The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-02-06
Sslerf Stury.
Carrying Ont the School.
master.

"He don't know hawk from hand
saw" said Jsd Dsv. "If lie did, h
wouldn't core here"
"But we'll teach him so he'll know
afore We get through With him. Ee'l
git the cnnsate taken out of him. laugh
ed Jate Votes.
"Wout he, though" chorused Zlby
Swan. "Cuiy" Wyman and Ma, Durfee
These were some of the Kaidger boys
They were lounging about the schoo
house waiting for the new master tc
come. The winters school was to be-
gin that morning.
SO, you think yer smart" retorted
Sally Briggs "Talk about consate! He
nay take the consate out of you. I'LL
be pity if he don't"
who's that Just spoke mp and said
nothin' p sneered Joe looking round
with mock ser lousness
. Tie otEei iauehed and Sally was ST.
cnced, but sue determined not to forget
the insult
They say be wears store close" said
Zby. IL s'pose he thinks We never saw
any hore. Wont he feel honored,
though, when he hears US ell salute him
when he comes in ?"
"Here be comes, ,fellers, just round the
turn cut by the aiders thar" cried Hat.
"Be ready now to yell when he comes in
Bray aad whinny just yer prettiest soon's 8
he shows his head in The door"
The hoys at "Kaidger Hill" were q
rough set,as the reader has already seen.
They had tie reputation of being the
worst in the country, at leass in the town
of Gainsboro', where the Kaidger Hill
school district was located. Since the
town was first settled there had been
trouble in school here nearly every win
ter.
1t was not wholly the fault ofsthe
boys. The parents we're constantly quar-
re'lng one family with another. The year
before my story opens there had been
loud contention concerning the school
house, the sid one having myster;ousiy
taken Ere and burned Some of the
townspeople wished 10 huild new one,
but the majority thought it best to occu-
py for school purposes recently erect
ed log house, which young settler had
built intending to make his home in the
district, but who had suddenly changed
his mind and departed for another State.
Runor said that this young settlers
prospective wife had changed her mind
which accounted for the change in his.
Grieved and disappointed, he had turned
his back on the pisce forever and gone
to seek truer love and to start anew in
a distant State.
1t happened. therefore,th that after much
wrsngling tie log house was taken for q
school house. 1t was a strong structure
twen,y-fonr by twenty feet on the
ground At a distance of twenty-five
feet from The house was low. bu'
strong, log cow-barn, fifteen feet by
twelve, with roof OF large "splits" Gov
cred with turf
The house had front door and foul
windows, also an end door opening into
covered wavs or porlico, connecting
with the eow-bsin.
But few sltel ations were made; tht
cow-haru with it's connecting covered
walk being used for wood-house. Al
l have said there was door opening ou
of the school-room into the covered
walk, and there was also another dool
where this walk connected with the wooC
house.
The other outside door of the forme
cow-barn was now nailed up, so that thu
only way into the present wood-houst
was from the school-room. The door:
were each provided with strong iror
"hssps" and staples, as is common il
such pioneer structures. From this
rather peculiar arrangement of the WOOD
house it bore, among the boys, the nick
name OF the "trsp."
l have frequently noticed that where
the parents in good school district are
at variance tnat district is noted for ill.,
behavior and rebellion iu the school
room. The Kaidger Hill district was
an extreme case of the truth OF thi:
statement
Jad Day, "Cuffv" Wyman, Jote Yates
Nat Durfee and Ziby Swan we're rough
youngsters, from seventeen to nineteel
years old, rot lacking in bone or Drawn
boastful of their powers at rough enc
tumble, and correspondingly deficient il
intelleclusl gifts.
Jsd was thick set et.reund-headed toy
with the little twipkiing eyes of an or
rant rogue; while Joe was more thil
specimen Of hackwnois sggressiveness
nearly or qrite ak feet tall. Nat, Nhh,
and CUT Wymau were less peculiar il