the order.
'sThe Pinnacle!'' and the culprit would
have to go higher and stand his hour
with his head upon his breast or shout
der.
DIR. Dow sat enthroned upon stool,
within a railing that extended across
the entire school room. The scholars
sat in front of this rude Enclosure upon
rough benches. At command from the
Doctor the boys would run their feet
through the railing and then the master
would divert himself by splitting upon
the urchins' feet The motive for this
most odious act is unknown.
At one table were the regulation
stocks, as cruelty constructed as were
ever those in charge of village beadle.
Ii cleanly boy came in, dressed spick-
span, the master would below: s.Boy.
to the chimney! Wewant no lollypoppy
here.'' So Master Neatness would
have to crawl into the chimney place,
only to emerge at dismissal sooty as a
London sweep.
If a scholar was caught chewing to-
bacco he would make him cast it out.
Then he would mix the tobacco with
ashes and oblige the chewer to resume
his quid. With sardonic righteousness
he called this a quid pro quo.
photography was the old Doctors
strongest point. A boy must learn to
spell or go to the Notch. 1t is a singu-
lar sarcasm upon his exactness in Or
biography that upon the gravestone
erected by his pupils Doctor is spelled
"Doeter,a although some attribute this
mistake to the marble cutter. Some
times his grip upon the grimly humor-
GUS would relax into outlandish poetry.
One LodoYick had been sick and had
returned to school convalescent.
''Been sick, sir?p asked the old
doctor.
ayes, sir"
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