The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-17

L. lcnnits They asked the most nonsens
L iealsq stesiiolas with the greatest possible
gravity. and received the most prepos
/ 1terons answers.
/ CONNECTED with the examination II
mathematics is story which eventual
| ly leaked out and gave the whole thing
away One of the board, Mr. Smith
had large flock of sheep aud they
were AFFLICTED with the scab. He was
| preparing to dip and had purchased
many gallons of patent compound fol
the purpose. This liquid was to be prop
erly diluted with water. Smith had
| constructed a big dipping vat, but ht
| did not know how much water it held
and he was anxious to learn its exact
| capacity so that he would know how
much OF the patent dip to put in. He
| gave the dimensions of the vat, and the
applicant for the school after a deal Oh
figuring, told him how many cubic gal
Ions it would hold. Smith iotted down
this answer and turned the Would-be
teacher over to james. Now Jones was
building a new house, and was going t.
finish it off in the most approved man
ner, with doors. windows, shinglt
ROOF nnd plank floors and ceilings He
was about to order the lumber for this
house fr9!.i El Paso, but he didn't know
exactly how much to order. He gave
the dimensions, and the schoolmarm
consulted her little figures and told him
exactly how many feet of plank and
boards and how many bundles of shin
giles il would take TO build house Oh
the dimensions given. Well satisfied
with his shrewdness, Jones dotted down
the answers and passed the applicant to
Brown. Brown is the cattle-kine of the
10 I
for a big corral. He had employed an
Irishman who had been a NAVY on the
railroad to dig the ditch for the pickets,
at SO much per cubic yard of earth ex-
cavated. He wanted to find out exact
~ how much his bin would be and he
asked Miss Green. She told him This
closed the examination. Ghe trustees
consulted 4 few minutes and gave her
the school
''Shc lasted a month. Smith mixed
his sheep dip according to her figures
and ran through his flock The next
day thesherllers reported sheep diving
and, despite every effort to save the
woody animals. they continued to drop
off until his flock was DIM nished one
third. He learned then that the dip had
been made about three times the re-
quisite strengths The sciloolmarm' 5
figures had lied and Smith was furious
Jones made out his lumber bill and sent
the order to the merchant. The amount
ordered was large one, but Jones was
good and, after some little delay, his
order was consigned to him 1t took
whole train OF cars to transport it. and
he nearly went crazy when he found
that there were enough shingles alone
in the consignment to cover half the |
houses in the county and ioists and |
planks enough for the new State Cap |
itol.
Two years ago | was employed and |
have been here ever since. / like the |
place and the people, and. if / say it |
myself, have school to be proud of -
The children were beginning to ar
rive as he! finished speaking and he in
vited me to stay and inspect the school. |
There were about fifty pupils, varying
in age FROM to 20. All over 16 were
pay scholars. Two-thir,ts of the school
were MSsSic ms or half-breeds. The lat
ter We're the brightest and the quickest
to learn. Many of the children could
not understand word of English wheE
they first entered the school and were
unable to read and write Spanish. For
my benefit several of the scholars re-
cited little memorized speeches in both
bhoAt2IAt lfC performance
very creditable and told the schoolmas-
Ier 50 that night
. Yes, hesanswered, they do very
we'll Did you notice that large boy
sitting at the further left-hand desk?''
The one who recited The Burial of
Sir John Moore in English and then re
oeated it in SPANISH
Yes. Twoyears ago he did not know
ais A. B, C's'
HE must b. 20 years old
just 20, and nj Is he was as large
Is he is now His father y a wealthy | !
,attle owner and this bog is the only !
,hild. He hai been petlcd and spoiled
rom birth. Ia the States that would
make a sap; here it makes desperate
lie raled the roo5t at home and his faith
r could do pottiing with hiIa.- He curs-I {
ID and sm )ked, gambled and drank,
nd always went armed. His father :
wanted him to enter the school as a pay t
cholar and | consented to receive him J
lie did very we'll the first three days and |:
hen was absent. / sent note to his
ather lnqttiring the cause. He replied '
hat the young ru1fian refused to 90 any 4
1ore, and adjured me to use my author g
y and compel him to 90. One of the
mailer scholars informed me that the
eeNS'As o. SNoaCA StiC Sitit VA OHC | U
ain armed with Winchester and six v
hooter | sent him word to come into u
choolsand be punished for truancy He 8
bid the messenger TO tell me to go to +
AIDES. deputized four of the largest a
Oys to go after him. and ordered them 2
} bring him into school if they had to b
mock him down and tie him. They re- \
lrned back in about half an hour and s
,ported that he had stood 'em off D
18th his Winchester. Thereupon /
aced the school in charge of one of
lie larger scholars, loaded up my Win
hester and walked over to the noun fl
in. After little search l found the &C
'ung ruffian. He was sitting behind a cc
'ck, and before he was aware of my APP p
'oach | had him covered N
= Throw up your hands, Thomasr a.
te
f'He hesitated moment and obeyed | p
hen | made him step off little dis W
nee and took possession of his Win r
lester and six-shooter al
'.sWhat yer goin TO do?' he whined Ar
50. intend to take you to the school I'll
use, first, Thomas, and then punish m
IA in the presence of the whole school. a
:. Gimme my gun an six-shooteri he ~
lied, and started toward me.
Il raised and cooked my rifle and
Llted him